Stuffed Mushrooms: Barefoot Bloggers

This was the second December recipe for Barefoot Bloggers, and I thought it was very good!  We got a large package of extra large mushrooms, but ended up with about 14 instead of the 16 stated in the recipe.  So, ours are a bit over-stuffed, but still excellent.  One thing I noticed is that the mushrooms had a very good texture.  I think back to eating stuffed mushrooms as appetizers at parties or events, and always remember biting into the mushroom and having liquid gush out.  That did not happen with these mushrooms.  Maybe it was the soaking in olive oil and sherry that helped, but it was nice not to have to worry about getting mushroom juice squirted out at you, since, inevitably it would wind up all over my clothes and make me look like a slob!  :-)  We used a chicken/turkey italian sausage instead of pork based, and I think it was a great substitution.  We'd definitely make these again as appetizers, or as a side to a nice steak and salad.

 Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms

Lighter Scalloped Potatoes

This is another selection from the Cookbook of the Month, The Best Light Recipe.  I mainly picked this one since I knew we had an abundance of potatoes sitting in our pantry, and some fresh thyme leftover from a previous dish.  When it comes to fresh herbs, I like to be able to use every last sprig, especially in the winter when we have to buy them at the store and they tend to be on the expensive side.  Zach was excited for a chance to use our mandolin, which made awesomely thin, uniform potato slices.  I know, I know, that's the point of a mandolin, but it's one of those kitchen gadgets that sits way in the back of the cupboard above the fridge and we forget we have.  So, it was nice to break it out and use it.  We also added ham to the dish.  We just cubed up a ham steak and threw it into the sauce when we added the potatoes.

INGREDIENTS

1 Medium onion . minced

1 teaspoon Vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon Table salt

1 Medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon Minced fresh thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon Ground black pepper

2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes (about 5 medium), peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick

2 cups 2% milk

2 Bay leaves

2 teaspoons Cornstarch

1 tablespoon Water

3 tablespoons Light cream cheese

2 ounces Grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)

Preparation

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. Combine the onion, oil, and salt in a Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Add the potatoes, milk, and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until partially tender, and a fork can be slipped into a potato slice with some resistance, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Whisk the cornstarch and water together, then add to the pot and bring to a simmer. Off the heat, stir in the cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan, being careful not to break up the potatoes.

4. Transfer the mixture to an 8-inch-square baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until the potatoes are completely tender, a fork can be slipped into the center of the dish without resistance, and the top is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Pork Stir-fry with Garlic Sauce

This was one of my selections from the Cookbook of the Month, The Best Light Recipe.  I looked through the book for the best recipe I could find that used pork chops, since we have a bunch in the freezer.  Every 5 or 6 months we buy a giant pork tenderloin from the grocery store and then slice it up into inch thick chops and freeze them.  So, I can pretty much bet there are always pork chops in the freezer.  This recipe sounded good to me, and fairly easy/quick for a weeknight.  It turned out to be very yummy.  It's another recipe to keep around.  I think it was better than other stir-fries we have made because this time we got the sesame oil and hoisin sauce.  Before, I wasn't too interested in buying ingredients I thought would go bad before I would use them again, but I guess now I'd rather get the unique ingredients at the best attempt at replicating the flavors of the dish.  

Stir-Fried Pork, Scallions, and Peppers in Garlic Sauce

¾ pound pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons dry sherry
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
5 teaspoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 cup scallion whites, sliced on the bias into 1-inch pieces
2 medium red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
1 ½ cups scallion greens, sliced on the bias into ½-inch pieces
1 recipe Garlic Sauce

1. Toss the pork with the soy sauce and sherry in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, and 2 teaspoons of the oil.
2. Heat 1 more teaspoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add the pork and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the clumps, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer the pork to a clean bowl.
3. Add 1 more teaspoon oil to the pan and return to high heat until shimmering. Add the scallion whites and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 1 minute. Add the remaining teaspoon oil and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Clear the center of the pan and add the garlic mixture. Cook, mashing the garlic mixture into the pan with the back of a spatula, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Stir the garlic mixture into the vegetables. Add the pork and scallion greens and toss to combine. Whisk the sauce to recombine then add it to the pan and bring to a simmer. Off the heat, toss until the pork and vegetables are well coated with sauce and sizzling hot. Serve immediately.

