Dinner and Game Food - How Sweet It Is!

Finding something that a 4 year old actually thinks looks good, sounds good, is somewhat good for him to eat and is actually something he can help make - how sweet it is! The chicken recipe I watched Paula Deen prepare yesterday that is.

I have seen the episode where she makes these before, but this time Aidan was watching the show with me and he thought these looked pretty tasty and fun. Granted, the bacon probably isn't the most healthy option in the world, but when you are dealing with someone who's idea of the perfect breakfast is still pop tarts (because he can watch cartoons when he eats them) then actually getting some protein in him and on a plate that looks like a meal is a beautiful thing.

We paired Paula's chicken/bacon bites with some oven roasted yukon gold potato wedges dredged in a sweet and spicy seasoning and roasted them together. We also added some ground pecans to Paula's version below mainly because, well, we love 'em.

Now I will just have to do this again for the big game on Sunday, maybe served with a hot chile butter sauce. (Favorite hot sauce - I like chipotle Tabasco), melted with some butter and a little crushed garlic and toss the chicken bites when they come out of the oven).

Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps

(Adapted from Paula Deen's recipe)

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)

1 (1-pound) package sliced bacon

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar (we like dark)

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/4 cup ground pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Cut each bacon slice into thirds. Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden pick. Stir together brown sugar, chili powder and ground pecans. Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture. Coat a rack and broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken wrap on rack in broiler pan. Bake 350 for 30 to 35 minutes or until bacon is crisp (turning over once after about 15 mins).

Roasted Potato Wedges

4 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

2 egg whites

1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp (or to taste) chili powder

2 Tbsp dark brown sugar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Vegetable cooking spray

In one bowl beat the egg whites til frothy. In another bowl combine the flour, chili powder, sugar, salt and pepper, stir well. Dip the potato wedges in the egg whites then the flour mixture. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the potato wedges on the baking sheet and spray lightly with cooking spray. Transfer the baking sheet to a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes until the potatoes are golden and cooked through. After 15 minutes, turn the potatoes over and continue roasting.

Mini Pie Revolution - Caramel Cashew Creme Brulee Tartletts

Viva la Revolucion! I was once again looking for inspiration on IMBB for things to make to keep myself busy with an adult activity during our enforced confinement this winter and stumbled upon this "Mini Pie Revolution" event. This time the theme was for sweet creations.

Now, I have to admit here, that though I love this event and it was fun to do, I actually like a really good cupcake. Notice, I do qualify that as a really good one. I hope that doesn't get me booted out of the revolution altogether because I also L-O-V-E tarts in any shape or size. The mini tart idea though I am loving, so here is my contribution to the fight.

Though these mini tarts didn't turn out as pretty as I wanted them to I don't mind the more rustic look here, especially since they were so delicious. I thought of the flavor combination because of a local restaurant here that serves frozen custard concoctions called "concrete." It is basically a super thick milkshake made with their frozen custard and whatever flavors you choose to mix in. Probably one of their most popular combinations, and my husband's favorite is the caramel cashew so these tarts were the birthday dessert for our little celebration for him this year (and don't I get extra credit for replacing cake with mini tarts for a birthday!).

So, here you have it. A cashew nut crust with a beautiful creamy caramel custard with a sugary bruleed top. It was like getting that bruleed flavor all the way down to a tender nutty crust. Yum!

Caramel Cashew Creme Brulee Tartletts

Makes 12 mini-tarts (using regular size muffin tin)

For the Crust:

(Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Pie & Tart Cookbook Basic Tart Dough Recipe)

1 large egg yolk

2 Tbsp very cold water

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp ground roasted cashews

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

In a small bowl, stir together the egg yolk, water, and vanilla. Set aside.

To make the dough in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the flour, sugar, salt and ground cashews in the mixer bowl. Add the butter and mix on medium-low speed until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal, with butter pieces no larger than small peas. Add the egg mixture and mix just until the dough pulls together.

Transfer the dough to a work surface, pat into a ball, and roll into a cylinder 12-inches long. Cut into 12 1-inch pieces and place one piece each in the muffin tin. Press into bottom and up sides to create tart shell. Prick dough on bottom and sides a few times with fork.

Partially bake tart shells in 350 degree oven for 8 minutes or until mostly set. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Turn the oven down to 300 degrees.

For the Caramel Creme (Custard):

(Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Cookbook)

(Oven should be preheated at 300 degrees with a rack in the center of the oven)

2/3 cup sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup milk

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped

4 large egg yolks

1/8 tsp kosher salt

6 tsp sugar for brulee topping

Place 1/2 cup sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, without stirring, until the sugar has caramelized and is golden brown, about 3 minutes, brushing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystallizing. Swirl the pan, dissolving the unmelted sugar; reduce heat to low.

Slowly whisk in the cream and milk. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the pan, and add the pod. Increase heat to medium high, cover, and bring to a boil; remove the pan from the heat.

In a bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar, the egg yolks, and salt; continue whisking until pale yellow in color. Slowly add the hot cream mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour this new mixture through a fine sieve set over a large liquid measuring cup; discard vanilla pod. Use a spoon or small ladle to skim the top of liquid to remove all visible air bubbles.

Pour enough custard liquid into each cooled tart shell almost to the top of the shell but not overflowing. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and place in the oven to bake for about 25 minutes or until set in the center and the custard is not longer liquidy.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack or refrigerate until ready to brulee and serve.

When you are ready to serve place about 1/2 tsp of sugar on the top of each custard tartlett. Use a kitchen torch to brulee and melt the sugar into a crackly crust.

Bread Baking Day - PheMOMenal Kolach

In all of my hopping around on different food blogs I found out about this lovely event. The theme chosen by Eva for Bread Baking Day #6 was "Shaped Bread." I was excited about this event, but I was really excited about doing something with shaping breads. I tried to decide what to do, and it was actually a little tougher than I thought it might be, because there were so many choices I wanted to try. I have made shapes before, but I wanted to try something I've never done before.

So, several years ago I bought a copy of Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads (actually my copy looks to be an older version than this one) for my birthday. I have used several recipes from the book, but there are sooo many recipes in this book that I have barely scratched the surface. So, I decided that I would make something from the book for this event. I wanted it to be something pretty, but also something I knew my whole family would want to eat.
I settled on a recipe I found in the "Festive Breads" section of the book. One of the main things I like about Mr. Clayton's book is that pretty much every recipe has a little bit of background or story to preface the recipe. For this bread, called "Kolach" Mr. Clayton talks about this being a very rich bread that the "Circle of Serbian Sisters" in Milwaukee reached back to homelands in the Balkans for the recipe. It also said that the bread is traditionally served on one's patron saint day.

