Wait for it, Wait for it

These brownies took me part of an entire afternoon to make and when I saw the recipe in the magazine I knew it would come to that. However, the picture of the finished product was so amazing I decided I really did have to go for it. I may also have been affected by the fact that I was working a night shift and happened upon the picture/recipe at about 3 AM. At that time of the morning most over-the-top rich, delectable, strongly-flavored things sound good. And I also figured, what else am I spending my time doing these days, really? This is the perfect time to be spending copious amounts of time trying new recipes. So, be prepared for some gourmet recipes to be coming from my kitchen. These Brownies take a long, long time, but my-oh-my are they worth it!
I am missing the best picture- the final product! I'll try to get one up. Otherwise you can find it at bonappetit.com if you search the brownie name.


Layered Brownies with White-chocolate caramel and bittersweet chocolate Ganache
from Bon Appetit

Candied Pecans
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c water
1 c pecans halves, toasted

Brownies
1/2 c unsalted butter
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 c plus 1 tsp natural unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 T flour
1/8 t salt
1/2 c plus 1 T sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 t vanilla

White chocolate Caramel
3 T water, divided
3/4 t unflavored gelatin
4 1/2 T sugar
pinch salt
6 T heavy whipping cream
4 oz white chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 T unsalted butter, diced, room temp


Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
2/3 c heavy whipping cream
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

8x8x2 metal baking pan


Candied Pecans: Lightly butter baking sheet. Stir sugar and 1/4 water in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until sugar syrup is light golden, occasionally brushing down sides of skillet with wet pastry brush, about 8 minutes. Add pecans and stir until syrup coats pecans, about 1 minute. Immediately pour pecans out onto prepared baking sheet. spread in single layer with heatproof spatula. cool completely. coarsely chop nuts.



Brownies: Preheat oven to 350. Line 8x8x2 metal baking pan with foil. butter foil. combine 1/2 c butter and bittersweet chocolate in heavy medium saucepan. stir over medium-low heat until melted and smooth. remove from heat. cool slightly. whisk cocoa powder, flour, and salt in small bowl. Whisk sugar, eggs, and vanilla in medium bowl to blend. Pour butter mixture into sugar mixture. whisk until blended. Add cocoa mixture, whisk until blended. Transfer brownie batter to prepared baking pan. smooth top (layer will be thin).
Bake brownie until tester comes out with moist crumbs attached, 18-20 minutes. Allow brownie to cool slightly, then gently press down on edges to form flat, even layer. cool completely in pan on rack.


White chocolate Caramel: Spoon 1 T water into small bowl. sprinkle gelatin over and stir to blend. let stand until gelatin softens, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 T water, sugar and pinch of salt in heavy small saucepan. stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. increase heat and boil until syrup is deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 8 minutes. Slowly add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously) reduce heat to low. stir to dissolve any caramel bits. remove from heat. let cool 5 minutes. aded gelatin mixture. stir until gelatin dissolves. add white chocolate. whisk until melted and smooth. whisk in butter. pour caramel atop cooled brownie. spread evenly to cover completely. chill uncovered until caramel firms slightly, at least 8 hours or overnight.

Waiting for that deep amber color that never came. I stirred and stirred and finally just decided to go with what I had. Now the brownies have a milky white middle layer instead of a caramel colored layer. Oh well, it still tastes good.




Bittersweet Ganache: Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat. add chocolate. Whisk until melted and smooth. cool until mixture is slightly theckened but still pourable, about 15 minutes. pour ganache atop caramel on brownie, spread just to edges. sprinkle chopped candied pecans evenly over. chill uncovered until ganache is firm enough to cut, about 4 hours.

Using foil as aid, lift brownie out of pan. place on work surface. foild foil sides down. using sharp knife trim off about 1/4 inch of brownie on all sides. cut brownie into 8 bars.


