Monday, September 21, 2009

Chicken Soup with Orzo

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This is the same chicken noodle soup recipe that I always use, but I was out of noodles so used orzo. Looks like chicken and rice but with pasta.

4lb cut up frying chicken
2 quarts (8 cups) water
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup celery leaves
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
5 carrots, cut-up
1 cup uncooked orzo

1. In 4-quart stockpot, combine chicken, water, onions, celery, celery leaves, bay lead, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover; simmer 45 minutes or until chicken is fork tender, no longer pink and juices run clear. Add carrots; cook 15 minutes.

2. Remove chicken from pot. Cut meat from bones. Skim off and discard fat from soup. Return meat to soup. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes or until carrots are almost tender.

3. Add noodles. Return to a boil. Cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until noodles are tender. Remove celery leaves and bay leaf. If desired, garnish with chopped parsley.

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Sunday, September 20, 2009

Apple Pie Apples

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Yes, I know that I really need to improve my picture-taking and take the darn picture before serving. This time I remembered as these two leftovers (from a batch of nearly 30) were on their way out the door. I used the William Sonoma apple and pumpkin molds, available here. The pumpkins were extra cute, which is why I think they went faster. To make the filling, I used a regular apple pie recipe, but cooked it until the apples had begun to soften on the stove.


2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar
16 Tbs. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
8 Tbs. ice water
1 1/2 Tbs. cornstarch
6 medium apples (a mix of tart and sweet) - I used 2 granny smith, 2 mcintosh, and 2 zestar
Juice of 1/2 a lemon (2 T)
1/2 c granulated sugar
1.4 c brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 T flour
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tsp. water

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the flour, the 1 tsp. salt and the 2 Tbs. granulated sugar on low speed for 10 seconds. Add the butter and beat until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-low and beat for 1 1/2 minutes more. Gradually add the 8 Tbs of ice water, adding more or less to reach the desired consistency (the dough should cling together and not be too sticky)

Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Peel and dice the apples into 1/2 inch cubes. Dunk them in water and lemon juice as you chop..this stem hinders oxidation which isn't important when baking a pie, but I always do this whenever I cut apples.

Combine apples, sugars, salt, and cinnamon in a small sauce pan. Over medium, cook until apples begin to soften or about 10-15 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent sugar burning. I wasn't sure whether to add the flour or not (remember this was from a pie recipe with no prebaking step), so I did so after about 5-10 minutes to thicken the sauce. Adding it so late likely risks lumps, so there is probably little harm in adding it earlier. Just make to stir well to prevent sticking or burning.

Chill the filling while you cut out the pie shapes. The dough should be about 1/8th to 3/8ths inch thick. The original recipe says 1/16th-1/8 inch, but since this dough shrinks when overworked (which I do), making a thicker crust help mitigate this problem. Plus, there will be some give to crimp the edges together if there's extra dough. I didn't think the end result was too thick.

Place the bottom shape in the mold and add 2 T of filling. Brush the edges with water before adding the top shape. Add the top and press tightly to create a seal and create pretty edging.

Remove the pie from the mold and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Freeze the pies for 30 minutes or refrigerate for a couple hours.

Preheat an oven to 400°F.

Brush the top of the pies with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is gently bubbling, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pies to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.

Halloween Blanket

Couldn't post this until it came in the mail....

I made this using a pattern from the Sept/Oct 2009 Crochet Today. Since it's for an adult, I made it a little larger using 4 skeins of black super saver instead of 3. I also switched up the colors to make it a little more adult.

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Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Halloween Afghan

I made this using a pattern from the Sept/Oct 2009 Crochet Today. Since it's a gift, I made it a little larger using 4 skeins of black super saver instead of 3. I also switched up the colors to make it a little more adult.

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Another Honey Wheat Bread

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I halved this recipe for Honey Wheat Bread found at Food and Whine, which I think is a very clever name for a blog. As you can see from the picture, it didn't rise quite as well as it should have and even dimpled a little. Not sure if that's all me, the flour I use, or what. Still, it tastes very yummy and is only slightly more dense than I'd prefer.

Ingredients

1 cup lukewarm water ( I microwave it for 20-30 secs or to 110 degrees)
1 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 tsp. instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
3 T honey
3 T vegetable oil
2-3 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

Add water and honey to bowl of stand mixer. Add yeast and proof for 5 minutes to make sure yeast is good. Add whole wheat flour, salt, and vegetable oil. Work in all-purpose flour gradually, adding and mixing until dough comes together. Dough should be moist but not sticky).

