Failure in the Kitchen

I learned something about myself tonight....

... I am a terrible fryer!

That's right, I attempted to fry something and I failed - miserably! Let's just say that I'm airing out the house, my eyes are faucets, and there's two batches of makeshift churros in the garbage!

Some keys to successful frying include:

1.  Using the right amount of oil

2.  Heating the oil to the correct temperature (using a thermometer)

3.  Precisely measuring each piece of dough to the same size

4. Frying until golden brown

None of which I did.  It's okay; I'm perfectly fine with not adding frying to my repertoire! 

Here's what the churros should look like, courtesy of allrecipes.com:

Mine obviously didn't even have a close resemblance to these. I'll spare your eyes and not post a picture of my disaster.

I'm all about healthy cooking, and churros do NOT fall into that category... however, if you are having a Mexican-food potluck (like me), and want to be the hero (unlike me) who brings churros, here's the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 2 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 quarts oil for frying
• 1/2 cup white sugar, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in flour until mixture forms a ball.
2. Heat oil for frying in deep-fryer or deep skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Pipe strips of dough into hot oil using a pastry bag. Fry until golden; drain on paper towels.
3. Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Roll drained churros in cinnamon and sugar mixture.



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Pizza Spaghetti

I did something brand new - I made up a recipe!  The players: a bunch of things that needed to be used in the fridge and cupboard.  The winner: delicious spaghetti!

Ingredients:

1 lg. (28 oz. can) whole peeled tomatoes

1 can (14 oz) tomato sauce

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

10 oz. sliced white mushrooms

2 (4 oz) cans sliced black olives

1 (5 oz) package pepperoni, diced

1 c. mozzarella cheese, grated

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. italian herb seasoning

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 lb. spaghetti noodles

Directions:

In a large pot, saute onion, mushrooms, and garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil  and a splash of butter until soft and mushrooms begin to release liquid, about 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and add in tomatoes, sauce, paste, and spices.  Slightly smash the whole tomatoes, then add in pepperoni and olives.  Simmer until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook pasta in according to package instructions.  Off the heat, add the pasta and cheese into the sauce and toss until evenly coated.  Serve with parmesan cheese!

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Sour Cream Waffles

Mac's Favorite!!

These are a wonderful, light waffle, best served with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

Ingredients:
1 c. sour cream
2 eggs, separated
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat together the egg yolks and sour cream.  In a separate bowl, beat egg whites (I use my kitchenaid) until stiff peaks form.  In an additional bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Add the dry ingredients to the egg yolks and sour cream, alternating with the buttermilk.  Fold in the egg whites, and cook about 1/2 c. batter on an waffle iron.

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Chocolate-Filled Peanut Butter Scones

These were Mac's favorite... of course anything with chocolate and peanut butter will be his favorite!  I thought they were good; but much more like a tall, dense, cookie than a scone.  I adapted the recipe from a vegan website, and thought it turned out pretty well!

Ingredients:

2 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

3 T. butter, chilled

3/4 c. creamy peanut butter

1/3 c. milk plus 2 Tbsp. cream (or all milk)

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. peanut butter chips

1 1/2 oz. bittersweet/semisweet chocolate.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and baking powder.  Cut the margarine into 1/2-inch cubes, and distribute them over the flour mixture.  Cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs. 

Whisk together milk, cream, egg, and vanilla then add to the flour mixture.

Add the peanut butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir or knead until combined.  Knead in the peanuts.

Pat the dough out into a 1/2-inch thickness on a cutting board.  Using a 2 1/2- to 3-inch-diameter round biscuit cutter, cut rounds out of the dough.  Re-knead the scraps and cut out again, repeating until all the dough is used up.  You should have 16 rounds.

Place 8 of the rounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Top each round with a piece of chocolate and one of the remaining circles of dough.  Press the edges gently to seal.  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

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And the winner is...

... Lemon-Berry Scone!

The healthiest of the bunch, I used whole-wheat flour, the least amount of butter and sugar, and a combination of homemade blackberry jam and fresh-lemon glaze.  Perfect in texture, taste, and overall goodness!

The recipe can be found at 101cookbooks, or on my blog.  

The other 4 were all devoured, loved, and close-seconds!  Most people in the office could not make a decision about the "best" scone because they just loved them all.  This one is my personal favorite, but I also enjoyed the oatmeal scone from Test Kitchen.  All the recipes will be posted soon!

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Scone Bake-Off

I'm having a scone bake-off!! If you have any scone recipes you'd like to contribute, please leave a comment.  A co-worker of mine always asks for free scones at coffee shops, and always gets let down.  So, I thought I would provide some free scones for her, and the rest of the office.  However, a discussion came up about the texture of scones and how they can be really good or really bad.  So, I'm on a hunt to find the best recipe!  