I liked the idea of a long heritage and tradition behind this bread, and the photograph of it on the front looked lovely, but not too terribly difficult to do. I decided to do a search on Kolach and found out that it is really just a term for cakes or breads, usually filled. So, while perhaps that isn't the really exact name for this bread, that is the name on the recipe. The original version was more simple, with lemon zest and juice and pecans studded on the top.

Though his version looked and sounded lovely to me. I wanted to experient and see what I could come up with, so below is my version of a Kolach. And far as having this on my Patron Saint's day, since I'm not Catholic, I don't actually have one. However, because I think it is a great thing to celebrate people that did wonderful things, I decided to see if there was a Saint for the day I made this and there was. What I love about this coincidence (or is it?) is that this it was a wonderful woman who cared for lepers. She reminds me very much of a close friend of mine who also does a lot of incredibly giving and good work around the world and especially in Africa, including caring for those stricken with leprosy. She is amazing and does so much for me and my family. So, it is for these two amazing "PheMOMenal" women that I dedicate this humble loaf. I hope they would approve. My adaptation is shown below. I think it hits a whole new level with a few little tweaks by changing from lemon to orange and adding the dark chocolate - a killer combination.

Oh, and the leftovers the next day made amazing french toast!

PheMOMenal Kolach with Pecans, Chocolate and Orange

Makes 1 Fat Loaf

For the Bread:

3/4 C unsalted butter, room temperature
2 egg yolks
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp minced orange zest (original recipe used lemon)
1 Tbsp orange juice (original recipe used lemon)
1 1/4 C hot milk (120 to 130 degrees F)
3 3/4 C bread or all-purpose flour, approximately
1-pkg dry yeast


FILLING & TOPPING:

1/4 cup pecan halves (for topping)


Egg Wash Glaze for before baking:
1 egg yolk, beaten, mixed with 1 Tbsp milk


For Glaze after Baking:
2 T honey
1 T unsalted butter, melted
1 T orange juice (if you want a stronger orange flavor use 1/2 tsp orange extract)

Combine well in a small bowl.


For Filling:

1/3 C toasted, finely chopped pecans
1/2 C bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 C dark brown sugar
Dash of kosher salt
1 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 tsp orange juice, fresh


Baking Sheet: 1 large baking sheet with Silpat or lightly buttered parchment


In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer with the flat beater attachment, combine the butter, egg yolks, sugar, salt, orange zest, and orange juice. Mix the milk into the butter and egg yolk mixture. Measure in 1 cup of flour. Add the yeast. Stir to blend well.

When the batter is smooth, add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and each time stir vigorously. When the dough has formed a mass that can be lifted out of the bowl and placed on the floured work surface, the dough is ready to knead. Or, if you want to knead in the stand mixer, switch to the dough hook attachment. Add sprinkles of flour if the dough continues to be sticky during the kneading period.

Knead the dough with an aggressive push-turn-fold motion or under the dough hook for 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. At this point it should not stick to the work surface or to the sides of the mixer bowl.


Butter the insides of a large bowl and place the dough, turning it over to coat all sides, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Put aside at room temperature to double in bulk, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling mix by placing all the ingredients except butter into a heavy-duty (like quart-sized freezer) zip-top bag and shaking the contents until well combined. Next pour in the melted butter and massage until it forms a kind of paste texture.

When the dough has risen, turn onto a floured work surface and divide into 3 equal parts.


Flatten each part into a long rectangle (approximately 4" x 20").

Fill with the filling mixture by shaking the filling contents into corner of the bag and snipping a small hole off of the corner to use the bag as a piping bag. Pipe a small amount into the center of each strip, leaving about 2 inches on each end of the rectangle. Brush the top edge of the dough with the egg wash glaze and roll the dough over around the filling and seal well on all sides so that each portion creates a filled rope.

Braid the 3 filled ropes together. Place the braid on the baking sheet and coil it, tucking the end of the braid into the coil so that it doesn't break loose as the dough rises. With your hands, gently push the coils into a symmetrical shape.

Cover the coil with parchment paper or a cloth and put aside at room temperature until the dough doubles in bulk, about 50 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F about 20 minutes before baking.

Brush the loaf with the egg-milk glaze, and carefully push the pecan halves into a pattern over the top of the loaf.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake until golden, about 1 hour. Turn the loaf over and if it is browned and sounds hard and hollow when tapped with forefinger, the loaf is done.

Remove from the oven and brush all over while still hot with the honey orange glaze. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before lifting with a metal spatula and place on a metal rack to cool before serving.

My First Sugar High Friday - Molten Chocolate Reisens for Living

For my very first SHF, the theme chosen by CandyRecapper was Baking with Candy. At first I had a hard time thinking of something I could do with this. Then, it finally hit me. I could combine my favorite candy from my teen years with my most favorite, want to try it, but still never have recipe. Thus is born "Molten Chocolate Reisens for Living." So, I compulsively save magazines that have recipes that look like I have to try them. I have held onto this one forever (ok, just since 2002). In that time, I just finally tried it for the first time today. Sort of. I decided that the Molten Chocolate Cakes in Martha Stewart Living (Feb 2002) would be perfect for this. But would it work?

If you have never had a chocolate Reisen's candy, then let me explain what they are. They are small chocolate caramels covered in bittersweet chocolate. They were my absolute favorite in high school. We had a tradition that whenever the girls got together for a special occassion (birthdays, sleepovers, dances, parties, etc.) we would get a bottle of sparkling pink (non-alcoholic of course) catawaba. Mainly, because it was pink, and We would drink it out of pretty glasses. We would get everyone's favorite treat to have with it, which could vary, and we would always get Chocolate Covered Reisens. We would pour our pretty pink drink, take a chocolate, and make a toast of sorts. Then when everyone was ready to open their first chocolate, you had to give a reason for living, or in this case, Reisen for living. It didn't have to be anything earth shattering and was often silly, or just having to do with the occassion. I can't actually remember a single reason I ever gave, but I remember all the awesome memories with my best friends. (And for someone who is a bit of a tom-boy, this was about as girly as I got!)

Though miles and years have separated us, we are still all friends. We only get to see each other once or twice a year if that, but it doesn't matter as far as how close we feel. They will always be my sisters. And, we will always have Reisens and Pink Catawaba.

So, on to the experiment. Obstacle number one. Will the hard chocolate caramel of the Reisen's melt? I worried over this, but figured, apply heat and what else could it do. I knew the chocolate would probably melt and be absorbed into the cake. Yup. That happened. The chocolate melted. The caramel softened and kind of absorbed into the cake a little too, but there were caramely bites within the center that were delicious to find. It would be fun to try this with regular caramels too to see if that would make a melted caramel center. I'll have to try that some other time.