Knead on low for about 5 minutes or by hand for about 10 minutes.

When dough is smooth and elastic, place it in a well oiled bowl. Turn it several times in the bowl to coat the surface of the dough, and cover with a plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Shape dough into a rectangular shape. Pinch together the seam when finished and place seam side down into greased loaf pans. Allow to rise until dough doubles and crests about an inch above the edge of the baking pan in the middle (it will rise more in the oven).

Bake at 375° F for 30 - 40 minutes or until thermometer inserted in the bottom of the bread reads 195-200° F. Immediately remove bread from pans and cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Spinach, Mushroom, and Garlic Pizza

I was in the mood for pizza last night and had some spinach and mushrooms dying to be made into something. I again used the dough recipe from Our Best Bites available here. This recipe is very similar to the one posted last month but more of a snack pizza since I had less ingredients. I kept the crust super-thin, added mushrooms and did a little something different with the garlic. I also only had mozzarella cheese.

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Printable Version

Dough for one pizza, fresh from the link above or store-bought
3 cups fresh spinach
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, peeled but whole
2 cups marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe's garlic and tomato)
2 cups mozzarella, shredded
olive oil, butter
salt and pepper

1. Prepare the dough according to the directions. Roll dough into the shape of your pizza pan, creating a "crust" so your ingredients won't spill out. If using the recipe above, allow dough to rise on a silicon baking mat (aka "slipat") for another 20-30 minutes while you prepare your toppings.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place baking sheet in oven to warm up with the oven. (This is the purpose of the baking mat--you can place the pizza on the heated sheet and avoid the pre-baking step.)

3. In a tall skillet, melt 1 T of butter in about 1 T of olive oil until butter is melted. Saute mushrooms until they begin to brown. Add whole cloves of garlic once you have the mushrooms tossed with the butter/olive oil. Salt and pepper mushroom mixture only after the mushrooms are 3/4ths of the way cooked. Add spinach and cook another few minutes until wilted. During this last stage, cut or mash up the whole cloves of garlic. (Using whole cloves and then mashing them up allows the garlic flavor to infuse through everything without worrying about burning.)

4. Pour 1-2 cups of sauce onto the prepared crust, spread around. Add the spinach-mushroom-garlic mixture. Add a little more sauce, if desired. Top liberally with shredded cheese.

5. Bake on preheated cookie sheet for about 10-15 minutes, or until crust is done and cheese is golden brown. (Note: I'd say that I cooked this one a few minutes too long, but it was tasty nonetheless).

6. Allow pizza to rest for a few minutes before slicing. I'd guess it feeds 3-4 for a meal or 4-6 for snacks.


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Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Slowcooker Braised Beef with Sun-dried Tomatoes

This recipe was adapted from one for beef short ribs found in Bonapetit, October 2009.
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Ingredients
2.25 lbs top round (or other beef suitable for braising), cut into 1 inch cubes
1 c onions, diced
1 c celery, diced
1 c carrots, diced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c sun-dried tomatoes
1 c dry red wine
1 c beef broth
6 sprigs of thyme
6-8 sage leaves
1 large bay leaf
salt and pepper
1/4 c flour

Directions
Liberally season the beef with salt and pepper. Brown in olive oil using a large skillet over medium-high heat. This should only take a couple of minutes.

Place all ingredients, except flour, into crock pot. Stir gently and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cook on low for 8 hours.

Mix in flour, turn up heat to high and cook for an addition 15-30 minutes.

I served with orzo pasta, although any other shape of pasta, rice or potatoes would work here too.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Chicken Tenders with Spicy Corn

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I was in the mood for chicken tenders, but couldn't bring myself to go to McDonald's. These were quick and easy.

Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chick breasts (about 1/2 lb, cut into chicken tenders
1/3 c flour
1/2 c bread crumbs
1/2 c parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten with 1 T of water
salt and pepper

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Salt and pepper the chicken. Dredge in flour, then in egg, then in bread crumbs.

Bake on parchment paper or a well-greased cookie sheet at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

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Served with your favorite barbeque sauce and side dish. The corn above was steamed or boiled, then seasoned with chili powder, garlic powder, butter, and salt.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Blueberry Stars and Hearts

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This is my second attempt at these using the cute molds from William Sonoma. This recipe has been adapted for blueberries from the Cherry Pocket Pie recipe found on their website (and possibly included in the packaging for the molds). See my first attempt here.


