...like a big (pasta) pie, that's amore!" Dean Martin wasn't too far off on that one! Even though he did say pizza instead of pasta. But, as long as this takes to cook, you want it to be worth it....and boy was it! Not only was it delicious, but it made a TON and induced feet-kissing from my adoring husband. (Ok, not really....but he did say it was excellent! I wonder what kind of magic food it would take to get the feet-kissing.....lol) Honestly, though, we could probably eat on this for a week or more. Unfortunately, it doesn't look very pretty once you cut into it, and without cutting into it, it just looks like a ginormous pie, so I didn't get any pictures. But despite being attractively-challenged, this is a meal you don't want to miss out on!
Baked Angel Hair
adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
1 lb. mild Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1/3 c. dry red wine (I used a cabernet)
3 c. marinara sauce
8 oz. angel hair pasta
8 oz. mozzarella, diced
1 c. freshly grated Parmesan
1 pkg. frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
Add the sausage and wine to a frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat until the wine evaporates and the sausage is brown, breaking the pieces with the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. Add the marinara sauce and combine.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the angel hair and coo5 k for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until pasta is still slightly crunchy and undercooked. Drain. Toss the angelhair with the sausage and marinara. Cool completely. Add the mozzarella and parmesan and toss to combine.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll out 1 pastry sheet on a floured surface to a 13 1/2 inch square. Transfer to a 9 inch springform pan, allowing the excess pastry to hang over the rim. Spoon the pasta mixture into the pan. Place the second pastry sheet atop the pasta filling. Pinch the edges of the pastry sheets together to seal. Trim the overhanging pastry edges to about 1 inch. Fold the pastry edges in to form a decorative border. Cut a slit in the center of the top pastry to allow the steam to escape.
Bake until the pastry is brown and puffed on top, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let stand for 20 minutes. Remove the pan sides and serve.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Wilkommen beim Hanson Haus!
Tuesday night I decided that we were going to have German Night here at our house. Yes, occasionally we eat in themes. However, it ended up as a sort of mixed-theme night because we couldn't find a German movie that we really wanted to watch, so we eventually just picked a freaking scary Spanish movie. Why a scary movie? I have no idea. Apparently I wanted to torture myself. Ryan liked it, though. But we did have wonderful, delicious, delectable, comforting German food, so I guess German Night was a partial success. Hey! Have you seen German movies? The non-WWII/Holocaust selection is limited, and much as I love those movies, it's not something I want to watch while eating. I'd really like Türkisch für Anfänger, but I can't seem to find it! Anyway, our German meal was simple, but delicious. And regardless of whether you like to have theme nights or not, you should try it!
t
Schnitzel mit Kartoffelpuree und Kohl
(Schnitzel with Mashed potatoes and cabbage)
a Lauren Hanson original
4 thick cut pork chops
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. bread crumbs (I used Italian style. Yes, I know this is German food.)
1/2 tbsp. Italian herbs (Ok, so it was a REALLY mixed-theme night.)
2 eggs, beaten
Vegetable oil
5 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes
2 sticks regular butter
1 pkg. cream cheese
1/2 c. half and half
Lawry's season salt
1 head of cabbage
olive oil
salt
pepper
In a small bowl, mix the flour, bread crumbs, and herbs together. Heat enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan over medium-high heat. Dredge the pork chops in eggs and then in bread crumb mixture to coat. Add to pan and cook until golden brown, then turn to cook the other side. Remove to a paper towel-covered plate to allow the oil to drain.
For the mashed potatoes, I used the recipe for Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, but instead of adding the roasted garlic, I substituted Lawry's Season Salt to taste. I also added about 1/2 c. half and half.