This is what happened after i was all finished!

jelly filled donuts

So, here's the pic of the jelly filled donuts I made. I'm not posting the recipe bc you probably wouldn't make them. Anyway, just google jelly filled donuts if you want to some day. I added the sprinkles, of course!

Molasses-Oat Bread

1 cup uncooked regular oats

2 cups boiling water

2 packages active dry yeast

1/3 cup warm water

1/2 cup molasses

1/4 cup honey

2 Tbsp butter, softened

2 1/2 tsp salt

6 to 6 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I use 4 cups fresh ground wheat flour and 2 1/2 bread flour)

1 large egg

2 Tbsp uncooked regular oats

Combine 1 cup oats and boiling water. Stirring well. let stand 20 minutes or until mixture reaches 115

Combine yeast and 1/3 cup warm water; let stand 5 minutes

Combine yeast, oats mixture, molasses, and next 3 ingredients in a large mixing bowl, mixing well. Add 2 cups flour, and stir until smooth. Gradually add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.

turn dough out onto a well floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. cover and let rise in a warm place free from drafts, 45 min or until double.

punch dough down. and divide in half ; roll 1 portion into a 14x7 inch rectangle. roll up dough, starting at narrow end, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch to seal ends. place dough, seam side down, in a well greased 9x5 loafpan. brush loaves with beaten egg, and sprinkle with remaining oats. cover and let rise in a warm place 45 min or until double in bulk.

bake 350 for 30-35 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. remove from pans immediately; cool on wire racks.

Boysenberry Cobbler

You could use any kind of berries for this. The crust is cakier than other cobbler recipes that might just use a pie crust for the top. But I really enjoyed the texture and flavor of the batter. Eric helped put all the ingredients together while I sat at the dinner table and simply supervised. So, you could have the kids help with this one!

Ingredients:
2 pints fresh blackberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 dash salt
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened


***Batter***
1/2 cup unsifted flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
Light cream, whipped or ice cream



Directions:

Gently wash berries; drain well. Place in large bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add to berries; toss lightly to combine. Turn into an 8x8x2 inch baking dish. Dot top with 2 Tablespoons butter.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Make batter: In medium bowl, combine all batter ingredients; beat with wooden spoon until smooth. Drop in portions over filling, spacing evenly. Batter will spread during baking. Bake 35 minutes, or until fruit is tender and crust is golden. Serve warm with cream or ice cream.

Lemony Hummus

I made this back in May I think and realized I never posted the recipe. It's delicious!


Hummus:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained



To prepare hummus, combine first 8 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.

Berry Rhubarb Pie

This is the BEST PIE i have ever made!!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup fresh blackberries 1 cup raspberries 2 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 3/4 cup white sugar 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup shortening 2 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons ice water 1 tablespoon butter, melted 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 1/2 tablespoons half-and-half cream 2 tablespoons white sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1.	To Make Filling: In a medium bowl, combine blackberries, raspberries, and rhubarb. In a separate bowl, mix together 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Sprinkle over fruit mixture and stir gently. Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight.
2.	To Make Crust: In a large bowl, mix 2 cups flour with salt. Cut in shortening and 2 tablespoons butter until texture is like coarse cornmeal. Place 1/3 of mixture in a separate bowl. To the smaller portion, add water and mix to form a paste. Add this mixture back to the rest of flour mixture and stir just until dough forms a ball. Allow to rest at least 20 minutes before rolling out. Divide dough in half. Roll out bottom crust and place in 9 inch pie pan.
3.	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4.	Mix 1 tablespoon melted butter and lemon juice into fruit filling, then spoon into pastry-lined pie pan. Roll out top crust and place over filling. Crimp edges and cut steam vents in top. Brush lightly with half and half and sprinkle lightly with sugar.
5.	Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake an additional 40 to 50 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2009 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 7/2/2009

Best Cherry Cobbler

Our neighbor's pie cherry tree is happily producing, and we have been the lucky recipients of now 4 pounds of fresh cherries. They have been put immediately to good use in this cherry cobbler. I've spent some significant time at the table pitting the cherries the old fashioned way with a bobby pin, since we don't have a cherry-pitter.

