Losing my touch?

Well, Friday I put a hunk of beef in the crockpot in preparation for BBQ Beef Sammies for supper, but when I went to shred it up in the evening, I realized I had it on "warm" instead of "low" all day. :( So we had chef salad and I finished cooking the beef late into the night. THEN, I proceeded to leave it out on the counter all night forgetting to put it in the fridge after cooling. Yesterday, I defrosted chicken and beef to make fajitas, but our tattoo appointment took longer than anticipated so we ended up going to Red Robin for burgers between Todd's and my time under the needle.

What to do for supper today????

Funnel Cakes

Despite our delicious supper and a few strong cocktails, we set about making funnel cakes since the oil was ready after the tortilla chip endeavor. Check out sexy, Alton Brown's recipe! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/funnel-cake-recipe/index.html

Tortillas!

Todd was on his knees he liked the tortilla chips so much! I had some corn tortillas left from a failed attempt at enchiladas and decided to fry them up and season them for dipping in the guac. I definitely made up for the too-lemony hollandaise sauce this morning! Yum............and Old Bay Seasoning was a perfect choice.

Amazing Chicken

Amelia dubbed this dish "Amazing Chicken." We saw Rachael Ray do a version of this on T.V. recently and this is what we came up with today:

Chicken

pound chicken breasts out thin and bread with a crumb mixture of plain breadcrumbs, zest of one lemon, a bunch of parmesan cheese, black pepper (we did the classic flour, eggs, breadcrumb process) shallow fry the chicken and keep warm in the oven if you have to do it in batches. fry the remaining breadcrumbs in the hot oil and set aside.

Salad Component-serve piled up on top of the hot fried chicken

toss arugula, red cabbage, sliced scallions with the following lemon viniagrette: zest of one lemon, juice of two lemons (use the zest from the second lemon in the breadcrumbs for the chicken), a tablespoon or two honey, large squirt spicy brown mustard, 2-3 cloves garlic smashed up with salt, black pepper-whisk it all together with olive oil. I like to toss these types of greens an hour or so in advance to give the dressing a chance to penetrate the lettuces.

Focaccia with Kalamata Olives and Roasted Garlic

Easiest bread to make and so tasty!

1 T rapid yeast
2 t salt
1 T chopped fresh rosemary or other herbs
1/3 c olive oil
1 1/4 c warm water
3 cups AP flour

Mix all in bowl until doughy and slightly sticky. Cover bowl with towel and allow to rise until dough doubles in size (45 min). With oiled hands, plop dough on oiled baking sheet and shape into a 1/2" thick oval with your hands. Cover and allow dough to rest 30 min. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Make dimples in the dough with finger tips and sprinkle on your fave toppings: olives, rosemary, garlic, tomatoes, etc. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Yum!

Appetizer Supper

Stuffed Mushrooms and Baby Peppers (goat cheese and scallions)

Dijon Deviled Eggs

Guacamole and Creamy Pepper Relish Dip with Triscuits & Fritos

Sunday Dinner

Menu:

Curried Chicken Fingers
Cheater Beans
Macaroni Salad

How-to:

Chicken: cut boneless, skinless chicken breast into strips and toss with sourcream blended with a healthy dose of curry powder. After allowing this to marinate for as long as you like/have time for, roll the strips in plain panko (japanese breadcrumbs) and give it a shallow fry. Depending on the thickness of your strips, you can finish cooking in the oven.

Beans: combine a 28-ounce jar of Randall's Great Northern Beans, undrained with 1 pound chopped bacon, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp dillweed, 2 tsp dry mustard, 2 tsp dehydrated onion. Cover and cook in the microwave on High for 35 minutes. Uncover, transfer to a 400 degree F oven for another 30 minutes or so. (These are even better the next day)

Mac Salad: cook desired amount of elbow macaroni and hard cook some eggs (my ratio is usually 4 eggs for a half pound of pasta or 6-8 eggs for a whole pound). While those items cook and/or chill, chop onion and celery and season to taste with salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash original, paprika. Peel and chop the eggs and add it to the veg mixture. Toss in the cooked macaroni and add mayonaise until it is as wet or dry as your family likes it. Chill before serving for best results.

Hearth Bread

Chocolate Bread Pudding

This was a bit of an experiment, but it turned out well!

Preheat oven to 350 F., grease a 1.5 quart casserole dish.