Garlic Sauce:
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup dry sherry
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. Combine all the ingredients except the garlic and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Add the garlic and pepper flakes to the garlic mixture in step 1 of the stir-fry recipe. 

Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Cilantro Dipping Sauce

This was the recipe that Zach picked to make from the Cookbook of the Month, The Best Light Recipe.  As soon as I saw it's title included chipotle and cilantro, I knew he would choose it.  It was very, very good, definitely a keeper.  I didn't pay too much attention to the recipe until we went to make it that night, but it says that the chicken can be marinated in the sauce for up to one day, which is how we will do it in the future. It got lots of great flavor from only about half an hour, but setting it up the night before would make the meal even faster, which is always a good thing.  We didn't have any skewers, and while the chicken was marinating, Zach ran to Target to look for some, but no luck.  We just baked them on a rack set up on a baking sheet covered with foil and I think they turned out just fine.  You end up with a lot of leftover sauce though.  Next time I'd probably cut the sauce recipe in half.  We've been eating up the leftover sauce with toasted pita chips and it's quite yummy that way.  We served it like a rice bowl, putting the chicken on the rice, then topping with the sauce.  It's supposed to be an appetizer, but served this way it makes a great main dish.  We will certainly be making this again!

Ingredients

CHICKEN SKEWER INGREDIENTS

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 5 medium breasts)

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, minced

1 chipotle chile in adobo, minced

2 teaspoons adobo sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

nonstick cooking spray

DIPPING SAUCE INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup low-fat sour cream

1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1/4 cup lime juice, from 2 to 3 limes

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, minced

2 scallions, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

• FOR THE CHICKEN: Slice the chicken breasts across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick strips (you should have about 30 strips). In a large bowl, toss the chicken with the brown sugar, cilantro, chipotle, adobo sauce, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, and pepper. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the flavors meld, about 30 minutes. (The chicken, covered, can be refrigerated for up to 1 day before cooking.).
• FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE: In a bowl, stir all the ingredients together. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until the flavors meld, about 30 minutes. (The dipping sauce can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Season with additional lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste before serving.).
• Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the top position and heat the broiler. Line a broiler pan bottom with foil and top with a slotted broiler pan top; spray the broiler pan top with nonstick cooking spray. Weave each piece of chicken onto individual bamboo skewers; lay half of the skewers on the broiler pan top and cover the skewer ends with foil, making sure not to cover the chicken. Broil until the meat is lightly browned and cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes, flipping the skewers over halfway through. Transfer the skewers to a serving platter and serve immediately with half the dipping sauce. Repeat, broiling the remaining skewers and serving with the remaining dipping sauce.

Crossiant Bread Pudding: Barefoot Bloggers

This was the first of December's Barefoot Blogger recipes.  We made it in two separate dishes -- one for Zach to take to work for a potluck holiday lunch, and one for use to enjoy at home.  It was pretty yummy!  It would be nice for having guests for dinner, but I don't know that we'd make it again for just us.  I would probably add some flavoring in, almond extract or even amaretto.  We did use fat free half and half, so that saved us a bit of calories, but it needed so many eggs I'm not sure it mattered that much!

Ina's Croissant Bread Pudding

Company Pot Roast: Barefoot Bloggers

We made this pot roast tonight and it was good.  That's about all I can come up with for it, good.  Unfortunately pot roast is just not one of my favorite meals.  It was something we had frequently as a kid growing up, but I never went crazy for it, or begged my mom to make it.  It's a good, hearty, winter meal.  But, as we ate this tonight, I just thought of all the other things I'd rather have made.  I have a google reader filled with starred recipes, a shoe box full of recipes snipped out of magazines, and way, way too many cookbooks and pot roast just doesn't top my list of 'must try' dishes.  Sorry all you pot roast lovers!  It was very good, and I thought the leeks were an interesting addition.  The sauce was very rich and flavorful, we had a ton left over, and will freeze some up to use as an addition to pasta sauce, or in place of the tomatoes in chili maybe.  It was good, just not good enough to take up a place in my regular rotation.