I love the cinnamon in this recipe. I think it adds a warmth and depth to the flavor of the pie/cobbler.


Delicious Fresh Cherry Cobbler (because I don't like pies)
* 1 Pie crust (homemade or store bought)
* 4 1/4 cups fresh cherries, pitted with stems removed
* 1 1/4 cup sugar, more if cherries are very tart
* 1/2 cup flour
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon almond extract
* 2 Tablespoons butter, cut in small pieces
* 1 Tablespoon milk or cream for brushing the top
* 1 Tablespoon sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Roll out the pie crust to 1/8 inch thick on floured surface. Fold in half and set aside.



3. In a large bowl, gently fold together pitted cherries, sugar, flour, cinnamon and almond extract.
4. Pour into square baking dish (9x9) and dot with butter.


5. Unfold the crust and place over the top of the cherry mixture. Fold the edges of the top crust over and flute according to your own preferences. You can also use a fork to press the crusts together or make a lattice top.
6. Brush the top of the pie with milk or cream and sprinkle with sugar.


7. Cut 5-6 small vent holes in the top crust.
8. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 for 50-60 minutes or until top is golden brown and cherries are bubbling up. If the edges start to burn or brown faster, ring the edges with a piece of aluminum foil.
9. Cherry Pie cuts better with cleaner edges if it is allowed to cool completely, but it can be eaten warm too.
10. Cherry Pie à la mode! Top with your favorite ice cream or fresh sweetened whipped cream.
11. Refrigerate any leftovers.





Mom's Pie Crust:
1 c flour
1/3 c heaping crisco
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbspn ice water


combine flour, crisco, and salt with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Add the ice water and cut in with a fork or knife until dough is lumpy and follows fork around the bowl. if it is not lumpy enough add more ice water 1/2 tsp at a time. (I think this is why women used to get famous for their pie crust. It's a totally ambiguous recipe- " cut in the ice water until lumpy"....what's lumpy? or too lumpy? or not lumpy enough? that's where you just have to be taught by a master mind i suppose and actually see the lumpiness of the recipe. good luck )

roll dough out with rolling pin on floured surface until 1/8 inch thick. makes one 9 inch pie crust.

Guest Blogger: Pizza

Impromptu Pizza:
Medium crust
Cheese
Pepperoni
Cilantro
Red Bell Peppers


Chop the peppers


Chop Cilantro


Spread cheese


Pepperoni


Form the base


Add cilantro and peppers


The finished product!

If you use a quality cooking sheet or pizza stone you won't have the crust adhere to the pizza stone and would mostly likely be able to eat Pizza with Crust... we mostly ate toppings with a thin layer of crust that didn't stick to the stone.

Dough by MadreBob
Photos by eric.dacus

carrot cake cupcakes

makes 1 dozen

2 c flour (i substituted 1/2 c whole wheat)
1 c brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4 applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
2 c shredded carrot
1 ripe banana, mashed


preheat oven to 350

in large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. in another bowl combine eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. add carrot and banana and stir until smooth. mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. stirring just until moistened and combined. fill lined muffin cups about 3/4 full using all the batter. bake for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. cool before frosting.

frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, room temp
6 tbs butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 c powdered sugar

in electric mixer whip cream cheese and butter together until combimed. add vanilla. add sugar 1/2 cup at a time scrapping down the sides of the bowl. use frosting immediately.

