French Toast Bread Pudding: Barefoot Bloggers

This is the first recipe Barefoot Bloggers has done for Ina's newest cookbook, How Easy is That?  I enjoyed this recipe, though I thought it was a bit too lengthy for an average morning meal.  Definitely not on a weekday, and probably for a rare weekend.  I like making bigger breakfasts on the weekends, but not ones I necessarily need to wait an hour and a half for.  I cut the recipe in half and I did like that I got a chance to try my cinnamon apple syrup from Stonewall Kitchen.  I despise maple syrup and so typically leave it out of recipes or avoid recipes where maple is an integral flavor.  Now I have a substitute for maple syrup and it was delicious!

French Toast Bread Pudding

from Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That? by Ina Garten
serves 4  
1/2 large challah loaf, cut into 3/4 inch slices4 large eggs
2 1/2 cups half and half (I used fat free)1 1/2 Tablespoons honey1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher saltconfectioners' sugar and apple cinnamon syrup, for serving

Directions:

•   Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  

•   Arrange the sliced bread in a casserole dish.

• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, honey, orange zest, vanilla and salt.  Carefully pour the mix over the bread in the casserole dish.  Press down and allow to soak for at least 10 minutes. 

• Place thecasserole dish in a roasting pan and cover with foil.  Make slashes in the foil with a sharp knife to allow steam to escape.  Pour water in the roasting pan, coming about an inch up the side of the casserole.  

• Bake 30 minutes, then remove the foil.  Bake an additional 35-40 minutes, until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. 

• Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with apple cinnamon syrup.

Oven Fried Chicken: Barefoot Bloggers

 Yum, yum, yum!  I loved this dish.  It was deliciously crispy on the outside and the meat was moist and flavorful.  The skin was perfect.  I love crispy chicken or turkey skin (who doesn't?  well, besides vegetarians...).  The crust was well flavored; I especially enjoyed the noticeably peppery aspect.  It was good that day and also good warmed up.  We also shredded some of the meat to be used in other dishes.  We would definitely make this again. 

Oven-Fried Chicken

chosen by Vicki of My Fare Lady 

Greek Panzanella: Barefoot Bloggers

 This was delicious!  I know my last post was also a panzanella, but they are fairly different sets of flavors.  While Alton Brown's recipe focused on bacon and tomatoes (and who can argue with a bacon-centric recipe?) this one is focused on greek flavors -- oregano, olives, feta.  I was quite excited when I saw it was the choice for July since I had just seen the episode a few days ago where Ina makes the salad.  I really loved it and would definitely make it again.  The dressing had a nice acid bite and everything blended together quite well.  Perfect as a side dish or a summer lunch.  

Greek Panzanella
chosen by Tara of Smells Like Home 

Sour Cream Coffeecake: Barefoot Bloggers

We made this coffeecake with a few twists.  First, as you can probably tell, a bundt cake pan, not a tube pan; and, second, almonds not walnuts.  Almonds are the nut I use for just about any baking really.  If a recipe calls for pecans or walnuts I generally just substitute almonds.  I just like them better.  It tasted delicious and I believe the leftovers went to the guys Zach works with.  I'd definitely make this to have around for weekend guests, or a brunch get together.  

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
chosen by Gwenn of Cooking in Pajamas

Scalloped Tomatoes: Barefoot Bloggers

This was the one of the two Barefoot Blogger recipes for June.  Yes, I know it's practically the end of July, but I was on vacation for several weeks from the end of June until the middle of July.  We made this in June, but I haven't been able to write it up until now.  It was super!  The tomatoes and bread and basil were all so fabulous.  I think this might be even better to make now, headed into late summer and prime tomato season.  Maybe some yellow, orange, even purple heirloom tomatoes -- yum!  It's a great side dish and I will definitely be trying it again!

 Scalloped Tomatoes


chosen by Josie of Pink Parsley Catering

Spring Green Risotto: Barefoot Bloggers

This is the first recipe from the Barefoot Bloggers group for the month of May.  I was a bit hesitant about it since, even though I LOVE risotto, the veggies and flavors were not ones I typically use.  It would not be a recipe I'd normally choose.  But, then I figured that was half the point of joining the group right?  I wanted to be inspired/pushed to try new recipes.  So I made a few substitutions and it turned out really yummy!  I used 4 cups of leeks and omitted the fennel.  Neither Zach or I like fennel, and I really don't like anise flavors in general.  I do not like peas, so we only added them at the end to Zach's bowl.  I was a little wary of the strong lemon flavor profile, since I'm not usually a fan of citrus based sauces or dishes, but it ended up being very good!  We also got to use some of our homegrown fresh chives, so that was fun too. 

 Spring Green Risotto

chosen by Kimberly from Indulge & Enjoy

Unfortunately this will be my only recipe for May, as the other one was for a shrimp dish.  I don't eat shrimp, and we never had time this month to fit it onto the menu for a Zach-only meal.  I can't wait to see what's posted for June though!

Jam Thumbprint Cookies: Barefoot Bloggers

This was the second Barefoot Bloggers selection for April.  I made these a little late in the month since I knew I had a work meeting to attend on the 29th.  I wanted to take them with me, since I A) didn't want too many cookies around the house and 2) I'm not particularly fond of raspberries or coconut.  I know, I know, I haven't liked the base ingredients of either of the Barefoot recipes this month, which was kind of a letdown, but kind of good, since Zach and I are still following the Weight Watchers program.  Zach actually made the dough for these while I was finishing up school work one night, then we did the assembling and such together before baking.  They were pretty simple to make and turned out looking pretty impressive!  They won rave reviews at my meeting and were gobbled up quickly.  I halved the recipe since in my experience Ina's recipes always make way more cookies than they say they will.  It was the perfect amount for my meeting, about 18-20. 