Ina's Company Pot Roast

Creme Brulee: Barefoot Bloggers

Mmmmmm, creme brulee.  This used to be my favorite dessert to order at a restaurant.  Then, for the first birthday Zach celebrated after we started dating I got him a creme brulee kit from Williams Sonoma, and I haven't ordered it at a restaurant since.  As a good girlfriend, hoping to get the 'perfect presents' for the first birthday we would have in our relationship (about 7 months long at that point), I had heard him mention wanting to make creme brulee several times in passing.  Well, I know you need a torch for that, and it seemed like he just wanted to play with fire, not unlike most boys.  And, the idea of having to go buy a torch just for the kitchen was a bit strange to me, since my dad is a welder.  If we needed a torch, he just went and got one out of his truck.  Torches were used in our house for tasks that other households would simply use matches for.  Pilot light out?  Dad can get his torch.  Need a candle lit?  Dad can get his torch.  Electric go out and the lanterns need to be lit, Dad got his, well, you get the picture.  But, as I thought more about it I realized, buying a creme brulee kit for my boyfriend meant my boyfriend would make creme brulee, and who would help him eat it?  Oh yes, me!  So, it's now what Zach refers to as the original 'self-serving gift' of our relationship.  :-)

We've always mainly stuck to the recipe that came with the kit from Williams Sonoma.  But, this Ina recipe gave us a chance to try a new one.  It was very yummy.  I added Amaretto instead of the Grand Marnier that the recipe called for.  I just prefer the flavor.  Our usual recipe uses real vanilla beans and steeps the beans in the cream, so this one was a bit simpler, and just as good.  We found a keeper!

Ina's Creme Brulee

Cheese Souffle: Barefoot Bloggers

I made one change to this recipe, the type of cheese.  Neither Zach or I like blue cheese, not at all.  So, I read through the reviews of the recipe, and also looked up an alternate recipe and subsequent reviews for a cheese souffle from one of my other favorite Food Network personalities, Alton Brown.  From these sources I got the idea to change the cheese to Emmanteler.  I gotta say, I did not love this recipe.  I am glad I made it, since souffles are one of those things that you hear about being tough to master, but I didn't think it was hard to make at all, I just did not like the texture for this type of savory flavor.  I will try a chocolate souffle sometime in the future, but probably not a cheese one again.  It just wasn't that appealing to me.

Ina's Blue Cheese Souffle

November/December Cookbook of the Month

So, I've been a bad blogger, a very bad blogger.  November has been a crazy month, and we haven't even hit Thanksgiving yet!  I had two weeks at work where I had to stay each night, and if I stay late, the traffic increases and my evening commute lengthens from just over an hour to almost two hours.  Yeah, not fun.  So, those nights have been devoid of trying any new recipes and filled with leftovers, frozen pizzas and quick non-recipe meals -- quesadillas, rice and beans, nothing good to really blog about.  I like my entries to be something I tried for the first time, or an old favorite, but I like them all to be actual recipes, not general, anyone-can-throw-this-together-kind-of-food.  Also in November was my birthday - yay!  Which also resulted in a string of meals out at restaurants.  I will blog one of those visits soon, to Vintage 50, which was amazing, but back to the point of this post, we haven't been doing too much blog-worthy cooking lately in our kitchen and it's time to fix that.  Of course I say this as we are about to leave town for Thanksgiving, but since we also tend to do a decent amount of cooking at my parent's house, I'll be sure to take any pictures for new entries.

As a result of the craziness of November, I won't be able to get three recipes out of my cookbook of the month choice, partially because of time, and partially because it was so hard to pick just three!  So, I'm making it a double month book and will try for 5 or so between November and December.  I've chosen The Best Light Recipe, by the fine folks at Cook's Illustrated.  I love their extensive testing of recipes to determine what really is the 'best' version of something.  Also, Zach just got me a subscription to the monthly magazine as part of my birthday present, so look for some of their regular recipes too!

Sage Polenta

We planted some sage in our mini herb garden this summer.  We just moved into a new apartment in the middle of August and decided now that we live farther south it would be a decent time to start a pot of herbs.  In Upstate New York we would have only gotten a few weeks before a hard frost would kill the herbs, but in Virginia we're hoping to keep them going until early to mid November.  So, sage was one of the herbs we planted.  Then we were left with tons of sage and not a lot of recipes that use it!  So, this was a result of one of Zach's sage recipe searches.  It was very yummy and a definite keeper recipe!  It would be great as a side dish, or as we used it, in exchange for mashed potatoes as the base of a sauteed sausage, peppers and onions mix.  We left out the roasted corn as we had everything else on hand, and it was fine without it.  Since we used it as a base for the sausage mix I think it was better without it in this purpose, but the roasted corn would be great if you were using the recipe as a straight side dish.