Obstacle number two was tougher to beat, and frankly, I didn't beat it. Martha's recipe calls for cake rings. I have no cake rings. I have no money for cake rings (they were $10 each on http://www.bowerykitchens.com/). $60 was not an investment I could make for this. Believe me, I want to, but with medical bills from me and the baby still piled up there was nooo way. So, I zigged when I probably should have zagged. Translation? I used a jumbo muffin tin. Dumb idea! There was no way to individually get these cakes loose without ruining the lot. Bottom line. I should have used my small brulee cups instead, but I didn't think of it until it was too late. I don't think I probably could have still unmolded them, but they could have been plated in each little brulee cup and been prettier. So, I knew that the jumbo muffin tin really wasn't going to work for actually plating and removing the cakes, but I really wanted to try making the dessert anyway. Since I don't recommend using the jumbo muffin tin, I've included Martha's original directions for baking.

So, prettiness aside, these cakes tasted great, and though not perfect looking, still look mighty tempting! The nice surprise of caramely bites was awesome and really was a surprise. Since these are chocolate caramels, you couldn't see where they were. These gooey bites were a real "sneak attack". Spoon in hand (thinking to myself, "will there be caramel, or cake, both... hmm... poor me, I'll just have to keep eating!").

I served it with a little sweetened whipped cream. Anyway, it was lovely, even if it didn't look as lovely as Martha's. But I maintain, it tasted great! I am a firm believer that if you use the best quality ingredients you can get that even if you run into trouble with a recipe you will still succeed.

Obviously the key here was the chocolate. I absolutely love bittersweet and dark chocolate the best. I got really lucky here because I have some Guittard chocolate that was left over from a wedding cake I made a little while back for some friends. (Poor me, beautiful chocolate on hand... oh what will I do - besides put it in everything I can think of and have fabulous hot chocolate every day! Mmwwaa - ha - ha!)

Chocolate Caramel Cakes (a.k.a Molten Chocolate Reisens for Living)

(Adapted from February 2002 Edition of Martha Stewart Living - pg 202)

Special Equipment - 6 (2 1/2-inch high by 2 3/4-inch in diameter) cake rings (this is what Martha recommends - as I do not have those, I used a jumbo muffin tin - which was messier and I do not recommend)

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for ring molds

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I like Guittard)

5 large eggs, separated

10 Tbsp sugar, divided

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

12 chocolate Reisens candies, unwrapped, set aside

sweetened whipped cream for garnish

chocolate shavings for garnish

1. Butter six ring molds. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and set aside.

2. Place the chocolate and butter in a medium heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, and heat until melted. Stir mixture to combine.

3. Combine the egg yolks and 6 tablespoons of sugar in a large bowl, and whisk until mixture is pale yelllow and thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract.

4. Add a little bit of the chocolate mixture at a time to the egg yolk mixture, and stir to combine.

5. Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat until frothy. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar, and whisk until stiff peaks form.

6. Fold the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture.

7. Spoon enough mixture to fill the cake mold almost half way. Place two Reisen candies back to back and gently place into the middle of the batter in each mold.

8. Spoon the remaining batter into each mold over the candies.

9. Place the tray into the freezer to set for at least 1 hour (or until you are ready to bake them).

10. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer the ring molds with the baking sheet into the oven. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until sides and top are set but center is still soft.

11. Using a thin spatula, carefully transfer the cakes (still in the ring molds) to a serving plate.

12. Serve the cakes warm with the sweetened whipping cream and chocolate shavings (or vanilla bean ice cream)

Recipes for Sundance - Park City, Utah - Mac 'n Cheese

I am glad to be writing of more comfort food in relation to the Sundance Festival this time. I just found out that someone I have desperately wanted to see perform is playing at Sundance this year. Josh Groban. I have tried to make it to his concerts and either fate is always against me and I can't get tickets, or the stars are all un-aligned against me and I can't go even if I could get tickets. So, I imagine this time, especially at Sundance, there is no chance I could get to the show, even if we weren't in hibernation at home. But, just knowing that I am missing it again... well, I needed some comfort.

So, for your consuming pleasure and tribute to Sundance and *sigh* me missing a Josh Groban concert - AGAIN - here is a recipe for Macaroni and Cheese from Butcher's Chop House in Park City. This recipe also came from Food Network and their original recipe can be viewed here as well as below. Frankly, as delicious as their versions sounds, I just didn't have everything on hand (and I just didn't have the time last night to go through all these motions).

Oh, and though I did get really lucky and blessed and get to see them in concert a few years ago, since it will never be enough, I have to confess that I am somewhat broken hearted about not making it to Park City this time since U2 was in attendance Saturday night for the premiere of their 3D concert. I really just can't bear to go into any more detail about U2 so, you'll have to read more about that here. I'm going to go eat some more Mac 'n Cheese now and console myself. I'm glad I will be making my entry for Sugar High Friday later today so I can wallow in that as well!

Below is my offering, which, I am glad to say I am eating for lunch today and thoroughly enjoyed last night. The changes I made to the original, again, we're necesscarily intentional, more out of necessity, and it was still delicious. Although Deb over at Smitten Kitchen has another recipe for Mac 'n Cheese as well, I offer this one because it is your taste of Park City. Deb's version looks like it is probably simpler and more traditional. Since Park City tends to lean more on the gourmet side, it probably explains the difference. Anyway, the changes I made are noted below. More Park City to come...


The Recipe:


Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe courtesy Butcher's Chop House and Bar
Show: $40 a Day
Episode: Park City, UT

1 pound penne pasta
6 1/2 cups milk
1 onion wedge, studded with cloves (I skipped this as I am trying not to eat too much onion and am out of whole cloves)
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4 ounces unsalted butter
1/8 cup diced white onion (I used shallots for a milder flavor)
1/8 cup small-diced carrot
4 ounces all-purpose flour
1 pound extra-sharp white Cheddar, shredded (recommended: Cabot)
4 ounces yellow Cheddar, shredded
Salt and white pepper
Ground nutmeg (*sigh* I am also out of whole nutmeg...and since I think the preground stuff is now a waste of time I also left this out)

Bread Crumb Topping, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside. While pasta is cooking, in a heavy, medium saucepan, combine the milk, clove-studded onion, thyme, and bay leaf over medium heat. In a large saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and carrot and saute until tender. Add the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until it's thickened and smooth. Strain this milk mixture into a heat-proof bowl. Stir in the shredded cheeses and mix until melted. Season, to taste, with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the pasta and mix well. Pour the macaroni and cheese into a baking pan and top it with the Bread Crumb Topping. Bake the macaroni and cheese until it is warmed through. Serve immediately.

