Monday, January 31, 2011

Dinner Party!


I had the amazing privilege to plan and "cater" a party in honor of my friend Melissa's 30th birthday.  Unfortunately, in the midst of all the planning, cooking, and partying, I failed to take photos of the meal, and many of the guests!  

Planning a party may seem like a lot of work, stress, and money, but if done right, it can be smooth sailing.  It takes some organization and creativity.  We had a blast!

~The Menu~

The Prep:

Appetizers:
Bruschetta (recipe to follow in a later post)

Veggie platter with Green Goddess Dip (recipe also to follow in a later post)



First Course:
Toasted Sourdough Bread 

Main Course:
Summer Broccoli Salad (recipe to follow)
Mixed-Veggie Salad (recipe to follow)

Dessert:
Courtesy of the talented Katelyne Willard!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Skillet Chicken Potpie

Oh how I love my new favorite cookbook!

Ingredients:

Biscuits:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. buttermlik
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3-4)
Salt and pepper
1 Tbs. canola oil
1 lb. carrots (about 6), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse
1 onion, minced
1 celery rib, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme
4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 c. dry sherry  (I didn't have any, I just used extra broth)
2 bay leaves
4 oz. baby spinach (about 4 cups)
3/4 c. frozen peas
3 Tbsp. half-and-half
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley

Directions:

For the biscuits:
1. Preheat oven to 425.  Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.  In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and melted butter together.  Gently stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until just combined and no pockets of flour remain.
2. Divide the doug evenly into 6 pieces, shape into balls and space them evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake about 10 minutes, until the biscuits have risen and set but are still pale.

For the filling:
3. Toast the flour in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, until fragrant and light golden, about 5-7 minutes.  Transfer the flour to a large bowl to cool.  Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel.
4. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.  heat the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken and cook until browned on one side, 3-4 minutes.  Transfer the chicken to a plate.
5. Add the carrots, bell peppers, onion, and celery to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until they are soft, 7-9 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds.
6. Whisk the broth and bay leaves into the bowl of toasted flour until evenly combined, and then whisk the mixture into the skillet.  Add the chicken, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until the chicken registers 160-165 on an instant read thermometer, about 12 minutes.
7. Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred it.  Meanwhile, continue to simmer the sauce over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is thickened, about 5-8 minutes.
8. Discard the bay leaves. Stir in the spinach, a handful at a time, until wilted, about 1 minute.  Off the heat, add in the chicken, peas, half-and-half, and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper.
9. Arrange the biscuits on top of the filling in the skillet, about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the biscuits are golden and the filling is bubbling, about 10 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Gelato Affocato

"Ice cream drowned in coffee". Enough said.

1. Brew some strong coffee or pull espresso shots. Pour over vanilla ice cream.



Eat.


Thursday, January 13, 2011

Monster Cookies

A co-worker said he gets excited when viewing my blog thinking that every recipe on here contains M&M's, and I realized that there are NO recipes with them! Time to change that...

These are amazing cookies from Mac's grandmother.  This makes a HUGE batch, so I recommend cutting it in half, unless you are feeding a small army (as I often do).

Ingredients:
6 eggs
2 c. brown sugar
2 c. white sugar
2 1/2 c. peanut butter (I use Adam's, as there is less sugar and fat)
4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. butter
1 lb. m&m's
1 lb. butterscotch chips
9 c. oatmeal
1/2 to 1 c. whole-wheat flour

Directions:

Mix together in order given, beating after each addition.  Drop by tablespoons on a well-greased (or parchment-paper lined) cookie sheet and flatten slightly with a fork or hand.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Whole Wheat Biscuits

This is my go-to bread when I forget to plan ahead for soups or pastas.

Ingredients:
2 c. whole-wheat flour
3 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
3 T. white sugar
3/4 c. buttermlik
1/2 c. butter
1 egg
1/4 t. cream of tartar.

Directions:

Sift together dry ingredients.  Cut in the butter.  Beat the egg into the milk and then add to dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.  At this point you can either drop on a cookie sheet, or knead until smooth, pat into a rectangle and cut with a biscuit-cutter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.