The trick here is that I am choosing a variety of scones, which may be difficult to really compare to each other.  Nonetheless, these are the recipes that caught my eye...

These are the candidates:

Mega Scones (with blackberry jam and lemon glaze)

Test Kitchen Cream Scones (considering crystallized ginger as the add-in)

Test Kitchen Oatmeal Cream Scones

My 1938 Watkins Cookbook English Cream Scones

Peanut Butter Scones adapted from a vegan website (to un-veganize it!)

Look for the results in the coming days!

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Thin Crust Pizza & Sauce

I did something crazy on Saturday...

Had 16 middle school girls in my house!

And to make it more fun... we did this:

 Made our own pizzas!

We all had a blast and it went really, really smoothly!  No pizza crusts stuck to the ceiling, nothing smashed on the floor (aside from one grape), no burnt pizzas or fires, and no shortage of food or fun!

Anticipating the entire volleyball team including all 4 coaches to come, I prepped enough dough (5 batches) and sauce (2 batches) to make 22 personal-size pizzas.  It was incredibly easy, quick to make (two days before the party), and wonderfully scrumptious!  I would like to try it with whole-wheat crust, similar to my previous posting of Herbed Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough, but for the palate of 11 and 12 year olds, this was perfect.

The recipe I used is of course, from Test Kitchen (technically Cook's Illustrated Magazine), and make 2, 13" pizzas.  The dough can always be frozen if you want to save one for later!

Dough:
Ingredients:
3 c. bread flour, plus more for the work surface
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. instant or rapid rise yeast (I used 1 tsp regular)
1 1/2 c. ice water
1 T. vegetable oil, plus more for work surface
1 1/2 tsp. table salt

Directions:
In food processor fitted with a metal blade, process flour, sugar and yeast until combined, about 2 seconds.  With machine running, slowly add the water through the feed tube until no dry flour remains, about 10 seconds.  Let dough stand for 10 minutes.
Add oil and salt to the food processor and process until dough forms satiny, sticky ball that clears the sides of the workbowl, 30-60 seconds.  Remove dough and knead briefly on a lightly oiled countertop until smooth, about 1 minute.  Shape dough into a tight ball and place in a large lightly oiled bowl.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, or up to 3 days.

Sauce:
Ingredients:
1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and liquid discarded
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. table salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:
Process all ingredients in the food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pizza:
*NOTE*: I baked at 425 (since parchment paper can't go in a 500 degree oven) on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper so that the transfer for each individual pizza was cleaner... it worked just fine, but did not give a crispy crust like following these directions will.

One hour before baking, adjust oven rack to second highest position and set pizza stone on rack, heat oven to 500 degrees.  Remove dough from fridge and divide in half.  Shape each half into smooth tight balls and place on lightly oiled baking sheet, covering loosely with plastic wrap coated with oil.  Let sit one hour.
Coat 1 ball of dough generously with flour and gently flatten into an 8" disk, leaving 1" of outer edge slightly thicker than center.  Using hands, gently stretch disk into a 13" round, working along edges and giving the disk a quarter turn as you stretch.  Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce over surface of dough, leaving a 1/4" border.  Add on cheese and desired toppings, making sure not to add more than 4-6 ounces.  Bake 10-12 minutes on preheated pizza stone.

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Green Chicken Enchiladas

Though the photo portrays a mass amount of greasy cheese, the recipe is really low-fat and super duper yummy!  Test Kitchen strikes again!

Green Enchilada Sauce:

Ingredients:

3 poblano chiles, stemmed and seeded (or 5 jalapenos)

1 pound tomatillos (about 12), husked, washed and dried

Vegetable oil spray

1/4 c. chicken broth

1 onion, minced

2 garlic cloves

1/2 c. packed fresh cilantro leaves

1 T. fresh lime juice

1 T. olive oil

1 tsp. sugar

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Arrange the chiles, skin-side up and tomatillos on a foil-lined baking sheet and spray with oil.  Broil vegetables 6" from broiler until blacken and begin to soften, 5-10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.

Remove veggies from the oven, let cool slightly, then remove the skin from the chiles.  Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, 30-60 seconds.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enchiladas:

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 recipe enchilada sauce (above)

1 c. finely crumbled feta cheese (4 oz)

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles

1/2 c. minced fresh cilantro

12 (6") soft corn tortillas (I used whole-wheat flour tortillas)

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.  Combine chicken and sauce in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, 10-15 minutes.  When it's simmering, cover rand cook until chicken is done, 10-15 more minutes.