Creamy Polenta with Roasted Corn and Fresh Sage

allrecipes.com


Serves 4
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 1 hour


Ingredients

• 2 ears corn
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup cornmeal
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Grill corn in the husks, or roast in the oven; cut kernels from cob.
• In a heavy 4-quart saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Stir in garlic and onions; reduce heat to low and cook until onions are translucent.
• Stir in water and milk and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Slowly stir in cornmeal, whisking thoroughly. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking and burning. Season with salt and pepper; simmer 15 minutes more.
• When cornmeal is tender, stir in corn, sage and Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a large bowl to serve.

Apple Scones

This is another recipe from the Apple Cookbook.  I've never made scones before and think that these turned out pretty well for my first attempt!  We had Zach's family visiting and I never got to eat one, so I think it's a good sign that they were popular!  The dough was rather wet to work with, so I was a bit nervous, but I think it was a very humid day that caused it.  Hopefully next time I make them I will actually get to taste one!  I actually deviated from the recipe when it came to the cooking method.  It said to cook on a griddle or skillet, but I baked them at 450 for about 20 minutes.  Here's the picture, the scones are on the left :-)

Apple Scones
The Apple Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 egg
1/4 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
1 large apple (McIntosh, Golden Delicious are suggested in the book, I used Paula Reds.)

Directions:

• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg into a bowl.  Add the sugar and mix.
• Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles large crumbs.  Make a well in the center.
• Beat the egg and yogurt together in a small bowl.  
• Peel, core and finely chop the apple.  Stir into the yogurt mixture.
• Pour the yogurt mixture into the center of the dry ingredients and, using a fork, stir to form a soft dough.
• On a floured surface, pat the dough into a 1/2 inch thick round and cut into 8 triangles.
• Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over low to medium heat and sprinkle lightly with flour.  Cook the scones triangles for 5 minutes, until they are golden brown on the bottom.  Turn and cook for 4 minutes longer, serve warm.

Southern Biscuits and Sawmill Gravy

These are a great breakfast, or dinner!  I had some leftover buttermilk from a recipe, and what better way to use it than in biscuits.  My dad has a thing for biscuits and has been through several recipes searching for just the right one from his childhood.  He's settled on an imitation of KFC's biscuits from one of those secret restaurant recipes books.  It involves club soda though, and I don't ever have that on hand, and think it's pointless to buy it for half a cup, or whatever amount the recipe needs.  Whenever I want the best version of a recipe I always first look for the Alton Brown version.  Since he's a food science geek as well as a chef I know he's done all the needed research to find the most appropriate method and ingredients to yield the best result.  These biscuits are no exception.

Southern Biscuits and Sawmill Gravy

Alton Brown, via Food Network, Biscuits and Gravy

Southern Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons shortening

1 cup buttermilk, chilled

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.

Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first, but hey, that's life.)

Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

Sawmill Gravy

Ingredients

1 pound bulk breakfast sausage

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

Salt and pepper

Directions

Cook sausage in a cast iron skillet. When done, remove sausage from pan and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Whisk flour into the fat and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in milk a little at a time. Return to medium-high heat and stir occasionally while the gravy comes to a simmer and thickens. (Be sure to scrape up any brown bits that might be stuck to the bottom of the pan, that's where the flavor is.) Check seasoning, add crumbled sausage and serve over toast or biscuits.

Apple Crumb Pie

This is the second recipe from the October cookbook of the month, Apple Cookbook.  I made it for dinner we had when Zach's parents and brother were in town.  It was very delicious and everyone enjoyed it.  It's the first time I've made an apple pie anything other than the standard two-crust version, and I think it turned out pretty well.  I used a store-bought pie dough (yay for the doughboy!) since I've always failed pretty miserably at any pie dough I've attempted.  And, it's what I grew up on since my mom has always used it.  I figure I can't make it any better, so why end up with an inferior crust just to say I made it myself?  No need to re-invent the wheel.  Plus, it was a busy week for us anyway and it saved me a significant amount of time.  Unfortunately I don't have a picture, we forgot before eating it!  Next time I make it I will add one to the post.

