Cinnamon-Chocolate Chip Chiffon Cake

That's a lot of C's! I wanted to try something new for my birthday... something light, with chocolate, but not too rich.  This was perfect! It was much more "bready" than I anticipated (not very sweet), and was nicely accompanied by homemade whipped cream.  I was disappointed that the mini chocolate chips all sunk to the bottom of the pan (which created a layer of them on the top of the cake), instead of being scatter throughout.  Next time I will try to solve that problem.  I might also cut back a little bit on the cinnamon.  Otherwise, a delicious birthday treat!

And for those who are wondering... my husband made me a fabulous birthday dessert last year (which I will post later), and he grilled some steak for us this year... I love baking my own cake; it's fun. =)

Ingredients:
2 c. cake flour
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. canola oil
6 large eggs, separated
2/3 c. water
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

garnish:
1 Tbs. powdered sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325.  Have a 9 1/2-10 inch tube pan ready with at least 3 3/4" inch high sides.  Do not use a nonstick pan.

Sift the cake flour, 1 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, salt, and cinnamon into a large bowl.  Use a large spoon to make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the oil, egg yolks, water, and vanilla. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the mixture until it is smooth and thick, about 3 minutes.  Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing.  Use a rubber spatula to fold in the chocolate chips and set aside.

In another large bowl, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on low speed until the whites are foamy and the cream of tartar dissolves.  Beat on medium speed until the egg whites look shiny and smooth and the movement of the beaters forms lines in the beaten whites.  If you stop the mixer, the white should cling to the beaters.  Slowly beat in the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, then beat for about 1 minute to firm, glossy peaks.  Stir about one-third of the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remaining egg whites until no white streaks remain.

Scrape the batter into the tube pan and gently smooth the top.  Bake until the top of the cake feels firm when you gently press it and any small cracks in the top look dry, about 1 hour.

Invert the pan onto a narrow-necked bottle (a full wine bottle works well) and let cool for 1 hour.

Remove the pan from the bottle and run a thin knife around the sides and center tube of the pan to loosen the cake.  Remove the cake from the pan by inverting it onto a flat serving plate, then place a wire rack on the bottom of the cake and invert the cake onto the rack, sot eh cake is right side up.  Cool the cake thoroughly on the wire rack.

Mix the powdered sugar and cinnamon together, put the mixture in a small strained and dust it evenly over the top of the cake.  Dust the powdered sugar mixture lightly with the cocoa powder.  Slip a large metal spatula under the cake and slide it onto a serving plate.  Use a serrated knife to cut the cake.

Read More

Skillet Chicken Tamale Pie

I was craving a new recipe, something I had never made before... I flipped through my Healthy Test Kitchen Cookbook, and this was the recipe I landed on (mainly because I had MOST of the ingredients, and substitutes for the things I didn't have).  I made two mistakes... I had cut the recipe in half, but kept the topping the same... the ratio was off; definitely needed to keep the filling the same! Second mistake was turning the oven on to 450 degrees when its 85 degrees outside... oops.

Try it out and tell me what you think.  I will post the recipe as is, but add in my changes (minus the ratio)

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (5-6) trimmed

Salt and Pepper
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, minced
3 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (I subbed green bell pepper)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 (15-oz.) can hominy, drained and rinse (for those of you who don't know, this is found in the mexican aisle and really doesn't have a replacement... it's corn kernels, similar to grits... I just used frozen corn)
1 (7-oz) can chopped green chiles (I omitted)
1 ear corn, kernels removed (I used frozen)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. minced fresh cilantro (I omitted)

Topping:
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. yellow cornmeal
3 T. sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 large egg
1 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions:
Filling:
1. Preheat oven to 450.  Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides, 6-8 minutes.  Transfer the chicken to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.

2. Add the onion and poblanos to the fat in the skillet and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5-7 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cok until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds.

3. Stir in the broth, hominy, chiles, and corn, and bring to a simmer.  Add the browned chicken thighs, cover and cook over medium-low heat until the chicken is tender and can be shredded easily, about 10 minutes.

4.  Remove the skillet from the heat.  Transfer the chicken to a plate, shred into bite-sized pieces when cool enough to handle, then return to the skillet.  Stir in the cheddar and cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cover to keep warm while preparing the topping.