Cinnamon Nut Buns

So i've never made cinnamon rolls myself. weird. i guess i always felt like they were just so much effort. but, obviously, i've been in an kitchen effort mood recently and rolled these suckers out. i like everything about them except the icing. it is just too buttery, if that's possible. i'd go with a simpler powdered sugar icing next time.

bread:

1/4 c warm water
2 packets yeast
1 1/2 c warm milk
1/2 c butter, melted, plus more for bowl and pans
1/4 c sugar
2 1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
6-7 c flour, plus more for work surface (i substituted 2 cups of whole wheat flour)

1. place water in small bowl, sprinkle with yeast. let stand until foamy about 5 minutes. in large bowl shisk together milk, butter, sugar, salt and 2 eggs. (i just realized i added 3 eggs to my recipe. whoops. maybe that's why i had to add at least another cup and half of flour..hmm...)

2. using a wooden spoon, stir in 6 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time until you have a soft shaggy6 dough (if necessary add up to 1/2 cup more flour. unless you feel like using 3 eggs in which case you will add at least another 1-2 cups during your kneading process. ha. ) turn dough out onto floured work surface, knead until smooth and elastic 5-10 minutes. butter inside of a large bowl, place dough in bowl turning to coat. cover bowl with plastic wrap. let stand in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size about 2 hours.


filling:
1/2 c butter, room temp ( i used less b/c this recipe has an extravagant amt of butter in it. i used maybe 5 tablespoons of room temp butter b/c it's just for spready on the rolled dough and you can control the amt nicely)
1 c packed brown sugar
2/3 c walnuts or pecans
1 tsp cinnamon
salt

for the glaze:
1 c brown sugar
6 tbspn butter (again, i thought too much. maybe 4 but then you might need to add more water)
2 tbspn water


1. butter two 9x13 baking pans. in food processor combine brown sugar, nuts, cinamon and pinch of salt. pulse unitl coarsely ground. set aside.

2. divide dough in half. working with one half at a time, roll dough out to a 16x10 inch rectangle on a lightly floured work surface. spread some butter over dough, leaving 1/2 inch border all around. sprinkle half the nut mixture over the butter. starting at a long end roll up dough like a jelly roll. with a sharp knife but crosswise into 12 equal pices.

3. place buns, cut sided down, in prepared pans. cover pans loosely with plastic. let stand in warm spot until doubled in size about 1 1/2 hours.

4. preheat oven to 375. bake buns until golden brown about 25-30 minutes. let cool 15 minutes.




5. prepare glaze: in small saucepan heat brown sugar, butter and water over medium stirring until simmering. cook 1 minute. drizzle glaze over buns. let stand 10 minutes before serving.

makes 2 pans so you can freeze the other before the baking process. before you let the rolls rise just wrap the pan and freeze. when you pull it out of the freezer months later let stand for 2 hours to thaw and rise. then bake the same. i baked both pans and put the baked pan into the freezer.

Homemade Granola

Now i'm seriously a hippy! or maybe just 'granola'. anyway, at first i thought this was going to be much more expensive than just buying a bag of granola b/c the individual ingredients seems to be costing a lot. but after i realized i could make several batches out of just buying the ingredients one time i felt better about the cost. and nothing tastes as good as home made, fresh granola with yogurt and fruit! (and a latte of course)

dry ingredients:
5 c rolled oats
2-3 c raw almonds or pecan halves, or a mixture
1 c hulled raw sunflower seeds
3/4 c flax seeds
3/4 c light brown sugar4
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1 c coconut (if you like it. i do)

wet ingredients:
3/4 c apple sauce, unsweetened
1/3 brown karo corn syrup
1/4 c honey
2 tbpsn vegetable oil

preheat oven to 300

in large bowl combine all of the dry ingredients. stir to mix well, in small bowl combine all of the wet ingredients, stir to mix well. pour the wet over the dry ingredients, and stir well.

spread the mixture evenly over 2 rimmed baking sheets. bake for 35-40 minutes or until evenly golden brown. set a timer to go off every 10-15 minutes while the granola bakes, so you can rotate the pans and give them a good stir. this helps it to cook evenly. when it's ready remove the pans from the oven, stir well- this will keep it from cooking in a hard solid sheet and set aside to cool. the finished granola may still feel slightly soft when it comes out of the oven. but it will crisp as it cools.

store in airtight container or zip top bag.