Bread Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese (I used parmesan because it was what I had)
1/2 cup Japanese bread crumbs (panko)
1 tablespoon assorted chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, oregano, rosemary, tarragon, and basil (I skipped it - pretty much out of laziness - sorry! It was great without it though)

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.

HHDD #17 - Pizza - BBQ Chicken & Bacon

I think it must have been fate - and thanks to ChicaJo over at 80 Breakfasts for hosting and choosing this theme - that the theme for my very first Hay Hay It's Donna Day event would be pizza. I only came across Donna Hay last year, but I was happy to find her.

A few years ago I decided to try my hand at making pizza at home. I love pizza and it just costs too much to buy it as often as we would probably like to eat it. I have used several crust recipes over the years and have pretty similar recipes with most versions. I hadn't used this recipe before, but I did like it. I also liked that it was already portioned for one pizza. However, funny enough, this time, I had to double the recipe anyway so that I could make another pizza for my 4 year old. He is allergic to dairy, so couldn't have cheese on his pizza.

I wanted to branch out on the toppings and deviate from the norm of what we do. That idea was universally opposed by the rest of the fam. So, here you have Donna's pizza crust recipe with our usual toppings. It may not be too terribly original to most people, but it is the one we love the very best. BBQ Chicken & Bacon. I've made it with our usual toppings here, but we also like to add sauteed mushrooms, roasted red bell pepper, and actually, my favorite alternative, black beans. (FYI - I had in mind honey garlic grilled shrimp with roasted red bell peppers, fontina, extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil... I will hopefully get to that in the future.) My "dream" choice probably would have been a better entry, but since arguing with a 4 year old at dinner time was too exhausting this time around, we did it his way.

Enjoy!

Here is the Donna Hay recipe:

Pizza Dough(from Modern Classics I by Donna Hay, page 186)

1 teaspoon active dry yeast
Pinch sugar
2/3 cup (5 fl oz) warm water
2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Place the yeast, sugar, and water in a bowl. Set aside until bubbles form.

Add the four, salt, and oil, and mix to form a smooth dough. Knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.

Place in a clean, oiled bowl, cover, and allow to stand in a warm place until it has doubled in size.

Makes one quantity.

The Dough

For the topping:

1 boneless skinless breast of chicken, rubbed with the following and cooked on grill pan:
extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
kosher salt

Cook through, allow to cool and slice into thin strips

1/4 cup thick-cut bacon pieces, cooked until crispy
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar

fresh cilantro, minced for topping

Favorite BBQ sauce (we like KC Masterpiece Original) (NOTE: I have made my own BBQ sauce with this, but we love this BBQ sauce, and sometimes, the shortcut is worth it).

Roll out pizza dough and top with the BBQ sauce, 3/4 c of the mozzarella cheese, chicken slices, bacon pieces, remainder of mozzarella cheese and the cheddar cheese.

Bake in a 425 degree F oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and top with fresh minced cilantro.

Sundance Film Festival - Food Finds from Park City - Onion Rings

Each year the fabulous famous flock (nice alliteration, huh?) of stars travels into Utah winter to look good and watch movies at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. I've lived in Utah for 10 years now...and never gone to the festival. In part because I'm not really an indie film fan and in much larger part because I'm not a fan of crowds. I am, however, a fan of Park City. I love going up there and shopping and more so, eating. Park City has more gourmet restaurants per capita than Salt Lake City does, though I wouldn't completely agree with their advertising campaign that "friends don't let friends eat in Salt Lake City." There are good restaurants in the valley as well as the mountains. That said, it is just really fun to travel up to the resort town and always feels like a special occassion.

So, since the 2008 Sundance Film Festival got underway on Thursday, Jan 17th and will go til the 27th, I thought I would share some recipes that I have found from Park City. Though, sadly, I won't be making this one to share any pictures, I will post the recipe because they are fabulous. The only reason I am not making them myself is because I can't eat onions or bleu cheese while nursing the baby. That doesn't mean that you should miss out though. I do have a couple other recipes I plan to make in the next few days as well though, so stay tuned!

The recipe comes from a restaurant called "Zoom" which is actually a Sundance property (owned by Robert Redford himself). The dish was featured a while back on Rachel Ray's $40 A Day on Food Network and looked phenominal. I'm not normally a big, thick, onion ring fan, but the combination of spice and the bleu cheese caught my eye and tastebuds on this one.

So, want to party like a movie star in Park City. Try this one out.

Spicy Buffalo Onion Rings and Blue Cheese Dip
Recipe courtesy Zoom
Show: $40 a Day
Episode: Park City, UT

Vegetable oil, for frying

4 eggs

5 cups 2 percent milk

6 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon Cajun spice mix (recommended: Paul Prudhomme's)

2 tablespoons cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon white pepper

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 2/3 teaspoons salt

3 extra-large yellow onions

Blue Cheese Dip, recipe follows

1 carrot, sliced

1 stalk celery, sliced

Fill a large heavy saucepan with 2 to 3 inches of cooking oil and heat over medium-high heat.

The oil temperature should be at 350 degrees F when you start frying.

In a large bowl, mix the eggs and milk; then add the flour and baking powder and mix thoroughly with a hand-held mixer. Strain the mixture to remove any lumps. Add more milk if you want a thinner crust. In a small bowl, mix the Cajun spice mix, cayenne pepper, white pepper, black pepper, dry mustard, and salt. Add this spice mixture to the batter. Cut the onions into thick slabs, dunk them in the batter, and fry them, in batches, in the oil until golden brown.

Serve the onion rings with the Blue Cheese Dip, sliced carrot, and celery.

Blue Cheese Dip:

2 cups sour cream

1 cup buttermilk

2 cups blue cheese

1 tablespoon minced serrano chile peppers

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon hot sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve the sauce in a side bowl for dipping.

A Taste of Terroir 2008 - "World Famous Lion House Rolls"

I wasn't blogging this time last year to be part of the first "Taste of Terroir" hosted by Anna's Cool Finds but I am excited to join in this time. For my entry, there were quite a few things I thought of that are local favorites here in Utah. One of them stood out for several reasons for me though, since it is pretty much a Utah institution in itself.

The "World Famous Lion House" Rolls. Here's the thing. I had never actually made these rolls from their mix until last night. I have always used the recipe that the cafeteria style restaurant in the historic old Lion House downtown in Salt Lake City has published. Actually, I think they have published several cookbooks. All of them have great recipes. Some with a more international flair, but most of them are quintessentially Utah. Perhaps the most prominent being these rolls.