Topping:
1. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a lark bowl.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg.  Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until uniform, then stir in the melted butter until just combined.

2. Return the filling to a simmer over medium-high heat, then smooth into an even layer.  Off the heat, dollop the cornbread topping evenly over the filling, cover the filling completely.  Bake until the topping is golden and set, 15-20 minutes.  Let the pie cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Read More

Laundry Detergent

A little different than our normal posts... this is a peak into the crazy homemaking life of Mikaela.  Yes, I make my own laundry detergent.  You would too if you saw how easy it is and how much money it saves! The resource I use for my recipe broke down the cost between making laundry detergent and buying name-brand (he estimated 2 1/4 cents per load with homemade, and 20 cents with namebrand).  That saves about $65 a year if you do a load a day!!

I recommend checking out the website for more money-saving tips... but, for the recipe, I'll post it here for you, because I REALLY want you to try it! I even made you a step-by-step picture tutorial. =) Try it. Just once, and if you hate it, you never have to make it again!

To make it you'll need:
1 bar soap
1/2 c. borax (optional)
1 c. washing/baking soda
3 gallons water + 4 cups
A 5 gallon bucket

Cut up the bar of soap... you can use any kind

Bring 4 cups water to a boil, then add the soap one handful at a time

When the soap is dissolved, take it off the heat

Put 3 gallons warm tap water into your bucket

Measure out 1 cup washing soda and 1/2 cup borax

Add the dissolved soapy water, soda, and borax and stir

Cover with a lid overnight

Voila! Laundry Soap.

It is normal for the soap to separate; just make sure you scoop out some solid and liquid if it does... also, you can add any essential oil if you want a scent. This bucket lasted me almost a year.

Read More

Chewy Chocolate-Oat Bars

These are a forgotten favorite in our house... I always double the recipe to put in a 9x13 pan.  It was gone in 2 days!

Ingredients:

1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1/3 c. fat-free sweetened condensed milk

1 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. plus 2 T. old-fashioned oats

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Heat oven to 350.  Heat the chocolate chips and milk in a medium heavy saucepan over low heat.  Cook, stirring, until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes; set aside.

Mix the flour, 1/2 cup of the oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.  Combine the brown sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl with a fork until smooth; stir into the flour mixture until blended.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the dough in a small bowl for topping.  

Pat the remaining dough into a greased 8-inch square baking dish; spread the chocolate mixture over the dough.  Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oats and the butter to the reserved dough, mix with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly.  Drop small spoonfuls of oat mixture evenly over chocolate mixture.  Bake until top is golden and firm, 20 to 25 minutes.  Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.  

2 T. butter

Read More

Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't have a picture of these cookies, but this is the cookbook they came out of:

Thanks, Chama for the 2010 birthday present :)

Just imagine an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, 75% baked, with inconspicuous banana pieces.  Take my word for it, they're amazing.

I froze half the batch, which worked out fantastic.  Next time, I will use half the batch to make a chocolate-banana trifle. Stay tuned for that recipe. :)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks butter, room temp (12 Tbsp)
1 c. white sugar
1 c. light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. oatmeal
4 c. chocolate chips
2-4  bananas, cut into 1/4" pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together and set aside.  In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the butter and sugars until smooth, about 1 minute.  Beat in egg and vanilla and mix until blended.  Add in the flour mixture with the mixer on low.  Mix in the oatmeal, then chocolate chips, then bananas.

Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Cook 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly brown and the tops look dry.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Read More

Mac's Guacamole

This really isn't MAC's guacamole, but I think of it that way since he is always the one who makes it; and he does a killer job at it, too!  He usually makes this to go in his fantastic 7 layer dip (which I'll give you the 7 layers for at the end of this post).  The guacamole recipe is off of allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

7 layer dip:

The recipe calls for it to be warmed up, but Mac likes to serve it cold, and everyone likes it that way.  Goes great with the Tostitos scoops!  Just spread each layer in a 9x13 pan and serve.

1 can Refried Beans

8 oz. sour cream

Guacamole (1 recipe)

2 c. Colby Jack cheese, shredded

2-3 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 can sliced black olives

Jalapenos (optional)

Read More

Corn and Chicken Soup with Garlic-Cheese Biscuits

I was sick for two weeks.... and while this soup did not help me get better, it was soothing. :) A new, simple twist on chicken noodle soup.