Cube about 4 cups dry white bread into 1/2 inch pieces and toss with a generous 1/3 cup chocolate and/or peanut butter chips. In a separate bowl, combine 2 large eggs, 2 cups chocolate milk (I totally just mixed Hershey's Dark Chocolate syrup with skim milk and called it good), 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/4 cup melted butter. Please note: these measurements are approximate; I'm not the most precise measurer! Pour the milk mixture over the cubed bread and toss to coat. Transfer mixture to the casserole dish and bake at 350F for 50 minutes to an hour, or when a knife inserted in the cente comes out clean.

Be sure to steal a taste when it comes out of the oven by pinching off a cube or two of bread off the top! May be served warm, room temperature, or cold. I like it room temp, Todd prefers it refrigerator-cold, ideally with some cool whip. Delish!

Holla for my Challah!

Last weekend was Focaccia.

Last Wednesday was Cinnamon Raisin Bread.

Yesterday was Classic White Bread.

Today was Challah (recipe will be added soon).

What does next weekend hold?

Vote:

1. French Bread


2. Polish Babka


3. Irish Soda Bread


4. Potato Bread

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

This is a perfect recipe for a snow day! The house smelled delicious, the bread was good, and the toast the next morning was even better! The original recipe is available at the website below. I made a few adjustments to increase the nutrition a little, such as using a combination of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour and omitting the icing.


Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 cups warm milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups raisins
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon water

Directions

In the bowl of the stand mixer, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, 1/3 cup sugar, oil, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat with dough hook until smooth. Add raisins and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/4 hours. Punch dough down. On a lightly floured surface, divide in half. Roll each into a 15-in. x 7-in. rectangle. Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar; sprinkle over dough. Sprinkle with water. Starting with a short side, roll up tightly, jelly-roll style. Pinch seams and ends to seal. Place, seam side down, in two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cinnamon-Raisin-Bread/Detail.aspx

Sunday = Omelets for Breakfast!

Omelets, like salads, for Todd and me are a vehicle for leftovers. The unique omelet filling this morning included turkey taco meat, swiss chard, and zucchini in addition to the requisite american cheese slices. Yum! Paired with some blueberry bisquick biscuits and fresh fruit, breakfast was a success. Needless to say, I limited the kids omelet filling to the cheese....I'll argue about vegetable consumption at lunch and supper, but give it a break at breakfast and just give 'em sweet fruits.

Menu Planning

Every Thursday is grocery day. I plan the family menus a week in advance and, usually on Wednesday, I write the menu, check the freezer and pantry, and compile a grocery list. Between Wednesday and Thursday evening, I gather coupons and check the Kroger ads and on Thursday evening after work, I hit the store. Why Thursday? Well, Todd works on Thursday evenings, Amelia is with her dad, and Mike and Gill are at their mom's house. I can take my time at the store and not worry about having little helpers attached to my cart, nor am I thinking that I need to hurry home to the family.

Here is the plan for the upcoming week:

Friday, January 28 (tonight): Veggie Lasagna (containing spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, along with three cheeses: ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella), sauteed swiss chard, and italian bread

Saturday, January 29: Crunchy Turkey Tacos, Guacamole, Roasted Butternut Squash

Sunday, January 30: Bowtie Pasta with Turkey Italian Sausage and Pesto Sauce, Sauteed Collard Greens and Leeks

Monday, January 31: Barbequed Beef Sandwiches, Roasted Red Potatoes, Acorn Squash

Tuesday, February 1: Grommy's Klopsi (big meatballs with brown mushroom gravy), Mashed Potatoes, Carrots

Wednesday, February 2: Chicken Parmesan, Spaghetti, Salad

Thursday, February 3: Leftovers! and time for a new menu plan and grocery list...

Cranberry Relish

The organic produce delivery service we subscribe to, Door to Door Organics (http://michigan.doortodoororganics.com/), gave us several clamshells of fresh, organic cranberries and I finally got around to using them. Below is the recipe I used for some really tasty cranberry relish. The picture I posted is from the website since mine truly did turn out looking just like it, but doesn’t look as well-presented in the Tupperware container!

Cranberry Relish

Ingredients
2 oranges
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, cut in fine julienne
1 bag (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Preparation
1. Peel 1 orange and cut the zest (orange part only) into a very fine julienne, as thin as possible; set aside. Squeeze both oranges for juice; set aside.
2. Combine sugar and lemon juice in a small sauté pan. Heat up slowly and continue cooking until the sugar begins to caramelize. If necessary, wash down the sides of the pan by brushing with a little water to keep the sugar from burning.
3. When the sugar is caramel colored, add the julienned ginger and orange zest. Cook for about 1 minute, then add the cranberries, orange juice and pepper. Continue to cook on medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the cranberries are slightly broken but not mushy (frozen cranberries will take about 7 minutes). Remove from the heat and let cool. Yields 3 cups. May be frozen for enjoyment throughout the year.