**after the baking process i also added about 1 cup of dried blueberries to half the mixture and put that in one bag. the other bag i left plain so i can add fresh fruit to that.

Glazed Lemon cookies

This is like a citrus party in your mouth.


2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tbspns fresh lemon juice (you need 2 lemons for this recipe)
1/2 c butter, room temp
1 c granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
lemon glaze (recipe follows)

1. preheat ove to 350. in bowl whisk together flour, b soda, salt and lemon zest. in large bow with mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. add egg, vanilla and lemon juice and beat until combined. beat in flour mixture.

**side note. i've never seen my butter/sugar mixture 'light and fluffy'. it's always grainy and weird. so i just beat it until i feel like not beating it anymore. ha.


2. drop dough by heaping tablespoons 1 inch apart onto 2 baking sheets. bake until edges are golden 15-20 minutes rotating sheets halfway through. let cool 2 minutes on sheeets, then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely. spread cookies with lemon glaze and let set, about 1 hour.


**another side note: Mom failed to introduce us to the cookie scoop. i just bought one the other day and it has changed my cookie-dropping-by-heaping-tablespoon-life. Mom always used a spoon, which in one regard is nice b/c you get to lick your fingers and absorb a bunch of the cookie dough, which is always a positive. but then your fingers are always kinda sticky. with the cookie scoop the art of dropping cookies by heaping tablespoons and having exactly the same sized cookies is made completely easy. i'm a big fan.


Lemon Glaze:

in medium bowl whisk together 2 c confectioners sugar, 2 tbspn finely grated lemon zest, and 1/3 c fresh lemon juice until smooth.


** i had to keep adding powdered sugar b/c i think i had too much lemon juice. oh well, my cookies are just very glazed and less iced.

I have left over tomatillos from the last recipe, what do i do?

I followed a recipe very loosely by emeril lagasse for his shredded pork taquitos. i made tacos though and just softened up the corn tortillas with a little time in some hot oil before serving.

chicken:
olive oil
some chicken breasts cut into 2 inch cubes
1 cup chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tomatoe, cut up
4 cups chicken stock
some cilantro leaves

heat oil in large saute pan. add chicken and season with s/p. sear the chicken until browned on both sides. add onions and saute until soft. add garlic and tomatoes and saute until fragrant about 1 minute. season with s/p. add chicken stock and cilantro leaves and bring to boil. cover and reduce to simmer. let simmer about 2 hours, until chicken is very tender.

salsa:
1/2 lb tomatillos, husks removed and washed
3 cloves garlic
1 red bell pepper
parts of other pepper i had in fridge
1/2 c minced onion
juice of 1 lime
some cilantro leaves

place tomatillos, garlic cloves (unpeeled) and peppers on baking sheet. drizzle with olive oil. season with s/p. place in oven heated to 400 for about 15 minutes, until roasted and browned and softened. remove veggies from oven and place tomatillos in food processor (yay!). squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins into the food processor. add the peppers to the processor along with the onion, lime juice, and cilantro. pulse until mixture is fully incorporated but not pureed. season with s/p.



Before.


What would i do without my food processor?!



After. This is what the food processor can do for you!


for the chicken again:

after the 2 hours remove the chicken from the pan and cool. once the meat has cooled enough to handle shred the meat. place the cooking liquid back on the stove and cook over high heat until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. remove from the heat and add the shredded meat.




to serve:
soften corn tortillas up in some veg oil. place line of chicken meat down the center. cover with home made salsa. dab on some sour cream. yummy! serve the salsa with chips or i put the salsa on top of my mexican rice and my salad b/c it was so good.