For the cabbage, fill a covered stock-pot with water. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil. Cut the cabbage head in half, and remove the spear-shaped white core. Then cut into quarters and add to the pot. Cook over medium-high heat until the water starts to boil, and then cover and turn the heat down to medium low to finish cooking for about 15 minutes.
tSchnitzel mit Kartoffelpuree und Kohl
(Schnitzel with Mashed potatoes and cabbage)
a Lauren Hanson original
4 thick cut pork chops
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. bread crumbs (I used Italian style. Yes, I know this is German food.)
1/2 tbsp. Italian herbs (Ok, so it was a REALLY mixed-theme night.)
2 eggs, beaten
Vegetable oil
5 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes
2 sticks regular butter
1 pkg. cream cheese
1/2 c. half and half
Lawry's season salt
1 head of cabbage
olive oil
salt
pepper
In a small bowl, mix the flour, bread crumbs, and herbs together. Heat enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan over medium-high heat. Dredge the pork chops in eggs and then in bread crumb mixture to coat. Add to pan and cook until golden brown, then turn to cook the other side. Remove to a paper towel-covered plate to allow the oil to drain.
For the mashed potatoes, I used the recipe for Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, but instead of adding the roasted garlic, I substituted Lawry's Season Salt to taste. I also added about 1/2 c. half and half.
For the cabbage, fill a covered stock-pot with water. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil. Cut the cabbage head in half, and remove the spear-shaped white core. Then cut into quarters and add to the pot. Cook over medium-high heat until the water starts to boil, and then cover and turn the heat down to medium low to finish cooking for about 15 minutes.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
"But I don't like fish!"
This is what I had the pleasure of listening to when I told Ryan I was planning to make Tilapia for dinner last night. My only answer was, "You'll like this fish." I swear, the man has no faith! No matter how many times I make dinner and he loves it, there's always something he thinks he won't like! But it's ok, cause then I can say, "I told you so!" However, despite my confidence with Ryan, I was a little nervous that it wouldn't be very good. In general, I don't really like fish myself, but I'm usually up for trying new things, and I had heard that Tilapia wasn't a very "fishy" tasting fish.....as much sense as that makes. But I pressed forward, and man, am I glad I did! This was wonderful! Word of warning, though...eat this as soon as you finish cooking it. And don't think I'm just being dramatic. I'm serious. Fish doesn't hold heat very well and it will quickly get cold. And cold fish is just yucky.
Parmesan and Italian Herb Baked Tilapia
a Lauren Hanson original!
4 Tilapia filets
3 tbsp. butter
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
Italian herbs
Freshly grated Parmesan
Salt
Pepper
In a small saucepan, heat butter over medium heat and add garlic. Heat until butter is melted and slightly brown, and garlic is browned. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs to taste.
Remove garlic butter from heat and brush some on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place Tilapia filets on baking sheet and brush remaining garlic butter over them. Season with more Italian herbs and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Parmesan and Italian Herb Baked Tilapia
a Lauren Hanson original!
4 Tilapia filets
3 tbsp. butter
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
Italian herbs
Freshly grated Parmesan
Salt
Pepper
In a small saucepan, heat butter over medium heat and add garlic. Heat until butter is melted and slightly brown, and garlic is browned. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs to taste.
Remove garlic butter from heat and brush some on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place Tilapia filets on baking sheet and brush remaining garlic butter over them. Season with more Italian herbs and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
No Need to Knead!
Kneading freaks me out. Don't ask me why, but the thought of having to knead has kept me away from making plenty of bread. It's weird...I know, but it's true. My name is Lauren and I'm a kneadaphobe. There's not really anything particularly scary about kneading, but it just seems like such backbreaking work. So I stay far, far away. I thought I would never get the luxury of homemade bread. So imagine my surprise when I was flipping through my Betty Crocker cookbook that my cousin and her husband gave us as a wedding gift and I happened upon this recipe for a bread that sounded delicious......and you don't have to knead it!!!!! I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Could it be true or was my mind simply playing an evil trick on me? So I decided I simply must try this for myself. And now I'm passing it on to you because it really is that delicious and easy!
Four Grain Batter Bread
recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker
Cornmeal
4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 packages regular or quick active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp.)