Credits:
Epicurious November 2000
by Jasper White

Homemade Hot Pretzels

Soft Pretzel Recipe
courtesy of Gale Gand via Foodnetwork .com

2 tablespoons warm water, plus 1 1/3 cups warm water
1 package dry yeast
1/3 cup brown sugar
5 cups flour
1/2 cup baking soda
Kosher salt
Mustard, as an accompaniment

In a large mixing bowl, mix 2 tablespoons warm water with the yeast to dissolve it. Then stir in the remaining warm water and brown sugar. Place bowl on a mixer and using a dough hook, gradually add the flour and continue mixing until it forms a ball. Turn it out onto a work surface and knead the dough to make it smooth. Use enough flour on your work surface so the dough is not sticky.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Butter 2 sheet pans. Bring 2 quarts of water and the baking soda to boil in a large saucepan. Cut dough up into golf ball size pieces. Then roll them into 1/2-inch thick worms. Form a U then cross the ends, twisting at the middle. Fold the ends back down to meet the U (which is now an O) and press to secure the dough. Drop it into the boiling water for 30 seconds then fish it out and place it on the greased sheet pan. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown.

**I like to sprinkle on a variety of seeds, such as carraway, sesame, poppyseeds, as well as Garlic and Herb Mrs. Dash and/or dehydrated minced onions. Also, it is super important to grease the cookie sheets, as well. I haved tried using waxed paper sprayed with oil and it was a mess! Just LIBERALLY spray your sheet pan and the pretzels will come off perfectly. I have used these pretzels in place of dinner rolls with a lot of success. They also work out well sprinkled with cinnamon sugar instead of the salt. Really make your family happy by drizzling powdered sugar icing over the top of the cinnamon sugared pretzels for breakfast or brunch!

Everything is NOT better with bacon!

Well, the "Bakon" bacon flavored vodka my bro gave us for xmas is fun, but rather disgusting.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

RECIPE:

2 [10 ounce] cans chunk chicken, drained
2 [8 ounce]packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Heat chicken and red hot until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and Ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half the cheddar cheese and transfer mixture to a slow cooker.Sprinkle of the remaining cheese over top, cover, and cook on low setting until hot and bubbly.

Serve with slices of french bread, celery sticks, and/or crackers.

****Note: I like to use leftover chicken breast in this recipe. It tastes a little fresher than the canned.

Cornmeal Pancakes

Well, one new kind of pancake was not enough. It's just the two of us today, but we made two different batches of pancake batter anyway! Not really comparable to the light, delicate apple pancakes described in the previous blog post, these are a nod at the southern classic fried mush or pan-fried polenta.

Hearty and reminiscent of fried mush, these pancakes will be a family standard.

Thanks again to mrbreakfast.com:

Best Cornmeal Pancakes Ever
(4 servings) Printable Version

•1 cup yellow cornmeal
•2 tbp sugar
•1/2 tsp salt
•2 cups boiling water
•1 and 1/3 cups of milk (or buttermilk)
•2 eggs
•1 tbp pure vanilla extract
•2 cups of flour
•2 tsp baking powder
•2 tbp oil.
In a medium bowl mix cornmeal, sugar and salt; add water and let it sit for 10 minutes. When the cornmeal has absorbed the water and thickened, mix the milk in and let it sit for another 5 minutes. Next are the eggs and vanilla extract which should be throughly mixed with the cornmeal. In a separate bowl, measure and mix the flour and baking powder and then combine it with the cornmeal mixture. Preheat a skillet and spread a little bit of oil on it before every pancake is cooked.

http://www.mrbreakfast.com/superdisplay.asp?recipeid=1784

Canadian Flapjacks

Todd and I woke up New Year's Day and couldn't quite decide what to make for brunch. Actually, while I slept in, Todd did a web query for new or different pancake recipes. This was the first one we tried...

With grated apple and honey in the batter, these are light and tasty.

Recipe from mrbreakfast.com:

Canadian Flapjacks
(4 servings)

•2 cups flour
•2 eggs
•1 pinch sea salt
•1/2 cup honey
•1 and 1/2 cup apple juice or milk
•2 teaspoons Baking powder
•2 tablespoons oil
•1 Pippin apple - grated
Combine all ingredients except apple with mixer. Add apple and mix by hand. Spoon into oiled fry pan, at medium heat. Turn when bubbles appear and harden. Brown other side. Serve immediately with your choice of topping. Honey is best. Maple syrup is second best.


http://www.mrbreakfast.com/superdisplay.asp?recipeid=212