1 (16oz) bag frozen corn, thawed

8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 T. unsalted butter

1 onion, chopped (I left it out for my anti-onion friends)

1 celery rib, sliced thin

Salt and Pepper

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

3 cups egg noodles

Directions:

Combine 2 cups of corn and 2 cups broth in blender and puree until smooth.  Melt the butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Cook onion, celery, remaining corn, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in remaining broth, chicken, noodles, and pureed corn mixture.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until noodles are tender and chicken is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Believe it or not, this recipe came off the back of the flour bag! Yum!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. self-rising flour

2 tsp. sugar

1/2 c. butter

1 c. buttermilk

3/4 c. cheddar cheese

2 T. butter, melted

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Directions:

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Stir together flour and sugar.  Use a pastry blender to cut in 1/2 c. butter until mixture is crumble.  Stir in buttermilk and cheese until dough comes together.  Drop by large spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and back 10-12 minutes.  After baking, brush with mixture of butter and garlic powder.

Read More

Blog Fail.

Sorry... I've failed at consistently posting new recipes lately... if you would like my sorry excuse of an apology, you can check out the "words" page.  New recipes to follow shortly.

Read More

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

I've been holding off on posting this recipe simply because I wanted to let the photo on Pulled Pork Sandwiches get you excited for it.  Well, enough with the waiting! Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
2 lb. pork roast (I used a top sirloin roast, but any will work)
1 12-oz. bottle/can root beer (we always use Henry Weinhards)
1 16 oz. bottle BBQ sauce (or make your own - we used Sweet Baby Rays this time, but I like to make our own)

Directions:
Place roast in a slow cooker and poke holes in it with a fork.  Pour the root beer over the roast, then cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Remove roast and shred.  Drain the slow cooker, add the pork back in and mix with the bottle of bbq sauce and let cook about 30 more minutes, until warm.

Read More

Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Filling

Oh. man.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

Chocolate Cake.

Peanut Butter Filling.

That's a lotta goodness.

Thank you, Erica, for introducing us to Rachael Ray's slice of heaven 

Click here for the recipe!

 

ThreeTips:

1. Disregard the amount of butter

2. Cut the recipe in half

3. Still disregard the amount of butter



Read More

Coleslaw

This is the coleslaw that goes with the amazing Pulled Pork.  I love how crisp this stays... adds a nice crunch to the sandwich!

Ingredients:
1 head red or green cabbage (about 2 pounds), cored and sliced thin
Salt and Pepper
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. light mayonnaise
1/4 c. lowfat sour cream
3 scallions, sliced thin (I left them out)
3 T. minced fresh parsley
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. honey

Directions:
Toss the cabbage with 1 teaspoon salt in a colander and let sit until wilted, about 1 hour.  Rinse the cabbage under cold water, drain, and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.  Toss the dried cabbage and carrots together in a large bowl to combine.

Whisk the buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, scallions, parsley, vinegar, mustard, honey, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl until smooth.  Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat.  Cover and refrigerate until the flavors have blended, about 1 hour.

Read More

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Yum.

Recipe to be added later... I just wanted to tempt to you and make your mouth water at the sight of our homemade pulled pork and coleslaw. 

Enjoy the picture for now.

Read More

White Chicken Enchiladas

I forgot to give credit for this delicious recipe... thanks to co-worker, Nick, for introducing us to this fantastic enchilada recipe at a potluck!  We found that this makes a great freezer meal - I made two batches for the neighbors when they had their new baby.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

2 Tbsp. butter

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken

4 oz.  can chopped green chilies

3 tbsp. butter

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. ground coriander

3/4 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

12 6" tortillas at room temperature

Directions:

Saute onion and green pepper in 2 Tbsp butter, combine with chicken and chilies in a bowl.

For sauce, melt 3 Tbsp butter, stir in flour, coriander and salt.  Whisk in broth and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup cheese.  Stir 1/2 cup sauce into chicken mixture.

Fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup chicken mixture and place in greased pan:

6 enchiladas per square pan, topped with 1 cup sauce and 1/2 cup cheese

12 enchiladas per 9x13 topped with 2 cups sauce and 1 cup cheese.

To freeze: wrap well with foil, label, and date.  Freeze for up to 2 months.

To Bake: to eat same day, bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until bubbly.  From frozen, thaw completely and bake as mentioned, or bake covered 1 hour, then uncover and bake 25 more minutes until hot and bubbly.