2 cups milk
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. whole weat flour
1/2 c. wheat germ
1/2 c. quick-cooking oats
Grease bottoms and sides of two 8 x 4" loaf pans with shortening or spray with cooking spray (I used Baker's Joy.); sprinkle with cornmeal.
In large bowl, mix 3 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and yeast. In 1-quart saucepan, heat milk and water over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until very warm (120 degrees F to 130 degrees F). Add milk mixture to flour mixture. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium spead 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
Stir in whole weat flour, wheat germ, oats, and enough remaining all-purpose flour to make a stiff batter. Divide the batter evenly between pans. Round tops of loaves by patting with floured hands. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place about 30 minutes or until batter is about 1 inch below tops of pans.
Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Bake about 25 minutes or until tops of loaves are light brown. Remove from pans to wire rack; cool.
Eat. Enjoy.
(Note: I used my Kitchenaid stand mixer to mix this, but you can also use a hand mixer. I used the wire whisk attachment until it got too thick, and then i switched it out for the dough hook to finish mixing.)
Four Grain Batter Bread
recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker
Cornmeal
4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 packages regular or quick active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp.)
2 cups milk
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. whole weat flour
1/2 c. wheat germ
1/2 c. quick-cooking oats
Grease bottoms and sides of two 8 x 4" loaf pans with shortening or spray with cooking spray (I used Baker's Joy.); sprinkle with cornmeal.
In large bowl, mix 3 1/2 cups of the all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and yeast. In 1-quart saucepan, heat milk and water over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until very warm (120 degrees F to 130 degrees F). Add milk mixture to flour mixture. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium spead 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
Stir in whole weat flour, wheat germ, oats, and enough remaining all-purpose flour to make a stiff batter. Divide the batter evenly between pans. Round tops of loaves by patting with floured hands. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place about 30 minutes or until batter is about 1 inch below tops of pans.
Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Bake about 25 minutes or until tops of loaves are light brown. Remove from pans to wire rack; cool.
Eat. Enjoy.
(Note: I used my Kitchenaid stand mixer to mix this, but you can also use a hand mixer. I used the wire whisk attachment until it got too thick, and then i switched it out for the dough hook to finish mixing.)
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Lauren's World Famous Spaghetti
Ok, maybe it's not world famous....yet. But it should be. And I know what you're thinking, "Spaghetti....really? Anyone can make spaghetti!" And while that may be true, this is the best spaghetti I've ever had! Note: if you don't like garlic, you probably won't like this or many other of my recipes. But then again, if you don't like garlic, there's something wrong with you. And we've already discussed its many health benefits. Seriously, even if you think you don't like garlic, try this recipe. You can always scale down the amount of garlic you use.
Lauren's World Famous Spaghetti
(Note: I didn't really measure any of this. I hardly ever do unless I'm baking. These are close estimates.)
1-2 c. original spaghetti sauce
1 lb. ground beef (this is correct. I used the whole package.)
1 tbsp. olive oil (one easy way to measure this is to drizzle one time around the perimeter of the pan. This is about 1 tbsp.)
10 cloves garlic, half pressed or finely minced
1-2 tbsp. Italian herbs
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan (not the dust from the Kraft can. I prefer Parmigiana Reggiano, but Grana Podano is cheaper.)
spaghetti noodles
butter flavored cooking spray
garlic salt
Heat pan over medium-high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Brown meat.
Drain excess water/oil from pan and add spaghetti sauce.
Add pressed garlic, Italian herbs, Parmesan, and the other 5 garlic cloves whole. Allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes.
Cook spaghetti as normal. Do not overcook. When done, drain noodles and allow most of the steam to dissipate. Then, spray generously with cooking spray and season to taste with garlic salt.
Lauren's World Famous Spaghetti
(Note: I didn't really measure any of this. I hardly ever do unless I'm baking. These are close estimates.)
