Showing posts with label butter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label butter. Show all posts

12.30.2010

Temptation Thursday!

"Tomatoes and squash never fail to reach maturity. You can spray them with acid, beat them with sticks and burn them; they love it."
-S. J. Perelman


Hello! I hope you are doing well! Only 2 more days of 2010 left - WOW! I don't make resolutions, I find they are a waste of time and energy. Instead I like do little things that eventually lead to something wonderful! One small thing I am going to try and do in 2011 is eat more vegetables. Ever since I was a little girl I have only like a few vegetables and that has not changed, so I am going to expand my palate! I am starting with a recipe that is very good and even if you do like like squash, I think you will agree. Enjoy!

"You know, when you get your first asparagus, or your first acorn squash, or your first really good tomato of the season, those are the moments that define the cook`s year. I get more excited by that than anything else."
-Mario Batali



Mashed Squash

Ingredients:

* 1 butternut squash (1 1/2-2lbs), unpeeled, halved (lengthwise), seeds removed
* 5 Tbsp butter
* 2 Tbsp maple syrup
* Salt to taste
* Chives, finely chopped

Directions:

1.) Place squash, skin side up, on microwave-safe dish.
2.) Cover squash with plastic wrap.
3.) Microwave on high 6-8 min, until tender.
4.) Let squash rest covered 10-15 min, or until cool enough to handle.
5.) Remove plastic wrap carefully to avoid steam.
6.) Scoop squash from peel & transfer to food processor.
7.) Add butter, maple syrup, and salt to taste.
8.) Puree until smooth, 2-3 min; scrape down sides of processor.
9.) Scoop into serving bowl and garnish with chives.

Thought of the Day:

"Never miss an opportunity to make others happy, even if you have to leave them alone in order to do it."
-Author Unknown


Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

12.04.2010

Souper Saturday!

"Chowder breathes reassurance. It steams consolation."
-Clementine Paddleford


Hello! I am pressed for time today, but I wanted to share a great soup recipe. It makes a lot, so have some friends and family over and make it party! Enjoy!


Clam Chowder:
Servings: 15 cups

Ingredients:

* 4 oz pancetta, cubed
* 4 Tbsp butter
* 1/2 cup diced onions
* 1/2 cup diced celery
* 1 cup leeks, diced
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/4 cup flour
* 32 oz. clam juice
* 4 cups heavy cream
* 2 lbs white potatoes, peeled & diced
* 16 oz clam meat
* 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
* 1 Tbsp chopped thyme
* 1 tsp cayenne pepper sauce
* Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment Needed:

* Stockpot

Directions:

1.) place pancetta & butter to stockpot on medium.
2.) Cook 2-3 min, until pancetta is crispy.
3.) Add onion, celery, leeks & garlic; stir well.
4.) Cook about 5 min, until soft but not browned.
5.) Add flour; stirring until completely blended.
6.) Cook, stirring & scraping bottom of pan every 30 seconds, about 2 min.
7.) Whisk in clam juice and cream.
8.) Add potatoes.
9.) Increase heat to medium-high.
10.) Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 min, until it comes to a boil.
11.) Reduce heat to medium-low.
12.) Simmer 10-15 min, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork-tender.
13.) Add clam meat, herbs, & pepper sauce.
14.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
15.) Stir until soup is warmed through, about 3 min.
16.) Ladle soup into warmed bowls.

Thought of the Day:

"Don't look where you fall, but where you slipped."
-African Proverb


Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

5.03.2010

Mangia Monday!

“The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.”
-Arnold H. Glasgow


Hello! Welcome to Mangia Monday! Don't let the steps of this recipe fool you - it is easy to make. I just like to break recipes down into small steps so they are easier to follow. This is a hearty meal and sure to satisfy! Enjoy!

"The chicken came first - God would look silly sitting on an egg."
-Author Unknown



Chicken Breasts with Apple & Maple Gravy

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

* 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
* Pan searing flour (flour seasoned with salt & pepper)
* 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1 tsp parsley
* 1 tsp rosemary
* 1 tsp thyme
* 1 tsp butter
* 2 Tbsp real maple syrup
* 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
* 1 cup chicken gravy
* 2 Brussels sprouts (halved and cooked)
* 2 sweet potatoes (diced and cooked)

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.) Dust chicken with pan-searing flour; pat off excess.
3.) Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in oven-safe pan on medium0high over stove-top until oil faintly smokes.
4.) Add chicken to pan.
5.) Turn the chicken when caramelized (edges turn paper-bag brown about 1/4 way up sides), 3-4 min.
6.) Place pan with chicken in oven.
7.) Cook until internal temperature of chicken reaches 160 degrees, 6-8 min.
8.) Remove from oven and place pan with chicken on stove-top over medium heat.
9.) Add 1 tbsp. olive oil, herbs, and butter, too pan and carefully mix.
10.) Spoon over chicken to baste.
11.) Remove from pan when internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, 4-5 min.
12.) Place chicken on platter, cover to keep warm.
13.) Discard liquids from pan.
14.) Add maple syrup to pan and simmer to brown and slightly reduce, about 2 min.
15.) Add vinegar, stirring to deglaze; simmer to slightly reduce, about 2 min.
16.) Add roasted chicken gravy.
17.) Simmer, stirring constantly, 2-3 min.
18.) Serve sliced chicken over Brussels sprouts, yams and gravy on individual plates.