Read More

Orange Julius

Just like in the mall! This can be made with a variety of yogurts or added fruit to customize it.  I used strawberry yogurt this time.  I also cut the recipe in half, making half a container of orange juice with the left over concentrate.  A full batch makes 4 12 oz. servings.

Ingredients:
1 c. frozen orange juice concentrate
8 oz. plain yogurt
2 1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Easy as that!

Read More

Grandma Johnson's Caramel Rolls

The difference between Johnson-cooking and Mikaela-cooking:  precision.

Mac's mother and grandmother have some amazing recipes, there's no doubt about that!  But EVERY recipe I ever request from them goes a little something like this:  "well, I put some of this and that together, then you add a little more and whip it up real good, then throw in some of this, and bake it til it's done"

Huh?

Even I, semi-experience-amateur baker need a little more direction than that!  I guess I shouldn't be so picky, because EVERYTHING they make is delicious and perfect... apparently its the love that holds it all together. :)

Mac's birthday was on Thursday and I wanted to surprise him by making his grandma's caramel rolls.  The problem, again, with making anything for Mac that comes from his family is he always responds "it's good, but it's different than how she makes it."  As was the verdict with these rolls... Well, I can't be Mama O and I can't be Grandma Johnson, but I will sure try and learn from them!  Maybe you can do a better job with this than I did... I'll try and add in MY specific measurements, since those tend to be lacking.

This was the original recipe:
Rolls- makes about 64 crescent rolls/large pan or 2 9/13 pans cinnamon rolls

4 cups evaporated milk or 1 2/3 powder milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 oil
3 well beaten eggs 
1 tsp salt 
10 -12 cups flour

3 Tbsp yeast plus 1 tsp sugar mixed into 1 cup warm water.  Let yeast activate
Mix with liquid ingreds. and knead in flour. Knead well into a ball and place into  
greased large bowl. Cover and let rise/double once.  Punch down and form into 
rolls and bake at 375 for 12 minutes.
For cinnamon rolls, roll out dough into a large rectangle onto a floured service,
about 1/2 inch thick.  Spread dough with butter and sprinkle well with cinnamon
and sugar.  You can use white or brn sugar.  Roll length wise into a long log.
Take a piece of thread and lift log and place thread underneath it and cross over
on top slicing thru log.  About 1 to 1 1/2 inch slices.  Place into pan.  Meanwhile
mix  1 pint of whipping cream and add brn sugar to it til thick.  Pour this mixture
over rolls and bake at 375 till brown.  Enjoy!

You can make a couple dozen of rolls and then just one 9/13 pan of cinnamon rolls
Secret make sure you do use alot of brn sugar for the carmel sauce!


Here's my version JUST for one batch cinnamon rolls:


Ingredients:

1 1/2 T. active dry yeast

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 c. warm water

2 c. evaporated milk
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 well beaten eggs (medium or 1 1/2 large)
1/2 tsp. salt
5-6 c. all-purpose flour


Filling: 
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. softened butter


Topping:
1 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. brown sugar


Directions:
Mix together water, yeast, and 1/2 tsp sugar and let rest til foamy, approximately 5 minutes.  Beat in milk, sugar, oil, salt, and eggs until combined, then mix in flour, 1 cup at a time.  Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.  (I use my kitchenaid then knead by hand for 1 minute into a ball).  Place in a lightly greased bowl and let rise until doubled.  
After it's doubled, roll it out on a floured surface into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.  Spread with softened butter, then sprinkle evenly with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Roll lengthwise into a tight log and pinch to seal seam.  Cut using thread or a serrated knife into 1 1/2 inch pieces and place in a greased 9x13 pan.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise til doubled.  Preheat oven to 350.  
For the topping, mix together cream and brown sugar until it's thick.  Pour over prepared rolls.  Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown and center is still gooey.  

Read More

Mediterranean Chopped Salad

New favorite salad! Sorry... forgot the photo!

Ingredients:
2 c. cherry tomatoes (about 12 ounces), stemmed and quartered
1 cucumber (about 8 ounces), peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
1/3 c. pitted kalamata olives, chopped (we didn't use)
1/4 c. minced red onion
1 romaine lettuce heart (about 6 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 c. crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
1. Toss the tomatoes, cucumber, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a colander and let drain for 15 to 30 minutes.