1-2 c. original spaghetti sauce
1 lb. ground beef (this is correct. I used the whole package.)
1 tbsp. olive oil (one easy way to measure this is to drizzle one time around the perimeter of the pan. This is about 1 tbsp.)
10 cloves garlic, half pressed or finely minced
1-2 tbsp. Italian herbs
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan (not the dust from the Kraft can. I prefer Parmigiana Reggiano, but Grana Podano is cheaper.)
spaghetti noodles
butter flavored cooking spray
garlic salt
Heat pan over medium-high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Brown meat.
Drain excess water/oil from pan and add spaghetti sauce.
Add pressed garlic, Italian herbs, Parmesan, and the other 5 garlic cloves whole. Allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes.
Cook spaghetti as normal. Do not overcook. When done, drain noodles and allow most of the steam to dissipate. Then, spray generously with cooking spray and season to taste with garlic salt.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
I'm such a tease...
Here's a teaser of the deliciousness coming up next week:
Parmesan & Italian Herb Baked Tilapia
Baked Angelhair
Schnitzel mit Kartoffelpuree und Kohl (Schnitzel with mashed potatoes and cabbage)
Parmesan & Italian Herb Baked Tilapia
Baked Angelhair
Schnitzel mit Kartoffelpuree und Kohl (Schnitzel with mashed potatoes and cabbage)
Word of the Day: Roasted
I seriously love my Crock Pot! It makes dinner....and my life so much easier. Last night, I decided to make Roasted Garlic Crock Pot Chicken and Roasted Thyme Potatoes. Hmmm....I sense a theme. Apparently the new "it" form of cooking is roasting. Or at least it is at this house. So you should get some practice with the word of the day and make these two recipes....tonight. (Note: both recipes are fairly healthy. You can always use low-fat butter on the chicken and garlic is good for your heart, helps lower cholesterol, and has been known to help prevent cancer.)
Roasted Garlic Crock Pot Chicken
adapted from The Petite Filet
1 5lb. whole fryer chicken
10 cloves garlic
1 stick butter
2/3 cup chicken broth
salt
pepper
paprika
Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry. Season skin and inside cavity with salt, pepper and paprika. Smash half of the garlic cloves and put in bottom of crock pot. Press the other 5 cloves in a garlic press (you can also finely mince) and smear them all over the chicken. Add chicken broth to crock pot, and then add chicken. Cook for 6-8 hours.
Roasted Thyme Potatoes
recipe courtesy of The Petite Filet
3 baking potatoes, cubed
olive oil
salt
pepper
thyme
In a bowl, drizzle cubed potatoes with olive oil, season with salt, pepper and thyme, then toss to coat. Spread potatoes out on a baking sheet, and roast in oven at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
The chicken turned out absolutely delicious. The garlic butter sauce gave it a great flavor and it was not at all dry. Word of warning, though: have a meat fork or tongs ready because the meat will be falling off the bone and hard to pick up otherwise.
The potatoes were good, but not my favorites. I generally like my potatoes a little softer. But Ryan absolutely loved them, so I guess it's just a matter of preference. However, like I said, they were still good. You should definitely try them and decide for yourself. And maybe I'll come up with a way to make them a little softer.
Roasted Garlic Crock Pot Chicken
adapted from The Petite Filet
1 5lb. whole fryer chicken
10 cloves garlic
1 stick butter
2/3 cup chicken broth
salt
pepper
paprika
Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry. Season skin and inside cavity with salt, pepper and paprika. Smash half of the garlic cloves and put in bottom of crock pot. Press the other 5 cloves in a garlic press (you can also finely mince) and smear them all over the chicken. Add chicken broth to crock pot, and then add chicken. Cook for 6-8 hours.