Transfer chicken to a plate and shred into bite-size pieces.  Combine the chicken, 1/2 cup of the sauce, feta, chiles, and cilantro in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly coat both sides of the tortillas with oil spray.  Place 6 tortillas on a baking sheet and bake until they are soft and pliable, 2-4 minutes.  Place 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla.  Tightly roll each and lay seam side down in a 9x13" baking dish. 

Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees.  Pour 1 cup more sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the cheddar.  Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through about 10 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes longer. 

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Sweetheart of a Husband

I had a really... long... day...

but, I was greeted at home with this:

Cabernet Sauvignon, Moonstruck Chocolates, and Red Roses

And this:

Grilled Steak, Mashed Potatoes, and Skillet Asparagus!

Not to mention, it all came with folded laundry and a clean kitchen!

I love my Valentine. :)

Recipes for dinner to follow...

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Wheat Pita Bread

I thought for sure I had already posted this, but I can't find the post anywhere, so here it is again!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/8 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 c. whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions

1. Stir together water and yeast in the bowl of a kitchenaid mixer fitted with a dough hook.  Let stand for 5 minutes, or until yeast is dissolved and foamy.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients.  Turn mixer to medium speed and knead for 10 minutes.  Transfer to a greased glass bowl and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.  
3. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll and stretch dough into a 12 inch rope. With a sharp knife, divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball. With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a 6 to 7 inch circle. Set aside on a lightly floured countertop. cover with a towel. Let pitas rise about 30 minutes until slightly puffy.
4. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Place 2 or 3 pitas on a wire cake rack. Place cake rack directly on oven rack. Bake pitas 4 to 5 minutes until puffed and tops begin to brown. Remove from oven and immediately place pitas in a sealed brown paper bag or cover them with a damp kitchen towel until soft. Once pitas a softened, either cut in half or split top edge for half or whole pitas. They can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for 1 or 2 months.

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Hummus

This goes really well with our cracker or pita bread recipes... Pita Bread recipe to follow!

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
5 Tbsp. water
1/4 c. tahini (this is sesame paste... let me save you trips to 5 grocery stores and hours searching every aisle, and tell you it's in the peanut butter section!)
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 small garlic clove, mined
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend til smooth, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.  Put in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until the flavors have blended, about 1 hour.  Season with salt to taste and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

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Breakfast Strata

This was fantastically delicious.  I had too many eggs so I wanted to make an "egg dish" for dinner... Mac and I both looked forward to the leftovers every breakfast after until it was eaten up!

Cal per serving: 340
Fat: 18g
Cholesterol: 255 mg
Carbs: 23 g
Protein: 16 g
Fiber:  g
Sodium: 1050mg

I'll try not to make this too much a novel, but I think some of the key steps have really interesting points:

1. Use bread cubes and toast them: Strata is traditionally made with layers of sliced bread... dried bread cubes of bread don't overwhelm the texture of the custard and allow the strata to souffle slightly.
2. Toss the bread with the custard: Whereas traditional stratas are built in layers, Test Kitchen found it best to toss everything together to make sure the bread gets evenly soaked through.
3. Weight the strata and let it rest: It is important to press it and let it sit for at least an hour to give the bread time to absorb the custard.  Using a zippie full of dry beans or sugar is a great weight.  It can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking; the longer it rests, the more flavorful it will be.
4. Use a flavorful and lower-fat cheese: Replacing cheddar with feta helps cut a lot of fat and calories without sacrificing flavor.

*DO NOT substitute oil for the butter or lowfat/skim milk... they are both important for the richness of this dish*

Ingredients:

1/2 loaf supermarket french/italian bread cut into 1/2" cubes (4 cups)

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry and chopped coarse

1/2 c. dry white wine (I used 1/4 c. chicken broth and skipped the wine step in #2)

6 large eggs

1 3/4 c. whole milk

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese

8 oz. sliced white mushrooms plus 1/4 tsp. salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 275.  Bake bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet until thoroughly dry and crisp, 30-40 minutes.

2. Melt the butter in a 10" nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and mushrooms (if using) and cook, covered until the mushrooms have released their liquid, about 7 minutes.  Uncover and continue to cook until the pan is dry and the mushrooms are well browned, about 10 minutes longer. [if leaving out mushrooms, cook the onion for 5 minutes, uncovered].

Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in the spinach and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl.  Add the wine to the skillet and reduce to 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes; set aside to cool separately.

3.  Lightly oil an 8" square baking dish.  Whisk the eggs, reduced wine, milk, salt, and pepper together.  Stir in the spinach mixture, 1 cup of the feta, and the dried bread cubes until well combined.  Pour the mixture into the baking dish, cover with plastic wrap.  Weight the strata down with a large zippie full of sugar or dry beans.  Refrigerate for 1 to 24 hours.