Apple Crumb Pie
from the Apple Cookbook

Ingredients:
pastry for a single 10 inch pie crust
5 large apples (Northern Spy, Fuji are suggested in the book, I used Paula Red.)
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup chopped pecans (I omitted these.)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450.  Grease a ten inch pie plate.
• Roll out the pastry and fit it in the pie plate.  Flute the edges and refrigerate.
• Peel, core and cut the apples into 1/4 inch slices.  Arrange in chilled pie shell.
• In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, sugar, 1/4 cup of the flour, egg and vanilla.  Beat until smooth and pour over the apple slices.
• Bake for 10 minutes, reduce the oven to 350 and bake for 30 minutes longer.
• Mix the remaining 1/2 cup flour, brown sugar and butter until the mixture is crumbly.  Stir in the pecans and sprinkle over the baked pie.
• Return the pie to the oven and bake 15 minutes longer or until the stopping is golden brown.  

Paprika Pork with Egg Noodles

I've had this recipe in my pile of 'pork recipes to try' for quite awhile now.  What moved it on up to the top of the pile was a trip to the local Home Goods store.  They had tins of spanish smoked paprika for $2.99 so we picked one up, excited to try the spice.  We've seen it alot recently on one of our favorite cooking shows, Jose Andres' Made in Spain.  Anything with a smoky flavor is appealing to me and this spice did not disappoint.  This dish was yummy and a good weeknight meal.  We did not have any swiss chard, but half a bag of baby spinach leftover from another dish, so I used that.  Also, I used whole wheat noodles.  This recipe was almost immediately determined to be a "keeper" and went right into my binder of recipes.

Paprika Pork with Egg Noodles

EveryDay with Rachael Ray

Serves 4

Prep 10 minutes

Ingredients:

    * Salt

    * 1/2 pound wide egg noodles

    * 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems discarded and leaves chopped  (I used spinach.)

    * 3 tablespoons butter

    * Pepper

    * Pinch nutmeg

    * 4 boneless pork loin chops (6 ounces each), butterflied and pounded 1/4 inch thick

    * 1/3 cup flour

    * 2 large eggs

    * 1 cup bread crumbs

    * 1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika

    * 1/4 cup vegetable oil

    * 1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges

Directions:

   1.  Preheat the oven to 300°. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the noodles and cook until al dente. Stir in the chard and cook for 1 minute to wilt. Drain the noodles and chard in a colander and return them to the pot. Add the butter and toss well. Season with salt, pepper and the nutmeg.

   2.  While the pasta is working, season the pork cutlets with salt and pepper. Place the flour on a plate. In a shallow dish, beat the eggs. On a plate, combine the bread crumbs and paprika. Coat the cutlets with the flour, shaking off any excess; dip in the eggs and coat with the seasoned bread crumbs.

   3.  In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat until rippling. Add 2 cutlets and cook until golden, about 4 minutes on each side. Keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining cutlets and oil.

   4.  Serve some Swiss chard and noodles alongside each pork cutlet, with a lemon wedge for squeezing over the pork.

Cheddar Corn Chowder: Barefoot Bloggers

Yes, I know, it's my second month in this group and I'm posting a recipe nearly a week and a half late. I don't have any real excuse besides life got busy. My in laws were visiting, then both Zach and I got sick, which would normally be a good time for soup, but neither of us really felt like cooking beyond a frozen pizza or chicken nuggets. Oh well, here is Ina's Cheddar Corn Chowder. I thought it was pretty good. It was the first time I've used turmeric in a recipe, and had to go buy some. We used a nice red skinned potato which held up really well in the chowder, not turning into a grainy mush. I also used a medium cheddar, not sharp, as I'm just not a sharp cheese kind of girl. It's definitely a "keeper" recipe for us, and I look forward to the leftovers in my lunch this week. One more thing, we halved the recipe and still had two big bowls for dinner tonight and at least 5 more portions for lunches all week. It definitely makes alot. We had it along with no-knead bread and both were delicious!

Cheddar Corn Chowder
from Ina Garten, via Food Network

Ingredients

    * 8 ounces bacon, chopped

    * 1/4 cup good olive oil

    * 6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)

    * 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

    * 1/2 cup flour

    * 2 teaspoons kosher salt

    * 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    * 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

    * 12 cups chicken stock

    * 6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)

    * 10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)

    * 2 cups half-and-half

    * 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

Directions

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.