Grilled cumin chicken with fresh tomatillo sauce

well, these were almost grilled but eric almost lit the house on fire with a fire from the grill. he ran out of lighter fluid so he got some camping fuel from the basement and tried to pour it on the already sorta lit charcoal. i look out the window from the kitchen and see these huge flames coming from our back porch. one of the posts for the back porch roof was lit, and the lighter fluid was on fire in the grass and on the concrete....scary! and then we have the hose hooked up to a timer for the gardens and couldn't get the timer to turn on so we were both a little shook afterwards. luckily the weather also kicked up right then and it started raining huge drops, we finally got the hose on, and everything was okay. at least it made us have the talk about where the fire extinguisher is located in our house and what we might save first in case of fire. i told eric he should never work in an emergency room b/c he doesn't handle emergencies very well. :) so, i sauteed the chicken instead, and it was still delicious!


2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp cumin (that's a pansy amount. i added at least 1 tsp)
1/8 tsp pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 lb tomatillos
1/2 c chicken broth
1/4 c cilantro leaves
1/4 c chopped green onions
2 tbspn lime juice
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 garlice clove, chopped
1 jalapano, seeded and chopped
1/4 tsp salt
cooking spray

1. prepare grill ( don't burn house down) check. ha.
2. combine first 4 ingredients in zip top bag. add chicken. seal and stand for 15 minutes (or do this at the beginning of the day b/c i like to think it will add more flavor. i'm sassy like that :) )

3. discard husks and stems from tomatillos. combine tomatillos and broth in a small saucepan over medium high heat. cover and cook 8 minutes. drain and cool slightly. combine tomatillos, cilantro and next 6 ingredients (through jalapeno) in food processor (yay!). process until smooth.

4. remove chicken from bag. sprinkle evenly with 1/4 tsp salt. place on grill rack coated with cooking spray. grill 6 minutes on each side until done. serve with tomatillo sauce.








some fresh dessert for afterwards!

spanish oranges for dessert

did you ever have these while in spain? maybe it was just a valencia thing but this is one of my most favorite sweet, healthy desserts. it is so light and tastes so delicious, you almost feel like a healthy mediterranean euro after eating it.

simply peel the orange. slice horizontally into 1/4 inch slices. sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. yum!!!

Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro Lime Mayo

Chicken Sandwiches with cilantro-lime mayo


mayo:
1/4 c mayo
2 tbspn chopped cilantro
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1 garlice clove, minced

chicken:
1/4 cup egg substitute (this is from cooking light and they always suggest this stuff and i never use it. i just use the amt of eggs i think equals their amt of substitute. in this case i think it was 2.
3 tbspn hot sauce (such as tabasco)
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
4 1/4 oz tortilla chips (about 6 cups)
2 tbspn olive oil

remaining ingredients:
4 kaiser rolls
12 red onion slices
lettuce leaves


1. to prepare mayo: combine the first 4 ingredients.

2. to prepare chicken: combine egg substitue, hot sauce, oreganoe and salt in a large zip top plastic bag. cut chicken breast halves in half horizontally to form 4 cutlets. add chicken to bag and seal. marinate in fridge for 2 hours or up to 8, turning occasionally.

3. place tortilla chips in food processor (yay!) process 1 minute until ground. place ground chips in shallow dish.

4. working with one cutlet at a time, remove chicken from marinade allowing excess to drip off. coat chicken completely in chips. set aside. repeat procedure with remaining chicken and chips.

5. heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. add olive oil to pan swirling to coat. add chickne to pan, cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned and done. spread mayo evenly over cut sides of rolls. layer bottom half of each roll with 3 onion slices, 1 lettuce leaf and 1 chicken cutlet, top with halves of rolls.


i made some sauteed potato slices to go with this. simply thinly slice a potato, and add them to a pan with some hot olive oil, sprinkle with s/p. let them get good and browned on one side, then flip the whole thing over and let that side get browned. you can layer them with onions if you like, as in layer of potatoes down, s/p, layer of onions, layer of potatoes, s/p, layer of onions. and them flip them that way. sever with ketchup.