I had the rolls before, but until I moved to Utah myself I didn't realize what a big deal they were. People order these rolls from the restaurant by droves to have them at all types of celebrations. Baby showers, wedding showers, funerals, wedding receptions, birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, you name it. The collective response when people get there and see them (and yes, they just look at them and know where they came from) is always the same. "Oh, Those Rolls!" Funny enough, don't believe me. They even put it on the back of the mix box. Hilarious!

So, they must be pretty spectacular, right? Well, they are. Here's the thing. If you like a soft, all around white roll with great flavor that can go with anything and is even usually big enough for a sandwich, then this is your roll.



So, for this event, and because I had the mix, I thought I would give it a try. Before we get to that though, here is a bit more on the "Terroir" history of these rolls. The information comes straight from the source and is printed on the back of the box. "In the pioneer days, bread was as much a staple as it is now. Numerous loaves of bread, dinner rolls and other pastries were created in that pantry...It is believed that this was the forbearer of the famous Lion House Roll, which is universally enjoyed today."


The Lion House itself, finished in 1856, was once a personal residence of Brigham Young. It is now a restaurant and banquet facility.


In one more little aside, the roll mix is actually packaged with products from the Lehi Roller Mills in Lehi, Utah. If you have seen the movie Footloose then you have seen the mill with Kevin Bacon dancing his way around it.


It should also be noted here that my rolls above are pictured with the Lion House's honey butter recipe. I'll provide that below as well. The Lion House cookbooks provide several variations you can make with this roll recipe, but since this post would never end you'll either have to order the cookbook (which does have tons of great home cooking recipes in it) or wait until I can break those ones out another day.


LION HOUSE DINNER ROLLS


Makes 1 to 1 1/2 Dozen Rolls


2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
2/3 cup non-fat dry milk (instant or non-instant)
2 Tablespoons dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup butter, shortening or margarine (butter is best for flavor)
1 egg
5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or bread flour
oil for bowl


In bowl of stand mixer with flat attachment combine water and milk powder; stir until milk dissolves. Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add 2 more cups of flour; mix on low speed until incorporated, then for 2 minutes at medium speed. (Dough will be getting stiffer so switch to kneading attachment at this point). Work in the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough is soft, not overly sticky, but workable and not stiff. (You probably won't use all the flour).


Scrape the dough off the sides of the bowl and pour about a tablespoon of vegetable oil down the sides. Rotate the dough ball so that all sides are covered. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise til double in size (about 45 minutes). Flour a surface for rolling out the dough and turn the dough out. Roll and cut as desired and place in a greased pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise again til double in size, about 1 hour.


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place the rolls in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Brush tops with melted butter immediately when removed from the oven. Serve warm with honey butter.


NOTE: The Lion House cookbook suggests rolling the dough into a rectangle that is 8 inches by 12 inches then cutting that once down the middle the long way, then cutting that into two inch wide strips (to make 12 2 inch by 4 inch strips). Then just roll the strips up from their short end and place into the pan seam side down. It will look like you rolled individual cinnamon rolls and placed them in the pan on their sides.


LION HOUSE HONEY BUTTER

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup honey

Whip softened butter. Add vanilla and honey gradually. Beat for 20 minutes. Makes 1 cup.


Now you can have the rolls that Utahns eat with, well, everything! Enjoy!

A New Year and A New Event - Art You Eat Launch!

Art You Eat #1 - Chocolate

Event Date: January 17, 2008 5:00 pm MST to February 5, 2008 5:00 pm MST

DEADLINE EXTENDED to FEBRUARY 11, 2008!

As this new year gets rolling I thought it would be fun to start a new event to help us all enjoy the beauty as well as the tastes and textures of different foods. Join in the fun and let's make 2008 the most beautiful and brilliant year yet!

The Idea: We all want our creations to look as wonderful as they taste and there are tons of absolutely gorgeous examples out there of the amazing creations that all you beautiful bloggers create. Why not hold an event that shares the decorating and presentation tips as well as the food? After all, if someone is going to try to recreate your masterpiece, shouldn't it look spectacular too?

Roget's New Millennium™ Thesaurus defines artistry as a noun that means "creativity". What I really love are the synonyms though: ability, accomplishment, art, brilliance, craftsmanship, creativity, finesse, flair, genius, mastery, proficiency, style, talent, taste, touch, virtuosity, workmanship. (Source: Roget's New Millennium™ Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.3.1) Copyright © 2008 by Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved.)

That is exactly what I want to see from you all!

The Plan: Each month we will hold an event that will focus on a different kind of decorating theme, medium, idea, holiday, etc. That way we can all go for variations on a similar theme for that month and end up with lots of ideas to choose from! It should be fun to see all the variations we come up with.

You can post something you love that you created before, as long as you repost with instructions on how you made it look beautiful. Ideas should range from the sublimely simple to the extravagent. I've created a new blog where the winning ideas will be archived, as well as links to all posts each month.

The Rules:

For this first round I will host the event and choose my three favorites according to to originality/creativity (the "wow" factor) as well as the ease of understanding the instructions on how to recreate (including the recipe for the dish). Though the entires won't all be recreated, if we can't understand the instructions, then that won't help anyone. I am hoping for entries from around the world, but please post in English. That will be taken into consideration when judging, especially if English isn't your first language!

Entry posts must site any sources, special equipment, techniques, supplies, and recipes that were used. Because writing the how to could take some time, entries can be something you have posted before as long as you repost with instructions on how you made it look that way. Pictures throughout the process are helpful, but there must at least be a photo of the finished product. Want to submit video of the process? Great!

The only requirement is that the "theme" be followed. How it is followed is up to you. It can be an ingredient, plating, decoration, whatever - as long as you use it.

Once the favorites are chosen, I will post a poll on the "Art You Eat" site. Voting will last for 3 days after the roundup is posted (in this case since all entries must be submitted and posted by Feb 5th. I will create the roundup and the poll, and barring any disasters, polling will start a couple of days later. The voting end date will be on the site with the 3 finalists.

Whichever entry wins gets to "host" the next event - in this case, that means they get to choose the theme (ingredient, holiday, or technique to be featured) and join me in choosing the finalists to place in the poll. I will post the roundup on the "Art You Eat" site with a special message on the theme from the "host" and featuring their entry for the theme. This may be a little different than normal, but this way all of these great ideas and their links end up being in one place and linked to your site. That way we all have easy access to links for great ideas on how to make all our culinary creations look spectacular.

So... ON TO THE EVENT!! Since Valentine's Day is almost here - and because it is what it is - I am choosing CHOCOLATE to kick this off with. This means chocolate in any type, but not cocoa. I want to see what you can do with the stuff you melt, or chop, or curl, or mould, or whatever! You can use cocoa too if you want, but there must still be chocolate involved (and this can include white chocolate... even if it isn't really chocolate)! Only one entry per person please. If you don't have a blog, just email me the information and it will still be included in the roundup.