Apple Cookbook: Cookbook of the Month, October 2009

The cookbook for the month of October will be the Apple Cookbook by Owen Woodier.  I received this cookbook as a gift when participating in a Fall Gift Exchange on the 'What's Cooking?' board.  I can't wait to dig into it and find some great recipes.  I skimmed it already and it has lots of great information about apples, their history and all the varieties and their differences.  Yay for fall!

Red Wine Risotto

Zach wanted to try switching up our standard risotto recipe by making a red wine version.  He searched foodnetwork.com and this Giada recipe was the first on the list.  We omitted the peas since I don't like them.  It was yummy and had a nice flavor.  I liked it, I would make it again and play around with it a bit.  I think it was missing something, I just don't know what.  I think more black pepper, maybe a different wine, or even a different cheese to play off the spicyness that red wine brings as opposed to a white. 

Red Wine Risotto
Giada DeLaurentiis, via foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

    * 3 1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

    * 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

    * 1 cup finely chopped onion

    * 2 garlic cloves, minced

    * 1 cup arborio rice, or medium-grain white rice

    * 1/2 cup dry red wine

    * 1/3 cup frozen peas, defrosted, optional

    * 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

    * 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus additional for garnish

    * Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Bring the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the broth and keep it warm over very low heat.

Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the rice and cook for about 2 minutes until the rice is toasted. Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of hot broth; simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Repeat, adding 3/4 cup of hot broth 2 more times, stirring often, about 12 minutes longer. At this point, the risotto can be made 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate the risotto (the rice will still be firm) and remaining broth, uncovered, until cool, then cover and keep them refrigerated until ready to proceed.

Bring the remaining broth to a simmer, then cover and keep it warm over very low heat. Stir 3/4 cup of hot broth into the partially cooked risotto over medium heat until the broth is absorbed and the risotto is hot, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining broth and simmer until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the peas and parsley. Add the 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Spoon the risotto into bowls. Sprinkle additional cheese over and serve.

Turkey Burgers with Rosemary Garlic Mayo

The flavor of these burgers was outstanding!  I loved the rosemary garlic mayonnaise and will definitely use it again in the future.  The burgers I will probably use, but with some modifications.  They were disappointing to say the least.  They crumbled and did not hold their shape at all.  Zach put 4 burgers on the grill and only got two mangled ones off, and a pile of crumbs from the other two.  Next time we will try adding some breadcrumbs in the meat mixture, because it was really was a simple and great tasting recipe, not as great looking though!

Turkey Burgers with Rosemary Garlic Mayo
from Giada DeLaurentiis, via foodnetwork.com 

Ingredients

Mayonnaise:

    * 1 cup mayonnaise

    * 1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary leaves

    * 1 clove garlic, minced

Burgers:

    * 1 pound ground chicken (We used turkey.)

    * 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

    * 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    * 4 sandwich rolls or burger buns

    * 1/4 cup olive oil

    * 1 cup arugula, divided (We used spinach since we had some open.)

Directions

For the mayonnaise: In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, garlic, and rosemary; set aside.

For the burgers: Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or place a grill pan over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 of the mayonnaise mixture. Using clean hands, gently combine the ingredients and form the chicken mixture into 4 patties. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for about 7 minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towels and let rest for a few minutes.

Brush the cut side of each roll with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise mixture. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly golden.

To assemble the burgers: Spread a dollop of the remaining mayonnaise mixture on the tops and bottoms of the toasted buns. Place the chicken burgers on the bottom halves of the buns. Top each with 1/4 cup of arugula and finish with the top half of the bun.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake: Barefoot Bloggers

Horray for my second Barefoot Bloggers post!  I have actually made this cake before.  Well, technically I guess I ate this cake before, if I remember correctly Zach actually did most of the baking work.  We saw it on an episode of Barefoot Contessa back in spring of 2007 then made it for the Easter.  It was delicious then, and it's equally delicious now!  The coffee is just right thing to add to the chocolate, it really highlights the chocolatee-y goodness of the cake and icing.  This is now our standard chocolate cake recipe, I don't think it can be beat!  Oh, and as an extra bonus, we always use the rest of the carton of buttermilk to make biscuits!  Yum!