“We can see a thousand miracles around us every day. What is more supernatural than an egg yolk turning into a chicken?”
-S. Parkes Cadman


Silly Joke of the Day:

Why did the chicken cross the road halfway?
.......She wanted to lay it on the line.


Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

2.11.2010

Temptation Thursday!

Hello! I hope everyone is having a good week! Today, I would like to tempt you with some marvelous coffee/tea cakes! I have personally tried them all and can vouch for their YUMMINESS! Enjoy!


"I really don't think I need buns of steel. I'd be happy with buns of cinnamon."
-Ellen DeGeneres


Sweet Butter Tea Cake


Their classic coffeecake, without the nuts and cinnamon. You can never go wrong with Zingermans - all of their products are phenomenal!


"Can you imagine a world without men? No crime and lots of happy fat women."

-Attributed to Marion Smith and Nicole Hollander


Lemon Buttermilk Teacake


Fresh Meyer lemons and buttermilk make this pound cake superb. I LOVE this cake - I always have one in the freezer for unexpected guests!


"Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not!"
-Author Unknown


Miss Ellie's Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake


This coffee cake is very moist and tasty. I am slightly allergic to walnuts, but I still cannot resist eating a slice!


"Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart."
-Erma Bombeck


Have a great day and until tomorrow: Go Ahead & Indulge!

1.12.2010

Tasty Tuesday!

Hello Tuesday! Wishing everyone a wonderful day!

If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.
-George Bernard Shaw


Apple Crisp



Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

* 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
* 1-1/2 sticks chilled, butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
* 1/2 cup chopped pecans
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
* 1 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
* 6 apples (honey crisp) peeled, cored, sliced thin
* Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Directions:

1.) Blend 1 1/2 cups flour and brown sugar together in medium bowl.
2.) Add butter and blend in with fingers until moist clumps form.
3.) Mix in pecans and cover topping.
4.) Refrigerate until ready to use.
5.) Blend sugar, 3 Tbsp flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in large bowl.
6.) Mix in apples to form filling mixture.
7.) Spray 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
8.) Place filling mixture into baking dish and cover with the topping.
9.) Bake until apples are tender and top is golden, about 1 hour.
10.) Let rest 8-10 min and serve warm.


It is, in my view, the duty of an apple to be crisp and crunchable, but a pear should have such a texture as leads to silent consumption.
-Edward Bunyard



Honey Crisp Apples:



Honey crisp apples are very crisp and juicy. The flesh of this is cream colored and coarse. Honey crisp apples have scents that are mild to strongly aromatic, depending on how long they have aged on the tree. This apple has consistently ranked as one of the highest quality apples in sensory evaluations. Honey crisp apples can be stored up to four months in the refrigerator.

1.11.2010

Mangia Monday!

Hello! I hope you had an enjoyable weekend, and wish you well for the upcoming week! I am sharing a few recipes today that will make a great family meal - Enjoy!

Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains; another, a moonlit beach; a third, a family dinner of pot roast and sweet potatoes during a myrtle-mad August in a Midwestern town. Smells detonate softly in our memory like poignant land mines hidden under the weedy mass of years. Hit a tripwire of smell and memories explode all at once. A complex vision leaps out of the undergrowth.
-Diane Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses


Home-Style Pot Roast



Serves: 6

Ingredients:

* 3 yellow onions
* 1 beef chuck roast, (about 2 1/2 lb.)
* 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more, to taste
* 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 3 Tbs. canola oil
* 4 garlic cloves, chopped
* 1 tsp. sweet paprika
* 1 1/2 cups beef broth
* 1 1/2 cups canned plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
* 2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish

Equipment Needed: Dutch Oven

Directions:

1.) Slice the onions into 4 pieces, then Set aside.
2.) Season the chuck roast with the salt and pepper.
3.) Spread the flour on a plate. Coat the roast with the flour, shaking off the excess.
4.) In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the oil.
5.) Add the roast and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on both sides.
6.) Transfer to a plate.
7.) Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil to the pot and heat over medium-high heat.
8.) Add the onions, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft. minutes.
9.) Stir in the garlic and paprika and cook until the garlic is fragrant.
10.) Stir in the stock, tomatoes and the 2 Tbs. of parsley.
11.) Return the beef to the pot, nestling it in the onions.
12.) Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low.
13.) Cover and simmer until the beef is fork-tender, about 2 hours.
14.) Transfer the pot roast to a deep serving platter.
15.) Season the onion mixture with salt and pepper.
16.) Skim off any fat from the surface.
17.) Spoon the onion mixture around the roast and garnish with parsley.
18.) Serve immediately.