Roasted Thyme Potatoes
recipe courtesy of The Petite Filet
3 baking potatoes, cubed
olive oil
salt
pepper
thyme
In a bowl, drizzle cubed potatoes with olive oil, season with salt, pepper and thyme, then toss to coat. Spread potatoes out on a baking sheet, and roast in oven at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
The chicken turned out absolutely delicious. The garlic butter sauce gave it a great flavor and it was not at all dry. Word of warning, though: have a meat fork or tongs ready because the meat will be falling off the bone and hard to pick up otherwise.
The potatoes were good, but not my favorites. I generally like my potatoes a little softer. But Ryan absolutely loved them, so I guess it's just a matter of preference. However, like I said, they were still good. You should definitely try them and decide for yourself. And maybe I'll come up with a way to make them a little softer.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Top 'o the Mornin to Ya!
No, it's not St. Patrick's Day yet, but I found a recipe on Vintage Victuals for overnight Irish oatmeal made in the crockpot, and since we are always running low on time in the mornings and don't have time to make breakfast then, I decided to give it a try. Hey, breakfast IS the most important meal of the day......not that I've really been following that guideline regularly. But anyway, here ya go:
Overnight Irish Oatmeal
adapted from Vintage Victuals
1 c. Irish steel-cut oats (I bought McCann's.)
4 c. water
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and sliced (I used Jazz apples, but you can use any kind you like.)
2 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit. (I swapped the raisins for dried cranberries.)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. half and half
Grease the inside of crockpot.
Add in all ingredients and stir together. Then cook on low heat for 8-9a hours or overnight.
This turned out well, but I thought my apples were a little on the small side, and when I put one in, it didn't seem like enough, so I added one more. However, combined with the cranberries, it was just a little too tart. Next time, I'll only use 1 apple. Also, as a note, the McCann's oats were fairly pricy at $3.50 for a box, but 1 cup actually makes a lot of oatmeal. Ryan and I both had a bowl this morning and we had plenty left over. And that wasn't nearly all of the box. Make this sometime soon!
Overnight Irish Oatmeal
adapted from Vintage Victuals
1 c. Irish steel-cut oats (I bought McCann's.)
4 c. water
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and sliced (I used Jazz apples, but you can use any kind you like.)
2 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit. (I swapped the raisins for dried cranberries.)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. half and half
Grease the inside of crockpot.
Add in all ingredients and stir together. Then cook on low heat for 8-9a hours or overnight.
This turned out well, but I thought my apples were a little on the small side, and when I put one in, it didn't seem like enough, so I added one more. However, combined with the cranberries, it was just a little too tart. Next time, I'll only use 1 apple. Also, as a note, the McCann's oats were fairly pricy at $3.50 for a box, but 1 cup actually makes a lot of oatmeal. Ryan and I both had a bowl this morning and we had plenty left over. And that wasn't nearly all of the box. Make this sometime soon!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Monday Night Dinner, cont.
I didn't want the post to get too long, so I split it up. Here's the rest of our delicous meal. (Note: pictures from this meal and French breakfast puffs forthcoming as soon as I find my camera's USB cord.)
Fluffy New Potatoes
9 to 10 medium to large new potatoes
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. sour cream
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 tbsp chopped chives
1 garlic clove, pressed
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Rinse and dry the potatoes, then place them on a baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes and massage to coat. And don't get too attached - you know how this will end.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Place the sour cream, cream cheese, Monterey Jack, chives, garlic, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl.
Cut each potato in half lengthwise. With a spoon or melon baller, scoop out inside of the potatoes, leaving a very thin rim of potato inside the skin. Add the potato pulp to the mixing bowl with the other ingredients. Using a potato masher or fork, gently mash the ingredients together until fluffy and smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings - be sure to salt it adequately. Spoon the mixture back into the potato shells.
At this point, you can flash freeze the potatoes if you want: Stick the pan in the freezer, uncovered, and allow them to harden on the outside for about twenty minutes or so. Then simply throw them into a couple of large ziploc bags, seal them tightly, and freeze them until you need them.
When you're ready, bake the potatoes in a 375 degree oven until thoroughly warmed through. The potatoes will soften, "melt", and fill the potato shells as they bake.