2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. plus 1/2 cup granulated sugar
16 Tbs. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
8 Tbs. ice water
1 1/2 Tbs. cornstarch
2.5 cups fresh blue berries
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tsp. water

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the flour, the 1 tsp. salt and the 2 Tbs. granulated sugar on low speed for 10 seconds. Add the butter and beat until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium-low and beat for 1 1/2 minutes more. Gradually add the 8 Tbs of ice water, adding more or less to reach the desired consistency (the dough should cling together and not be too sticky)

Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

In a saucepan, whisk together the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the cornstarch and pinch of salt, then add the blueberries and vanilla. Set over medium-high heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Let the filling cool.

Let the dough stand at room temperature until it can be rolled. On a floured surface, roll out 1 dough disk into a round 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick. Using a pocket pie mold, cut out 8 of each shape (4 solid and 4 with the decorative cutout). Reroll the dough scraps, if necessary, and cut out more shapes. Repeat with the remaining dough disk.

Place a solid dough shape in the bottom half of the cutter and gently press the dough into the mold. Fill the center with 2 Tbs. filling and brush the edges of the dough with some of the egg wash. Top with a shape with a decorative cutout. Press the top half of the cutter down to seal and crimp the edges of the pie. Remove the pie from the mold and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Freeze the pies for 30 minutes or refrigerate for a couple hours. (This step is very important as skipping it lead to mishapen results.)

Preheat an oven to 400°F.

Brush the top of the pies with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is gently bubbling, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pies to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.

Makes about 8 pocket pies.


I'm also participating in
What Did You Bake Today? over at The Krazy Kitchen.

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Thursday, September 3, 2009

Apple Peach Pie II

I posted this recipe about a month ago, with certain modifications. Namely, that pie had more apples than peaches. This time I followed this Betty Crocker recipe more diligently with respect to the apple-peach ratio but omitted the almonds. The result was an extremely juicy pie that was quite well-received.

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Double Crust, 9 inch
2.25 c all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 c butter
8 T cold water

Mix the salt and flour. Cut in butter using pastry knife, food processor, or stand mixer until the mixture is crumbly. Add in water, one T at a time, until well combined. The dough should hold together and all the flour should be well-combined. Be careful not to over-knead. Divide dough in half and form two disks, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap each in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes to an hour.

Filling
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 medium fresh peaches, peeled and sliced (about 2 cups)
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced (about 2-3 cups)
1/4 c sliced almonds
1 T butter
1 egg, mixed with 1 T water

Roll one disc about 10-12 inches and place in pie pan (it should hang over the sides about 1 inch). Toss the peaches and and apples in flour, cinnamon, and salt. Pour filling into pie pan. (If using almonds, sprinkle over the mixture now). Roll out the remaining dough and weave into a lattice. Dot with butter as shown. Brush with egg mixture.

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Bake at 425 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until the crust is brown and the insides bubbly. Cover the edges with foil if the crust gets too dark. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Gorgonzola Chicken Pasta

This recipe has been modified from Taste of Home recipe found here. Basically, I halved it and lightened it a bit.

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8 oz pasta such as penne or rotini
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 T olive oil
2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c Half and Half
1 c, 4 oz crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/4 c grated parmesan, and more for serving
About 2 T fresh sage leaves thinly sliced
salt and pepper
minced fresh Italian parsley for serving.

Salt and pepper chicken. Brown in medium skilled heated with olive oil. Once the chicken is browned, add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and stir to loosen browned bits from the pan. Add half and half and bring to a simmer. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 5 more minutes. Add cheeses, sage, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until cheese is melted and has reduced to desired consistency, about 5-10 more minutes. Sprinkle with additional parmesan and parsley.

Serves about 2.

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Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Turkey Bolognese with Linguine

Adapted from this recipe which appeared in Cooking Light, June 2004.

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Printable Version

1/2 lb linguine
1 T olive oil
1 c onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
12 oz ground turkey
1 tsp dried oregano (1 T fresh)
1 tsp dried parsley (1 T fresh)
1 T fresh basil (1 tsp died)
1 tsp salt, divided
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (I used Trader Joe's fire-roasted tomatoes with chiles)
1 (14.5 oz) can tomato sauce
1/4 c dry red wine

Cook pasta according to package direction for al dente. Saute onion in olive oil in medium dutch oven for about 5 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook until browned, and beginning to crumble. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Salt and pepper mixture, stirring well. Mix in herbs, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and splash of wine. Bring to a near boil and then reduce to low. Simmer for 20 minutes.

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Stir in al dente pasta and cook additional 2 minutes to allow pasta to soak up some sauce.

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Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

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