Beatty's Chocolate Cake 

from Ina Garten, via foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

nocoupons

• Butter, for greasing the pans
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups good cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Directions

Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Frosting:

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

Sopa Seca

This is my second recipe from the cookbook of September, Food Network Kitchens cookbook. Zach picked out this recipe and I'm glad he did! Sopa Seca means "dry soup" in spanish and it's delicious! I'd describe it as a "mexican spaghetti". I really loved the spices and flavors of the sauce. The chipolte in adobo is dominant in the flavor profile, but not overwhelming. The flavors remind me of a nice big bowl of chili, but it's got the pasta to satisfy my inner carb-lover, the smoked turkey to satisfy my inner bacon-lover and the cheesy goodness on top to satisfy, well, anyone! Who doesn't like melted cheesy goodness?

I made a few changes/substitutions to accommodate what I had on hand or what I couldn't find in the store. I couldn't find fideos, and wanted to use whole wheat pasta, so I used whole wheat thin spaghetti that I snapped in half. I used beef broth since we had some open and chil-I powder instead of chil-E powder, since, again, that's what we had. I think you could definitely substitute in some sausage for the smoked turkey, maybe a fresh chorizo or andouille would work really well. I plan to do that the next time I make it. Also, I used 2% shredded mexican blend cheese, not straight cheddar. With the 2% cheese and whole wheat pasta, I hope it makes it a little more on the healthy side.

Sopa Seca
from Food Network Kitchens cookbook

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for pan

* 12 ounces fideos, bundled vermicelli (I used thin spaghetti, broken in half.)

* 1 medium onion, chopped

* 3 cloves garlic, minced

* 1 teaspoon ground coriander

* 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican

* 1 teaspoon New Mexican chile powder

* 1 bay leaf

* 1 1/2 cups canned whole tomatoes

* 1 to 2 chipotles en adobo sauce, minced

* 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, homemade, or low-sodium canned (I used beef broth.)

* 1 teaspoon kosher salt

* Freshly ground black pepper

* 2 cups shredded smoked turkey

* 1 cup coarsely grated cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

* Mexican crema, or sour cream thinned with a bit of milk, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Brush a 9-inch square baking dish with oil. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the fideos and cook, turning them with tongs, until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bundles and any broken pieces to a plate.

Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, coriander, oregano, chili powder, and bay leaf, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Crush the tomatoes over the pot with your hand and add them to the pot along with their juices. Add the chipotles, increase the heat to high, and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth, the toasted fideos, salt, and pepper, to taste. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently, uncovered, breaking up the fideos with a spoon, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the turkey.

Remove the bay leaf. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, sprinkle the grated cheese over the top, and cover loosely with foil. Bake until the cheese melts and the casserole is hot through and through, about 20 minutes. If desired, serve with some crema drizzled over the top.

Aji Verde sauce

This sauce accompanies the Peruvian Roast Chicken. It's cilantro-y and delicious and addicting! We like to take the leftovers (if there are any!) and use it as a topping for tacos, nachos, or blend it with a can of cannelini beans in the food processor to make a yummy bean dip that's good with pita chips.

Aji Verde
from Food Network Kitchens cookbook

Ingredients:
3/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/3 cup Cotija Cheese (You can substitute Feta.)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup water
2 to 3 jalapenos, stemmed, seeded, and diced (keep the seeds if heat is desired)
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:
1) Puree the cilantro, cheese, olive oil, water, jalapenos, garlic, vinegar, and salt in a blender until smooth.

Peruvian Roast Chicken

This is the first recipe I tried out of this cookbook, and we have made it at least four times in the past year. The chicken turns out so moist and flavorful. It's got a nice, basic, garlic flavor, nothing overpowering, so it makes for great leftovers to be used as shredded chicken in soups, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, casseroles, etc. It's easy and delicious, what more can you ask for? Plus, Zach and I both love the cilantro sauce. It's can be very addicting!

Peruvian Roast Chicken
from the Food Network Kitchens cookbook

Ingredients:
1 head garlic
1 3-4 pound chicken, excess fat trimmed and giblets removed
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus additional for seasoning
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425. Remove 5 cloves from the garlic head, then halve the remaining head horizontally. Season the chicken cavity with salt and pepper to taste, then stuff with halved garlic.

Smash the garlic cloves, sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and with the side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Put the garlic in the bowl and mix with the vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cumin. Rub the garlic mixture on the outside of the chicken. Whisk the soy sauce and sugar together and brush on the outside of the bird. Tuck the wings under the back. Set a V-rack or regular rack in a roasting pan and brush with the oil.