Fluffy New Potatoes
9 to 10 medium to large new potatoes
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. sour cream
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 tbsp chopped chives
1 garlic clove, pressed
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Rinse and dry the potatoes, then place them on a baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes and massage to coat. And don't get too attached - you know how this will end.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Place the sour cream, cream cheese, Monterey Jack, chives, garlic, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl.
Cut each potato in half lengthwise. With a spoon or melon baller, scoop out inside of the potatoes, leaving a very thin rim of potato inside the skin. Add the potato pulp to the mixing bowl with the other ingredients. Using a potato masher or fork, gently mash the ingredients together until fluffy and smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings - be sure to salt it adequately. Spoon the mixture back into the potato shells.
At this point, you can flash freeze the potatoes if you want: Stick the pan in the freezer, uncovered, and allow them to harden on the outside for about twenty minutes or so. Then simply throw them into a couple of large ziploc bags, seal them tightly, and freeze them until you need them.
When you're ready, bake the potatoes in a 375 degree oven until thoroughly warmed through. The potatoes will soften, "melt", and fill the potato shells as they bake.
Monday Night Dinner
Both of these recipes are from, yet again, Pioneer Woman. I just love the things she makes! And she makes it seem so easy! I really enjoy that her recipes are easy but soooo delicious and filling, but not at all pretentious. She lives on a cattle ranch in Oklahoma and she has 4 kids, so she makes a lot of "down-home" comfort food, but in new and different ways! Her website has become a daily staple for me! I decided to make her Ranch Style Chicken and Fluffy New Potatoes tonight, and they turned out amazing. Ryan gave it a 9 out of 10! When I asked him what a 10 would be, he said, "A whole smorgasbord of deliciousness like this!" I love it when he sings my culinary praises! It makes me want to cook more often....which is the entire point of this blog! So here are the recipes so you can make your own 9 meal!
Ranch Style Chicken
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Thick cut bacon
1/4 cup bacon grease
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp. Paprika
Crushed red pepper (optional - I left this out. Ryan can't handle the heat and I don't like the heat.)
Sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup canola oil
To begin, mix together Dijon, honey, lemon juice, Paprika, 1/2 tsp salt and whisk until smooth. Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne if you like things a little spicy.
Next, rinse the chicken breasts under cool water and pat them dry. Individually place the chicken breasts between two sheets of waxed paper and pound to around 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick with a mallet. Next, add all the chicken to the bowl with the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours.
While the chicken marinates, fry up some bacon. When finished cooking, reserve 1/4 cup of the bacon grease and clean out the skillet.
When the chicken is done marinating, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the chicken from the fridge and pour off excess marinade. Heat half of the reserved bacon grease with the canola oil in the clean skillet over medium-high heat. When the grease is nice and hot add two or three pieces of chicken to it. Cook until brownish/blackish, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a large baking sheet. Place chicken in preheated oven and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
Lay a few pieces of bacon over each chicken breast. Sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese over the top of the chicken as generously as you like. Return pan to oven for an additional five minutes until cheese is melted and bacon is sizzling. Serve immediately.
Ranch Style Chicken
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Thick cut bacon
1/4 cup bacon grease
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp. Paprika
Crushed red pepper (optional - I left this out. Ryan can't handle the heat and I don't like the heat.)
Sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup canola oil
To begin, mix together Dijon, honey, lemon juice, Paprika, 1/2 tsp salt and whisk until smooth. Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne if you like things a little spicy.
Next, rinse the chicken breasts under cool water and pat them dry. Individually place the chicken breasts between two sheets of waxed paper and pound to around 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick with a mallet. Next, add all the chicken to the bowl with the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours.
While the chicken marinates, fry up some bacon. When finished cooking, reserve 1/4 cup of the bacon grease and clean out the skillet.