Please make sure that you include the subject/tag "Art You Eat #1 - Chocolate" into your post and a link to the site: http://www.artyoueat.squarespace.com/ (I am working on moving this site to blogger instead - just FYI).

Here are the details for the entry. Please join me in this! I think it could be great, and I hope I'm not alone in wanting to know how you wonderful bloggers make things look so phenomenal!

SEND ALL ENTRIES TO:

artyoueat AT gmail DOT com

INCLUDE (please cut and paste into your email):

NAME:

BLOG NAME:

BLOG URL:

POST URL:

POST TITLE:

CREATION TITLE & DESCRIPTION (as in name what you did or made- i.e., curling chocolate):

Attach your favorite photo to be used in the roundup and let us know if there is video available at your site (for bloggers - emailers can email video directly to be posted on the site).

IF YOU WIN, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE THE THEME TO BE (and it doesn't have to be something you are great at! In fact, it should be something you want to really know more about!)


I hope you will come to my party and make some art we can all eat!

Holly

Comfort Food 2008 - Chicken Pot Pie

Comfort Food. Mmmm... my favorite kind of food (and not fitting into my clothes still attests to this fact). Sigh. Back to the comfort. One of my earliest memories of cooking with my mom is of her making Chicken Pot Pie with biscuits on top. I think I was probably just 6 or 7 at the time because I remember it being in the house that was across from our town's high school.

I can go for a few months without making it, but without fail, the first day there is snow, there is Chicken Pot Pie at our house. Over the years I have had a lot of other versions, but the biscuit topped is my absolute favorite. Pastry crust just isn't enough bread for me. Mine just has simple veggies in it and a homemade gravy and biscuits, so even kids like it.

When I read about this Cook-Off on IMBB being hosted by Garden of Eating I am pretty sure it was snowing here in Utah (after all, we are supposed to have the "Greatest Snow on Earth"). Either way, here is my entry, for what is my absolute favorite comfort food.

How do I like it best? Pretty much, just lots of it... and I love making way too much so that I can have the leftovers for the next couple of days. It always hits the spot and is always satisfying.

Mom's Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small bite size pieces
1 can chicken broth
1 cup water
3 medium size potatoes, peeled and diced into small bite size pieces
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 can corn
1 cup frozen peas
2 tsp chicken bullion granules or base
1/4 cornstarch
1/4 cold water
1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the potato pieces in a saucepan and cover well with cold water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for approximately 10 minutes or until fork tender. Remove to a 2 qt oven proof casserole dish, reserving two cups of the potato water.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine the chicken broth and water and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once the liquid boils, reduce the heat to a slow simmer and add the chicken pieces. Simmer approximately 7 minutes or until cooked through. With slotted spoon, remove the chicken to the casserole dish, reserving the liquid.

While the chicken and potatoes are cooking, prepare the biscuits as directed below.

In another medium saucepan place the carrots and cover with water. Bring to boil and cook 5 minutes. Add the frozen peas and can of corn with enough water to cover. Bring back to a gentle boil and cook til the carrots are tender but not mushy, approximately 4 minutes more. Drain and add to the casserole dish.

Combine the reserved broth and potato water in a large saucepan. Add the chicken bullion and whisk. Bring to a boil. Combine the 1/4 cup water with 1/4 cup cornstarch and stir with fork until well combined. Slowly add the cornstarch slurry into the broth mixture, whisking constantly. Season with the pepper and parsley flakes. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. It should make a thick gravy. Stir enough gravy into the casserole to well coat everything.

*Top with the partially baked biscuits and place on a foil-lined baking sheet (in case of bubbling over). Place the dish into the oven and bake until gravy is bubbly and the biscuits are done and nicely browned, approximately 7 minutes more.

Remove from oven and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

Biscuits:
(Use your favorite biscuit recipe, or this one... when I am short on time I even use the frozen biscuits you can get from the grocery store.)

1/4 cup lard or shortening
2 cups flour
1 level tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the lard/shortening into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in the milk a small bit at a time, adding just enough so that the dough rounds up and leaves the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out until it is 1/2-inch thick. Then with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits and place them on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes, or until they are puffed and starting to set. Refer back to the * above.

NOTE: Another shortcut I use when short on time is to add enough of the milk to make the biscuits a drop consistency and replace the shortening with butter to make a drop biscuit topping.

Enjoy!

Sticky Buns - Courtesy of Steamy Kitchen

In the typical hilarity that is my post-pregnancy life, I am now gaining the weight I needed to gain during the pregnancy and having all the cravings. Not entirely fair since now I would like to eat healthier, but let's face it, it's winter and we are homebound til May (and here is the public service announcement to really wash, wash, wash your hands this season!). Everyday I start out with the intention of eating better and exercising. So far (see, I AM an optomist!) that hasn't happened.

Now, I'm not in any way blaming all of you beautiful bloggers with your tempting treats and delicious looking dishes just crying out for me to cook and try. I'm not. I'm just admitting that I am weak. Aside from that, I know that I will never fully modify the way I eat. So, really the goal is to just eat more healthy things too and to exercise. I figure since I had a c-section only 3 months ago now, that I am still on the front end of this guilt trip.

So, on to the cravings. I am a carb freak. You know those diets where people give up carbs... yeah, me, never gonna' happen. Not a chance. Don't hold your breath. I live on carbs. Sadly for me, the craving comes in with the delicous cinnamon roll (of which I will blog in the near future I am sure) and its evil fashionista twin - the sticky bun. With its toasted pecans and glistening golden caramel, who can resist. Certainly not me.

This lead me to my craving dilemma of the past three weeks. No time with an active 4 year old boy and a time demanding (alright, all-consuming) preemie at home to care for. Seriously, it was hard to find time to cook before the baby got here, but when he came 7 weeks early, the world got rocked (at least in our corner). So, here I am with a huge craving for this comforting item (and after going through 28 days in the NICU with a preemie and then bringing him home while still in shock) I think I am completely entitled to indulge. (Yes, that is me justifying making these).


Anyway - thanks to Jaden over at Steamy Kitchen, I found the time to make these Sticky Buns. As I told Jaden on her post I was completely twitterpated when I saw this recipe. It looked wonderful and the process would actually afford me the time and lee-way to make the rolls without being on a set schedule. The beauty of making the dough and leaving it alone til I was ready, instead of the other way around, was awesome. The only thing I did a little differently (aside from having too much dough for my pan) was to add a little honey and cream (only about a tablespoon each) to the caramel topping mixture.

Oh, and this is what I used the rest of the dough for. Just a quick loaf that we used for grilled ham and cheese sandwiches to go with some cream of tomato soup a couple of days later.