Place the chicken breast side down on the rack and roast until the back is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and turn the chicken breast side up. Baste the chicken with the pan drippings and continue to roast until the breast is golden brown and a meat thermometer in the thigh registers 170 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let it rest 10 minutes before carving.

Serve with Aji Verde sauce.

Birthday Sheet Cake: Barefoot Bloggers

This is my first post for the Barefoot Bloggers! I was so excited to join this group! I'd been thinking about it for awhile, but wanted to wait until after our recent move so that I could start out on track and not miss any recipes. For those who don't know, Barefoot Bloggers is a group of people with food blogs that set out to make 2 Ina Garten recipes per month. There is a rotation to determine who picks the recipes and assigned dates to post the recipes in your blog. The group's website can be found here: Barefoot Bloggers. I love watching Ina on the Food Network and wanted to join the group so I could start making more of her recipes. This first one was excellent! I ended up making a few modifications. I don't have any sheet pans, so I read through the reviews on foodnetwork.com and saw that at least one person had baked the cake in a 13x9 pan and had successful results, so I made it in that size pan as well. Also, I'm not a fan of lemon/citrus flavors, and the cake called for lemon zest. Instead I used almond extract and just a hint of vanilla. It turned out delicious! When it came to the frosting, I halfed the recipe and still had some leftover. I read some reviews from foodnetwork.com that said it was too chocolately, not sweet enough; but, I am definitely a dark chocolate fan so I thought it was great.

Birthday Sheet Cake
from Ina Garten via foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

For the cake:

18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
8 ounces (about 1 cup) sour cream, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (I used 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract and just a dash of vanilla.)
1 lemon, zested (I omitted this.)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

For the frosting:
24 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Chocolate candies for decorating (recommended: M&M's)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

To make the cake, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then the sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix well. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until smooth. Finish mixing by hand to be sure the batter is well mixed. Pour evenly into the pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and bake in the center of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan to room temperature.

For the frosting, place the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chips are completely melted. Off the heat, add the corn syrup and vanilla and allow the chocolate mixture to cool to room temperature. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the chocolate mixture and softened butter on medium speed for a few minutes, until it's thickened.

Spread the frosting evenly on the cake. Decorate the cake as desired.

Cookbook of the Month

In an effort to try and better utilize my ever growing collection of cookbooks, I've decided to start a "Cookbook of the Month." I'm going to challenge myself to make at least three recipes from the cookbook in that month and blog about them. So, for September and the first Cookbook of the Month, I've chosen my Food Network Kitchens cookbook. I got this as a present at one of my bridal showers and have really only used it for one recipe up until now -- Peruvian Roasted Chicken which will be my first blog entry from this cookbook. I've chosen one other recipe I've been dying to make from it, then will have Zach choose the last one to round out the three picks for this month.

Mac and Chee -- Baked Macaroni and Gouda

This is by far our favorite mac and chee recipe. I picked up 'mac and chee' from my sister. She says that the macaroni gets abbreviated to mac so the cheese should get abbreviated too. I can't argue with her logic. This came from a Rachel Ray magazine. It was one of those recipes that I read and that day went to the store to buy the ingredients to make it that night. So good! We like to use fun shaped pastas instead of macaroni, and whole wheat when possible. This particular version we left out the italian sausage, but it's excellent with it as well. We've also done bacon instead of the sausage and it's phenomenal! Also, we always use smoked gouda and it's awesome. I dream about this mac and chee -- mmmmmmmmmmmm!

Baked Macaroni and Gouda

from EveryDay with Rachael Ray

8 Servings

Prep 40 min

Cook 1 hr

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound macaroni

1-1/2 pounds uncooked sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1-1/2 cups caramelized onions

1 quart whole milk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 tablespoons flour

3/4 pound aged Gouda cheese, grated (about 4 cups)

Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, about 11 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a large bowl and wipe the saucepan clean.

Add the pasta and 1 cup caramelized onions to the sausage and stir to combine. In a medium saucepan or a microwave oven, heat the milk until steaming.

Return the large saucepan to the stove, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk, 1/4 cup at a time, and continue whisking until the sauce is smooth and thick and comes to a simmer. Add 2-1/2 cups cheese, remove from the heat and whisk until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes; season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the cheese sauce to the pasta mixture and stir to combine.

Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and add the pasta mixture in an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup caramelized onions and 1-1/2 cups cheese on top. Bake until golden and bubbling, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.