When the chicken is done marinating, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the chicken from the fridge and pour off excess marinade. Heat half of the reserved bacon grease with the canola oil in the clean skillet over medium-high heat. When the grease is nice and hot add two or three pieces of chicken to it. Cook until brownish/blackish, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a large baking sheet. Place chicken in preheated oven and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
Lay a few pieces of bacon over each chicken breast. Sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese over the top of the chicken as generously as you like. Return pan to oven for an additional five minutes until cheese is melted and bacon is sizzling. Serve immediately.
French Breakfast Puffs
I found this recipe on Pioneer Woman, and they looked so yummy that I just had to try them. They were really easy to make and they taste incredible! They're technically breakfast puffs, but they're so sweet and sugary, I'm sure you could eat them as a dessert too, but whenever you eat them, make sure you eat them warm! And then go run a mile!
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup sugar (for dough)
2/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups sugar (for cinnamon/sugar mix)
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 sticks butter
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.
In a large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a different bowl, cream together 1 cup sugar and shortening. Then add eggs and mix again. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.
Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
In a bowl, melt 2 sticks butter. In a separate bowl, combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Eat. Enjoy. Work out for an hour to burn the delicious calories!
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup sugar (for dough)
2/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups sugar (for cinnamon/sugar mix)
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 sticks butter
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.
In a large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a different bowl, cream together 1 cup sugar and shortening. Then add eggs and mix again. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.
Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
In a bowl, melt 2 sticks butter. In a separate bowl, combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Eat. Enjoy. Work out for an hour to burn the delicious calories!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
To Die For Pot Roast
I found a recipe for a slow cooker pot roast on another cooking blog, The Petite Filet, the other day and it sounded really good, so I decided to make it last night since I had a late class, and I could just come home from work, throw it together, and then come back from class later and dinner would already be cooking. It's like having a personal chef! Crock Pot, will you be my Valentine? Anyway, it was really easy, so here's the recipe:
To Die For Pot Roast
4 lb. roast, any kind (I used a chuck roast.)
2 packets brown gravy mix
2 packets ranch dressing mix
1 packet Italian dressing mix
1/2 c. white wine (I used Turning Leaf Pinot Grigio, but you can also use a Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, etc. Any white wine will work.)
1/2 c. water
3-5 carrots, peeled and chopped. (I only used 3, but you can add as many as you want.)
*note: the original recipe called for quartered red potatoes, but I don't like the way potatoes taste when they're cooked with the roast, so I made Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes instead.
Empty all packets into a small bowl and mix together.
Rub packet mixture all over the roast, covering completely.
Add wine and water to bottom of crock pot and add in carrots.
Put roast on top and cook for 4-5 hours on high heat. (You can also cook for 8 hours on low heat if you will be gone all day.)
My roast was a slightly less than 4 lbs, so I cooked it for 4 hours on high and it turned out absolutely delicious! The meat practically melted in my mouth it was so juicy and tender. The wine also brings out a great flavor in the meat. Definitely try this one!
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
adapted from Pioneer Woman
5 lbs. regular Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and halved (I use Yukon Gold.)
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 sticks regular butter, softened
4-6 heads garlic, roasted
Roasting the garlic is the longest process, and you don't want to try to handle them straight out of the oven, so you should definitely do this first.
Get a pie plate and add 1-2 tbsp. (1-2 times around the plate) of olive oil. Tilt plate to cover completely.
Chop off the tops of the garlic heads to expose the cloves.
Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Roast in a 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.
Once you have the garlic in the oven, put a stockpot of water on high heat and bring it to a healthy simmer.
Then, add the potatoes and boil for 30 minutes or until fork-tender.
When the potatoes are ready, drain them and return them to the stockpot on the oven, reducing to low heat.
Mash potatoes for 2-3 minutes on low heat until most of the steam is released. (This prevents the potatoes from being mealy and watery. Cause that's just gross.)
Then, turn off the heat and add the butter and mash in.