Cold Day + Beef Tenderloin = Beef Stroganoff Soup

More comfort food. I wish that this picture did this soup justice, but since I have (as of today HAD) a lousy camera, this is the best I can do.


Until about nine years ago beef stroganoff had never even been on my radar. Around that time my husband and I made a really good friend with one of the other skydivers at the local dropzone. (My husband is the skydiver, but we actually met when I made a skydive and he was my instructor... no, I will not make the "I fell for him" pun here).


The friend has the most incredible family. Seriously. We are talking all around, insanely fun, kind, loving, wonderful, and certified incredible. Both my husband and I are transplants to Utah and had been married for about 5 months when we met this friend. One Sunday afternoon, actually it was Father's Day 1999 and they called us and asked what we were doing for dinner. Since it was still just the two of us then and both of our fathers lived 5 and 12 hours away respectively, we had no plans.


We went to dinner at this friend's house and met his family. They basically adopted us into their family from then on. Here we are, almost ten years later (in May) and still very close to this family. I actually ended up making the wedding cakes for our friend and his lovely bride (who is one of my best friends now, though they grew up together). I will post about that another time when I get the pictures.

So, when I saw that the topic for the Monthly Mingle this time was comfort food, I decided that this was the place to share this with you. For all of you in wintery places, try this soup with some crusty bread on one of those blustery days and enjoy!

Anyway, my point to all this is that comfort doesn't just come from childhood. Beef Stroganoff made by his mother is one of our friends absolute favorite foods, and through having it with his family, has become one of mine. It always makes me feel good and is always just what I needed. Though this recipe is not how "mom" makes it, it is a delicious version as soup that I like to make from scratch. Mom's recipe uses cream of mushroom soup and is thicker and spooned over egg noodles. I love that version as well, but when I found this recipe, it became my go to... though to be honest, Mom's version is still more comforting because it was made by her. Case in point - when I was so ill with this last pregnancy one of the only things I asked for was her Stroganoff. I ate two full plates!

I hope you enjoy this delicious soup version and give it a chance! I can't remember where the original recipe I read came from, but this version has been modified by me so much over the years that it barely resembles that one anyway. Although, be forewarned, this is definately not a low-cal, low-fat, whatever recipe. Thus, the comfort!



Beef Stroganoff Soup



1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (divided)
1 pound tenderloin tips, cubed
2 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
1 medium red bell pepper, diced small
2 1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp beef base
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Dash of paprika

1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup melted butter (cooked into a roux)
2 cups whipping cream
3/4 cup sour cream

In a medium skillet, melt 1/4 cup of the butter. Add the beef tips and brown. Add the crushed garlic and cook until the meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

In a large soup pot melt the remaining 1/4 cup butter. Add the mushrooms, onions, and red bell pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent and tender.

Add the beef to the soup pot and add the water, base and seasonings. Bring to just near a boil.

Make the roux by cooking the melted butter with the flour for 1 to 2 minutes, mixing til smooth. Gradually add to the soup, keep stirring. Should be the consistency of medium gravy. Turn to low and add the cream. Mix in well. Remove from heat and add sour cream. Serve immediately.

(NOTE: This is great served over egg noodles too, or I sometimes cook and add small pasta like farfalle for a little bit "extra" lovin'!)

Meatloaf Meatballs... Doin' It My Way

Hmmm... another food blog event. So, the funny thing about this one for me was in the timing. I have never liked meatballs or meatloaf. Meatballs because I didn't much like the texture or think they had enough flavor. Meatloaf - same problem - amplified. Then, funny enough, just after Cole was born back in October, I started craving - gasp - of all things, meatloaf! What!? I am thinking that after basically starving for all seven months of the pregnancy (yes, only seven months... 33 weeks to be exact - Cole was seven weeks premature) from being so sick all the time that I was just hungry for anything! Still, meatloaf?

Anyway, after fighting the urge for about a week, I decided to just wing it and make some meatloaf for the first time in my life. Honestly, and how un-american is this, I can't remember ever having meatloaf at our house growing up. I don't feel like I missed out, because it would probably have been like all the other meatloafs I remember eating since then made by others.

Now, don't get me wrong, if you have a meatloaf recipe that you love, I'm sure that for you it is great. I didn't have that, so I've never acquired a taste for it - until now.

There are a few key things about this meatloaf that are different than any traditional meatloaf I've ever had though. My first issue, taste, I solved by amping up the flavors I like, and second, texture - as in too much loaf, not enough of the sweet crusty glaze on the outside - I solved by making the loaf, well, not a loaf. I decided to make "mini-loaves" or really, just big meatballs with lots of sweet, sticky glaze on the outside.

So, there you have it. I designed this recipe to satisfy me, and in the process, found something that my husband really loves - and even bragged to his mother about. Well, then. I guess I got something right.

Anyway, I have now made this at least once a week for the past month or so. When I saw the foodie event for "Meatballs for Seth" on Is My Blog Burning and hosted by Serge the Concierge I couldn't resist putting this one out there. So, whether you think of it as meatballs or meatloaf, I hope you enjoy it as much as we have been. I like mine with a heaping pile of sour cream mashed potatoes and ginger glazed carrots. Yum!

MOLASSES GLAZED MEATLOAF BALLS

For the Meatballs:

1 1/2 lb lean ground beef

1 - package onion soup/dip mix

1/4 cup water

1 T worcestershire sauce

2 T molasses

1/4 C dark brown sugar

1/4 C ketchup

1 - 6 oz can tomato paste, divided (3 T here)

1 t hot sauce (like Tabasco, or your favorite)

1 large egg

2/3 C dry Italian style breadcrumbs

1/2 t kosher salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degress F.

Put the onion soup mix into a microwave-safe bowl with the 1/4 cup water, stir and microwave 1 minute. Stir again, then strain to remove the onion pieces (if you like the onion piece texture, then skip the strainer step). Place all the meatball ingredients into a large bowl and mix together until a uniform color and texture throughout. Form into meatballs, approximately fist size or about 1/2 cup each (they shrink).

Line a large baking pan with aluminum foil and a cooling rack, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Place the meatballs on the rack and place in the oven. Bake the meatballs for 10 minutes while you prepare the glaze. (Remaining instructions continued below).

For the Molasses Glaze:

1/4 C ketchup

1/4 C dark brown sugar

2 T molasses

1/2 t worcestershire sauce

1 t apple cider vinegar

Remainder of tomato paste

Place all ingredients into a small saucepan, heat until bubbling, then continue to simmer.

Brush a generous amount onto each meatball after the first 10 minutes of baking. Place the meatballs back into the oven to bake for 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and turn the meatballs over with spatuala and glaze the other side with another generous amount of sauce.