Resurrected Lentil Burger

This was just so good when I made it again I had to post to bring it to the surface.

Mediterranean Veggie Burger with mint-yogurt sauce and carrot salad

4 medium carrots
3 tbspn fresh lemon juice
3 tabspn olive oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced
s/p
5 whole wheat ham buns
1 can 915 oz) lentils, rinsed and drained
1 large egg
1/4 c thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
1/2 c plain yogurt
lettuce

1. in a food processor fittd with shredding disk shred carrots. transfer to medium bowl. toss with 2 tbspn lemon juice, 1 tbspn oil, and half the scallions. season with s/p. set aside

2. wipe food processor clean. fit with chopping blade. process 1 bun until finely ground. add lentils, egg, half the mint, 1 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp pepper and remaining scallions. pulse just until combined.

3. dividing evenly shape the mixture into four 3 1/2 inch patties. in large skillet heat remaining 2 tsbpn oil ove medium. cook burgers until browned and firm 4-5 minutes per side.

4. in small bowl combine yogurt, remaining mint, and remaining tbspn lemon juice. season with s/p. place burgers on buns and top with yogurt sauce and lettuce. sever with carrot salad.


** i bought a food processor off of KSL for $25! and my goodness, i don't know what i did without it before! i've used it almost every day. it's a wonderful gadget,a nd it isn't that hard to clean so having to wash another machine hasn't bothered me. i put the carrot salad on top of lettuce and served it that way. it was delicious!

Black Bean N Spinach Enchiladas

2 cans black beans rinsed and drained

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tsp Creole seasoning

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 recipe Spinach Madeleine (2 cups)

1 container sour cream (8 oz)

8 (8 inch) flour tortillas

1 (12 oz) block Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, divided

combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl, set aside.  You can also substitute some chicken in place of the 2 can of black beans if you'd like.  I think I preferred the ones without the chicken (I made a couple of both)

Stir together the spinach madeleine and sour cream until blended.  I think I forgot to do this part!!  It was still good even without the sour cream.  I'll try it the right way  next time.

spoon 1/2 cup black bean mixture down the center of each tortilla.  Top with 1/3 cup spinach madeleine and sprinkle with 3 Tbsp cheese.  Roll up, place seam side down in a lightly greased 9x13. sprinkle remaining cheese over top.  cover and bake 350 for 25 minutes. uncover and bake 5-10 min more.  

Spinach Madeleine

20 oz frozen chopped spinach

1/4 cup butter

1/2 tsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp flour

1 cup milk

8 oz velveeta cheese, cubed

1 tsp hot sauce (I didn't use)

1/2 tsp creole seasoning

cook spinach according to package, drain and set aside

melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  add garlic, saute 1 min. whisk in flour until smooth, whisk constantly 1 minute.  gradually add in milk and cook, whisking constantly 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and bubbly.  Add cheese ,hot sauce, and creole seasoning.  whisk until cheese is melted.  stir in spinach, cook until thoroughly heated.  

YUMMMY

Smoky Chicken Chili

2 poblano chili peppers, chopped (Winco didn't have these, so I bought 1 Pasilla chili; it was plenty hot)

1 large red bell pepper, chopped ($.58, eat it up baby!! gotta love Winco!)