4.  When ready to bake, heat the oven to 325 degrees.  Remove the weight from the strata, let stand at room temp for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with the remaining feta.  Bake until the surface is puffed and the edges pull away slightly from the dish, 50 to 55 minutes.

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NEW AND IMPROVED Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm always hesitant to try reduced-fat, less-sugar cookie recipes due to the fact that they tend to just make really tough, bland cookies.  BUT, I've found the recipe that fools everyone! The new and improved Chocolate Chip Cookies from Healthy Test Kitchen Cookbook!

It drop the calories from 290 to 120, the fat from 15g to 5g, and the cholesterol from 55mg to 20mg. And they taste AMAZING!  The process is slightly more labor intensive than a regular batch of cookie dough, but I promise... if you want to cut the calories, it's well worth it!

We subbed Heath Bar crumbles for the chocolate chips on this go around...

KEY POINTS:

• Brown the butter
• Whisk and rest the butter
• Underbake the cookies

Ingredients:
1 c. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour (next time I will probably use half whole-wheat)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.  Whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl.

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in an 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma, 3 to 5 minutes.  Transfer the browned butter to a large bowl and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter until completely melted.

Whisk the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla into the melted butter until incorporated.  Whisk in the egg until the mixture is smooth with no lumps, about 30 seconds.  Let the mixture stand for 3 minutes, then whisk vigorously for 30 seconds.  Repeat his process of resting and whisking twice more until the mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny.  Stir in the flour mixture and 6 tablespoons of the chips until combined.  (I use my KitchenAid for this entire process, and also throw in all the chips at this point).

Working with 1 heaping tablespoon of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart.  Press the remaining 2 tablespoons of chips into the tops of the cookies.

Bake the cookies until the edges are set and beginning to brown but the centers are still soft, puffy, and underdone, 8 to 11 minutes.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes.

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Bruschetta

Ingredients:

4 ripe medium tomatoes, cored and chopped medium

1/3 c. chopped fresh basil

Salt and Pepper

1 (12" by 5") loaf crusty Italian or French Bread (we used Sourdough), sliced 1" thick

1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced in half

3 T. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Mix the tomatoes and basil together and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Adjust an oven rack 4" from the broiler element and heat the broiler.  Place the bread on a baking sheet and broil, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, 2-7 minutes.

Rub the garlic clove over one side of the toasted slices and brush with the olive oil.  Drain the tomato-basil mixtures of excess liquid and spoon it over each slice of bread before serving.

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Zesty Salad Dressing

The lovely Mrs. Wade requested a homemade alternative to the "Zesty Italian Dressing" used in Marinated Veggie Salad.  This has sent me on quite the hunt... unfortunately, "Zesty Italian Dressing" is simply a creative marketing title rather than a description of a commonly used dressing recipe.  So, I decided to look up the ingredients in Kraft's dressing and compare them to my TK cookbooks dressing recipes.

This is the ingredient list in Kraft's Zesty Italian:
Water, Soybean and/or Canola Oil, Vinegar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Salt, Contains less than 2% of Garlic (Dried), Garlic, Red Bell Peppers (Dried), Onions (Dried), Xanthan Gum, Spice, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Calcium Disodium Edta and Sulfiting Agents As Preservatives, Oleoresin Paprika.


This is what we're replacing it with:


3/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs. red or white wine vinegar
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. minced red onion
1/2 tsp. dried herb (tarragon, dill, basil, or oregano)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
Salt and Pepper


Process in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Let me know what you think!

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Marinated Veggie Salad

This was a salad served at the party last weekend, courtesy of the honored-guest's mother-in-law! Enjoy!

1 - 2 english cucumbers, sliced thin
1 container of seasoned mozzarella balls, drained, cut in half
1/2 purple onion thinly sliced
1 container grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 bunch of chives, chopped (or the green ends of small onions)
1 can black or burgundy olives, halved (or 1 can sliced black olives)
1/2 bunch asparagas, thinly sliced and blanched
1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
4 - 5 small red, yellow or orange peppers, sliced thin into rings
1 can hearts of palm, drained and sliced thin
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
1 cup Kraft Zesty Italian salad dressing, or to taste.  I try not to make it too soupy.
 
Put everything in a large bowl and mix it up!  
 
The amounts of items can be increased or decreased depending on the number of people you want to serve.

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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:

Minestrone Soup

Toasted Sourdough Bread 

Main Course:

Tomato-Mozzarella Casserole

Spinach-Artichoke Pasta Bake

Summer Broccoli Salad (recipe to follow)

Mixed-Veggie Salad (recipe to follow)

Madonna Salad

Dessert:

Courtesy of the talented Katelyne Willard!

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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.

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Gelato Affocato

"Ice cream drowned in coffee". Enough said.

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

Eat.

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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.

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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.

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