Place the meatballs back into the oven for 10 more minutes to finish baking. Continue to simmer the remaining sauce, adding a little water, to serve along with the meatballs on the side, if desired.

Legume Love

I just got started on blogging a few months ago for our family. None of my family are really as into food as I am, and frankly find my foodiness slightly disturbing at times. "She has an entire bookcase of nothing but cookbooks and binders of recipes? What is wrong with her!" and "Why can't you just buy french bread like a normal person?" are refrains I have often heard from loved ones who think I am a little whacked in the head.

I admit, I have always been a bit obsessed over what goes in a certain dish, or reading cookbooks, or how things taste one way when combined with other ingredients, and completely different when done another way. Sigh... they do all think I am weird. So, onward to having my own food blog.

Why? Because I have to share my alleged "weirdness" with others who think like me. I'm not gettin' that at home, therefore, I look to you, dear foodie friends around the world, to be that part of my life. Then, perhaps only then, will some of the strange looks I get when I bring the homemade tortilla chips ("she made chips?!") not sting quite so much.

On to the "My Legume Love Affair" Event. This event is presented by The Well Seasoned Cook . It is funny that this is my first blog event, because, frankly, I do have a bit of a love affair with the lovely legume going. Always have. Black, green split, pinto, red kidney, cannellini, etc. I love 'em all. So, in honor of the legume and this event, I decided to make my version of hummus. I came up with this recipe a few years ago after tasting a similar idea at California Pizza Kitchen. While theirs is spicer and not baked, mine takes a different twist, adding a parmesan and bread crumb topping and baking in the oven til hot and puffy, and if I do say so myself (and I do), delicious.

It has just enough fresh rosemary to really bring out that flavor without overpowering the other flavors. I like just the slight hint of heat in mine. Feel free to get crazy and adjust what you like. That is why I love this dip. I serve mine with homemade piadine (an Italian flatbread) for dipping, but there really isn't any limit on what you can do. Use what you love or whatever grabs your imagination, but a warm flatbread with a little brushed olive oil and salt sprinkled on it is by far my fave.

Oh, and the loved ones that think I'm obsessed, love to go to town getting their share of the spoils when this is on the counter. It never does seem to actually make it further than that as soon as it is done! Typical, huh. ; )

The pictures really don't do it justice (oh, I can't wait to get a new camera!), but this comes out a beautiful golden brown and the hint of the salt on the piadine is divine! Enjoy (I did)!

WHITE BEAN TUSCAN "HUMMUS"

For the Hummus:

1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained, 1/4 cup juices reserved

1 T tahini

1 T fresh lemon juice

2 cloves garlic

1 T fresh rosemary, stemmed

3 T freshly grated parmesan

1/8 t freshly ground red pepper flakes

1 pinch kosher salt, or to taste

1 T extra virgin olive oil

For the topping:

1/4 cup dry italian-style breadcrumbs

1/4 c freshly grated parmesan

1-2 t extra virgin olive oil

Combine the parmesan and breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Slowly add enough of the oil to help the crumbs get slightly wet and sticking together.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (Farenheit).

Place all the Hummus ingredients except the olive oil into a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. with the processor on drizzle in the olive oil and continue to process until well combined. Pour the mixture into a small baking dish that has been brushed with a little olive oil (I use an 8-inch square).

Sprinkle the top with the bread crumb mixture and place the dish in the preheated oven. Bake 20 minutes, or until slightly puffed and the top is golden brown.

Serve warm with the piadine.

(NOTE: You can also skip the baking and serve this at room temperature with a little more olive oil drizzled on top if you like.)

PIADINE (NapaStyle, Michael Chiarello)

(Makes about 2 pounds dough, enough for six 8- or 9-inch piadine)

1 envelope active dry yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm water

About 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface

1 cup cool water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons gray salt (I use regular fine sea salt or kosher)

Whisk together the yeast, lukewarm water, and 1/2 cup of the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Dust the top lightly with flour, cover the bowl with a tea towel, and leave the sponge to rise until the flour dusting "cracks," showing the yeast is alive and well, about 20 minutes.

Add 3 cups of the flour, the 1 cup cool water, the olive oil, and the salt. Start kneading at low speed, then increase the speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour as needed to produce a slightly moist and soft dough. Knead with the dough hook attachment until smooth and silky and the dough adheres to the hook.

Dust the dough lightly with flour and, using a pastry scraper, scrape it out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly, folding the dough over on itself. Shape into a ball, flatten slightly, dust lightly with flour, cover with a towel, and leave to rise on a floured surface (or in a bowl) until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch down and portion into six balls. Roll the balls one at a time into an 8- to 9-inch round and grill as described below.

Wipe some olive oil on a grill pan and preheat over burners until it begins to smoke. Adjust heat to medium. Brush the hand rolled piadine forms with a little olive oil before cooking then lay on the hot grill. As the dough begins to "bake" and turns golden brown on one side, carefully turn over to finish the cookery. Season the cooked side with a little salt (I use a little kosher salt, or sea salt). When the piadine are golden and slightly crisp on both sides transfer to plate.

(NOTE: If you want to make the dough ahead or not use it all at once then after it has risen, punch the dough down, wrap, and freeze for up to 1 month if not using immediately. Defrost and let rise in a large bowl in the refrigerator. When ready, bake in the grill pan as usual.)

2007s Last Stand - Easy Chocolate Chunk Cookies

What do you get when you have New Year's Eve with a four-year old? Disney Channel and easy to make Chocolate Chunk Cookies. So, here we are with 2007's last treat (and incidentally, 2008's first one)! Aidan wanted to make cookies again and since I am always willing to make and eat cookies, this is what we get. I found the recipe on Food Network's website and since it said it was a good recipe to make with kids we thought we would give it a try. I must say, their comment was right. They were really easy to make, turned out great, and tasted awesome. I used bittersweet chocolate chunks and added slightly less salt than the recipe called for. The version with my changes is below, or you can see the original version on Food Network's website here). (Also, note: I like my cookies to look a little more rustic, so I just scooped them and didn't bother with the rolling part).

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12-ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine salt

Evenly position 2 racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. (on convection setting if you have it.) Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone sheets. (If you only have 1 baking sheet, let it cool completely between batches.)

Put the butter in a microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave on medium power until melted. (Alternatively melt in a small saucepan.)

Cool slightly. Whisk the sugars, eggs, butter and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.

Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon; take care not to over mix. Stir in the chocolate chunks.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared pans. Wet hands slightly and roll the dough into balls. Space the cookies about 2-inches apart on the pans. Bake, until golden, but still soft in the center, 11 to 16 minutes, depending on how chewy or crunchy you like your cookies. Transfer hot cookies with a spatula to a rack to cool. Serve.

Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.