1 medium sized sweet onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cans rotel

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (I used 2/3 of it and am using the other 1/3 for some black bean and spinach enchiladas that I'm making soon)

1 can (16 oz) navy beans

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can beer

1 (1.25 oz) package white chicken chili seasoning mix (I used regular chili mix bc I couldn't find the other-it was fine)

Saute first 4 ingredients in hot oil in a large Dutch oven (I am lovin the dutch oven you gave me, thanks!!) over medium high heat 8 minutes or until veggies are tender.

stir in rotel and next 5 ingredients.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 1 hour.  Serve with desired toppings (cheese, cilantro, sour cream, lime wedges, baby corn, sliced black olives, chopped red onion, tortilla chips, etc)

This was Fab!  we ate it in 2 days, yum.  I just love rotisserie chicken in things!  I'll post the enchiladas tomorrow.

tex mex calzones

no picture :( we must have been hungry :)

8 oz ground turkey breast
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 c chopped green pepper
1/2 c chopped red pepper
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c fire roasted salsa verde (i just used whatever they had at the store)
1 pizza crust dough
3/4 c mexican preshredded cheese blend
1/4 c sour cream

1. preheat oven 425.

2. heat large non stick skillet over medium high heat. add ground trueky to pan, cook 3 minutes stirring to crumble. add onion and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to pan. cook 4 minutes or until veggies are crisp tender, stirring occasionally. remove from heat. stir in salsa..

3. unroll pizza dough. divide into 4 equal portions. roll each portion into 6x4 inch rectangle. working with one rectangle at a time spoon about 1/2 c turkey mixture on one side of dough. top with 3 tbspns cheese, fold dough over turkey mixture and press edges together with a fork to seal. place on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. repeat procedure with remaning dough and turkey mixture. bake at 425 for 12 minutes or until browned. serve with sour cream.

as a side:
toss together a black bean salad: combine 1 15 oz can rinsed and drained black beans, 1 cup quartered cherry tomtoes, 1/2 cup chopped red onion, 1/4 cup chopped celery, 2 tbspn fresh lime juice, 2 tbspn chopped cilantro, and 1 tbspn olive oil in a medium bowl. toss to coat.


this was super yummy!

Mediterranean Chicken Packets

Don't let the lame name mislead you. This was delicious! Buttered orzo made a good partner for the dish.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves
s/p
1 can diced tomatoes, drained (i just used 3 fresh roma tomatoes chopped)
4 artichoke hearts, quartered (i got a few from the olive bar at the store)
12 kalamata olives, halved and pitted (again from the olive bar)
4 tsp capers (i omitted this b/c they are dumb) :)
1/2 c crumbled feta
1/2 tsp italian seasoning (i made my own out of a few herbs from the cupboard)
1 tbspn olive oil

1. preheat oven to 375. place 4 12 inch squares of parchment paper of heavy duty foil on a work surface. place a chicken breast on one half of each square, leaving a 2 inch boarder. season with s/p.

2. dividing evenly, top chicken with tomatoes, artichokes. olives, capers and feta. sprinkle with italian seasoning and oil. fold parchment over ingredients, and crimp edges to seal. * i just put the chicken directly on some tin foil and folded it tightly to create a packet.

3. place packets on rimmed baking sheet. bake chicken until opaque through out, 20-22 minutes.



yum!!!!!

Strawberry Pound Cake

Paula Deen's Strawberry Pound Cake Recipe #297692

From Paula Deen's Quick & Easy Meals, Special Collector's Issue. Cook time does not include the 1 hour and 10 minutes you have to allow for letting the cakes sit.

by Anita Harris

1¼ hours | 10 min prep

SERVES 2 , 2 Cakes

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries

sweet pink glaze (recipe follows)

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 drop red food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2") loaf pans.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts.
3. In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in sour cream and strawberries. Divide mixture evenly between prepared pans. Bake 55 to 60 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Spoon Sweet Pink Glaze over warm cake, let stand 1 hour; remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Sweet Pink Glaze:.
5. 1 c powdered sugar.
6. 2 tbsps milk.
7. 1 drop red food coloring.
8. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, stirring until smooth.
9. Need I say more?!!
10. I didn't have any strawberry flavoring.  It was good without it, but would be a stronger strawberry flavor definitely with it.  We cut up some strawberries and let them marinade in sugar for a couple hours and made a strawberry shortcake out of it.  YUM!!