Add the cream cheese and mash in.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Then, and this is the BEST part, grab the heads of roasted garlic at the bottom, turn them over above the potatoes, and squeeze from the bottom until the roasted cloves come out. Some will still be in tact and others will be mushy. This feels really gross but I promise, the result is worth the mess on your hands. Just mash the cloves into the potatoes, and then get ready to enjoy! These are seriously the best mashed potatoes EVER!
(Sorry I didn't get any pictures this time.)
To Die For Pot Roast
4 lb. roast, any kind (I used a chuck roast.)
2 packets brown gravy mix
2 packets ranch dressing mix
1 packet Italian dressing mix
1/2 c. white wine (I used Turning Leaf Pinot Grigio, but you can also use a Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, etc. Any white wine will work.)
1/2 c. water
3-5 carrots, peeled and chopped. (I only used 3, but you can add as many as you want.)
*note: the original recipe called for quartered red potatoes, but I don't like the way potatoes taste when they're cooked with the roast, so I made Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes instead.
Empty all packets into a small bowl and mix together.
Rub packet mixture all over the roast, covering completely.
Add wine and water to bottom of crock pot and add in carrots.
Put roast on top and cook for 4-5 hours on high heat. (You can also cook for 8 hours on low heat if you will be gone all day.)
My roast was a slightly less than 4 lbs, so I cooked it for 4 hours on high and it turned out absolutely delicious! The meat practically melted in my mouth it was so juicy and tender. The wine also brings out a great flavor in the meat. Definitely try this one!
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
adapted from Pioneer Woman
5 lbs. regular Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and halved (I use Yukon Gold.)
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 sticks regular butter, softened
4-6 heads garlic, roasted
Roasting the garlic is the longest process, and you don't want to try to handle them straight out of the oven, so you should definitely do this first.
Get a pie plate and add 1-2 tbsp. (1-2 times around the plate) of olive oil. Tilt plate to cover completely.
Chop off the tops of the garlic heads to expose the cloves.
Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Roast in a 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.
Once you have the garlic in the oven, put a stockpot of water on high heat and bring it to a healthy simmer.
Then, add the potatoes and boil for 30 minutes or until fork-tender.
When the potatoes are ready, drain them and return them to the stockpot on the oven, reducing to low heat.
Mash potatoes for 2-3 minutes on low heat until most of the steam is released. (This prevents the potatoes from being mealy and watery. Cause that's just gross.)
Then, turn off the heat and add the butter and mash in.
Add the cream cheese and mash in.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Then, and this is the BEST part, grab the heads of roasted garlic at the bottom, turn them over above the potatoes, and squeeze from the bottom until the roasted cloves come out. Some will still be in tact and others will be mushy. This feels really gross but I promise, the result is worth the mess on your hands. Just mash the cloves into the potatoes, and then get ready to enjoy! These are seriously the best mashed potatoes EVER!
(Sorry I didn't get any pictures this time.)
Welcome to my Cooking Blog!
Many of you already know that since I moved to College Station and out on my own, I have discovered that I have a passion for cooking. I love finding new recipes and trying them out. One of my favorite types of food is Italian, but I like lots of things. However, I am a fairly picky eater (I don't like tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers of any kind, onions for the most part, etc.) so I like to try recipes that are a little more difficult, but not overly pretentious (aka expensive and time-consuming). Obviously, there are also many recipes using ingredients I don't like, so that is always a challenge. However, despite my new-found love of cooking, there are many days when I come home and I just don't feel up to it, whether because of working late or school stress and Ryan and I end up spending too much money and not eating healthily by grabbing something quick at Sonic, Layne's, Rosa's, etc. So, Aggie that I am, in an effort to beat the hell outta fast food and further my cooking skills, I have decided to start this cooking blog and let everyone know what new recipes I've tried! You may see many crock pot meals, as this particular kitchen appliance has become one of my new best friends, and occasionally I do some baking, so I'll throw those recipes up here too. Enjoy!
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