Garlic Mashed Potatoes



Serves: 10

Ingredients:

* 4 lb. small Yukon Gold potatoes, skins on/left whole
* Salt
* 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 1 3/4 cups half-and-half, warmed
* 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
* 4 Tbs. garlic (crushed into a paste)
* Freshly ground pepper, to taste
* Chives, finely chopped

Equipment needed: Potato Ricer

Directions:

1.) Place potatoes in a large pot and add water to cover the potatoes by 2 inches.
2.) Generously salt the water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3.) Reduce heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are tender.
4.) Drain well in a colander.
5.) Set a potato ricer over a large bowl and pass the potatoes through in batches.
6.) Add butter, 1 1/4 cups of the half&half and the sour cream and stir until smooth.
7.) Add more half-and-half until the desired consistency is reached.
8.) Stir in the garlic paste, and pepper to taste.
9.) Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and garnish with chives.
10.) Serve immediately.

(Potatoes boiled whole in their skins absorb less water and produce lighter, fluffier mashed potatoes)


Have a great day!

Until Tomorrow: Go Ahead & Indulge!

1.04.2010

Mangia Monday!

"What is food to one man may be fierce poison to others."
-Lucretius




Melt-Away Cookies

Servings: 13 dozen

Ingredients:

* 1 batch vanilla kipferl Dough (recipe below)
* Vanilla Powdered Sugar (recipe below)
* All-Purpose Flour

Gadgets needed: Large baking sheet, parchment paper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Divide dough into thirds. Transfer one third to lightly floured work surface, replace remainder in fridge until you're ready to work with it. Cut working dough into approx 1-inch squares; gather up a handful and knead this briefly on work surface to soften.

2. Using lightly floured hands (dip in flour, then clap off excess), roll dough into a 12 inch rope (about 3/8-inch in diameter). Cut into 3/4-inch lengths; roll segments into small round balls.

3. Arrange about 1/2-inch apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

4. Bake on center rack of oven 8-9 min until edges begin to brown slightly (do not over-bake). Let cool on baking sheet 1-2 min, then, while still warm, carefully toss cookies in vanilla-flavored powdered sugar to coat entire surface (I put the powdered sugar in a paper bag, add the cookies and lightly shake).

5. Transfer to separate (cool, not warm) baking sheet to cool completely. Store in a covered container at room temperature.


Tip:

* This very soft dough should be kept cool while working with it for as long as possible for ease of handling and successful results. Use only enough flour as needed to be able to roll and handle the dough without it sticking to the work surface.



Vanilla Kipferl Dough

* 4 sticks (1 lb) unsalted butter
* 1 cup plus 1 Tbsp Powdered Sugar (un-sifted)
* pinch of salt
* 1 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1 large egg yolk
* 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
* 3 cups plus 2 Tbsp (16 oz) all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup finely ground nuts (slivered almonds or chopped hazelnuts)

Gadget Needed: Electric Mixer

1. Cream butter, powdered sugar, salt and cinnamon on MEDIUM until combined, scraping bowl and paddle as needed.

2. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.

3. Stop mixer; add flour and nuts. Mix on LOW just until flour and nuts are combined.

4. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; form into rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Dough will be soft. Wrap with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.


Tip:

* Dough can be frozen for up to 2 months. Be sure to wrap well and date. Thaw frozen dough overnight in refrigerator.



Vanilla-Flavored Sugar

Serving: 2-3 cups

* 1 Whole vanilla bean pod, split in half lengthwise
* 2-3 cups powdered or granulated sugar

1. Split vanilla pod in half lengthwise. Scrape seeds out with the tip of a paring knife; reserve seeds for other uses (see tip).

2. Bury empty pod in container of sugar (either powdered or granulated). Store covered at room temp 1 week before first use of sugar.


Tips:

* Vanilla seeds can be used to flavor sauces, icings, etc.

* Tip: Replenish sugar as needed to keep vanilla sugar on hand. It is delicious in coffee or tea, use to top muffins, french toast, etc. Refresh pod as needed. Dried-up pods can be ground with spice grinder and added back to sugar container.


"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."

-Virginia Woolf

Until tomorrow: Go Ahead and Indulge!