Edit:  I found a picture!  A bad one, but it's still a picture!

 Jam Thumbprint Cookies

chosen by
Cassandra of Foodie with Little Thyme

Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies: Barefoot Bloggers

The first selection of April for Barefoot Bloggers was Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies.  I'll admit I was a little disappointed since I do not like raisins or pecans.  I thought about doing a chocolate chip version with the oatmeal cookie base; but, when I showed the recipe to Zach he seemed pretty excited about them.  So, I decided to make them as is, and just not eat any.  We had my mom and grandparents coming into town for a weekend visit, so I made them then so Zach wasn't stuck with a ton of cookies to eat either.  I did eat some of the dough as I was making them and it was very good.  I did find that the recipe made a crazy amount of cookies though.  I only have one cookie scoop, so maybe it's on the small side, but the recipe said 30-35 and I got over 50.  I sent some home with my mom and grandparents, and even took some to my sister's store for her to share with co-workers.  I have learned to half all of Ina's dessert recipes in the future!  Unfortunately, making these as my mom and grandparents walked in the door, I never got a picture, but here is the link...

 Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies
chosen by

Leslie of Lethally Delicious

 

Individual Meatloaves: Barefoot Bloggers

These were great!  We made these on a weeknight and they made a great meal with leftovers for yummy lunches.  I cut the recipe in half, but still made 6 individual loaves.  They were still a pretty good size I felt.  We served them with mashed potatoes and roasted baby carrots.  I don't have a lot to say about the recipe, since except for cutting it in half I didn't make any changes and thought it turned out rather well.  It is not our favorite meatloaf recipe however, that is still Alton Brown's meatloaf, but these were good and easy for a weeknight. 

Individual Meat Loaves 

chosen by Tonya of What’s on My Plate?

Caesar Club Sandwich: Barefoot Bloggers

This is the second recipe in March for the Barefoot Bloggers.  I made these for a Sunday lunch.  They were super, and since the recipe made four sandwiches we had some leftover for a few lunches during the week.  They only got better as the week went on.  The only change I really made was to use sun-dried tomatoes not packed on oil, just the regular ones in the bag.  I also used boneless, skinless chicken breasts that I sauteed on the stove top in olive oil.  I loved the caesar dressing in the recipe.  We had some leftover and used it to make a wrap later in the week.  It was salty, garlicy and just delicious.  I did make one other change, which was to use my local grocery store's whole wheat ciabatta rolls instead of a loaf of bread.  They were very good sandwiches and I'd definitely make them again.  Every few months we like to visit a few local wineries and take a picnic lunch along to eat at one of our stops, these sandwiches would be great to take along!

Caesar Club Sandwich 

chosen by Karen of Shortbread

Coconut Cupcakes: Barefoot Bloggers

The first February recipe was Coconut Cupcakes.  I must admit I had mixed feelings upon seeing the recipe choice.  Zach and I had just started eating healthier and using the Weight Watchers program to drop a few pounds, so seeing this recipe with all the butter and sugar and cream cheese didn't exactly fit in with our plan to minimize temptations.  But, then I realized I was hosting a work meeting soon, and it would be a great opportunity to make the cupcakes and have one or two, but let someone else eat the majority of them!  So, these are a bit late (yes, almost a month!) since I wanted to make them for this meeting, so we wouldn't end up eating them all.  The people at the meeting really enjoyed them, several asked for teh recipe, and with still more leftover I sent them into with Zach to work.  I LOVED the cupcake recipe, and the combination of vanilla and almond flavors, they were moist and delicious.  I also loved the frosting, again with the vanilla and almond combination, a favorite in my family.  I really like the flavor of coconut (Malibu rum is one of my favorite spirits) but not so much the texture of shredded coconut.  So, I will definitely keep the recipe, minus the coconut as a great basic white cupcake and frosting.  

Ina's Coconut Cupcakes 

chosen by Jamie of Jamie’s Green Kitchen.

Shrimp Scampi: Barefoot Bloggers

This is the first entry for the February Barefoot Bloggers recipes.  We decided to make this for Valentine's day and enjoy with couscous.  We made two versions, the shrimp scampi, as the recipe calls for, but we split the marinade and sauce in half and also did a dish with chicken, cut into bite size chunks.  I don't really like shrimp, so it was a chance for me to enjoy the recipe as well.  It was so good!  Very lemony, but really excellent. 

Ina's Baked Shrimp Scampi

chosen by Jill of Insanely Good Food

Indonesian Ginger Chicken: Barefoot Bloggers

This is the first Barefoot Bloggers recipe for January.  When I saw it was one of the picks for this month, I was excited as the recipe looked simple, and since it's an Ina recipe, I knew it would be delicious as well.  it was very simple, I liked setting it up the night before and marinating, it made for an easy meal the next night.  We would definitely make it again, and used the leftover chicken in many ways, shredded in wraps and salads.  Unfortunately, it will be the only Barefoot Bloggers recipe I post for January as the other chosen recipe was Shrimp Bisque, and I am not a fan of shrimp.  I've tried them, and just don't like them.  I asked Zach if we would want to make the soup, since he does like shrimp, but he wasn't interested in the particular recipe.  I can't wait to see what is posted for February though!  Oh, and, also, I forgot to take a picture!  We had my sister over for dinner that night and it slipped my mind.  

 Indonesian Ginger Chicken

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

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

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.

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.