2. Whisk the oil, vinegar, and garlic together in a large bowl until well combined.  Add the drained tomatoes and cucumber, chickpeas, olives, and onion and toss to combine.  Let sit at room temperature until the flavors blend, about 5 minutes.

3.  Add the lettuce, feta, and parsley and toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Read More

Spaghetti al Limone

I was too focused on the wonderful aromas filling my kitchen that I forgot to take pictures of both this dish and the salad for tomorrow's post.... as always when we have company, I wanted to try out a new recipe.  This was another great meal from America's Test Kitchen (from my subscription to Cook's Illustrated Magazine)!  It's hard to find a cream-sauce pasta that is still light.  This one was perfect.  I used whole wheat noodles and added baked herb chicken.

Ingredients:
1 lb. spaghetti
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced
1/4 c. heavy cream
2 tsp. finely grated zest and 1/4 c. juice from 3 lemons (I used one large lemon)
1 oz. finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup) plus more for serving
Ground black pepper
2 T. shredded fresh basil leaves (I forgot this)

Directions:

1.  Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large dutch oven.  Add 1 tablespoon salt and hte pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.  Reserve 1 3/4 cups cooking water, drain pasta into colander and set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the now-empty dutch oven and heat over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the shallot and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.  Whisk 1 1/2 cups of reserved past cooking water and cream into pot; bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes.  Remove pot from heat, return pasta, and stir until coated.  Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, the lemon zest, juice, Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

3.  Cover and let pasta stand 2 minutes, tossing frequently and adjusting consistency with remaining 1/4 cup reserved pasta water if necessary.  Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve, drizzling individual portions with oil and sprinkling with cheese.

Read More

Strawberry Shortcake

Best. Shortcake. Ever. Hands down.  Strawberries were on sale, 4 lbs. for $4.98, so we just could not pass up the opportunity to indulge.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Strawberries:
2 qts. strawberries
6 T. sugar

Shortcakes:
2 c. all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
5 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
9 T. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and chilled
2/3 c. half-and-half (I used part heavy cream and part 1% milk since I didn't have half and half)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 recipe Whipped Cream (see below)

Directions:

1.  For the strawberries, crush 3 cups of them with a potato masher.  Slice the remaining 5 cups and stir into the crushed berries with the 6 tablespoons of sugar.  Let sit at room temp until the sugar has dissolved and the berries are juicy, about 30 minutes.

2.  While the berries are macerating, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Pulse together the flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, the baking powder, and salt in a food processor until combine.  Scatter the butter pieces over the top and process until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 15 pulses.  Transfer to a bowl. (You can also just whisk the dry ingredients and then cut in the butter if you don't have a food processor).

3.  Blend the half-and-half with the beaten egg and pour into the bowl with the flour mixture.  Stir with a rubber spatula until large clumps form.  Turn the mixture onto a lightly floured counter and knead lightly until the dough comes together.

4.  Use your fingertips to pat the dough into a 9 by 6 inch rectangle about 1 inch thick.  Cut out 6 dough rounds (I used a floured 2 3/4 inch biscuit cutter).  Reform the remaining dough and cut 2 more rounds.  Place the rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush the tops with the beaten egg white, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

5.  Bake until golden brown, 12-14 minutes.  Let the shortcakes cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes.

6.  For Whipping Cream, blend together 1 c. heavy whipping cream, 1 Tablespoon sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract on low speed until sugar is dissolved.  Increase mixer speed to high and whip until doubled in volume and soft peaks form (about 3 minutes).

7.  To assemble, split shortcakes in half, spoon a portion of the fruit over each bottom, and a dollop of whipped cream the replace top half of shortcake.

Read More

Chicken Parmesan

So, I did some research on this recipe because I was confused at why it was called Chicken Parmesan when there is no parmesan cheese in it... turns out, I can't read recipes very well!  I completely forgot the parmesan but it still turned out great!  A lot of times chicken parmesan only uses mozzarella cheese.  This recipe is not one of those... unless you're me and don't read the recipe correctly until you go to post it on a blog!

For those of you who are interested:

Parmigiana.  I had to do some research... the answers are slightly differential, but at least they have the same conclusion of where the "Parmesan" comes from.

Both answers agree that it is not called Chicken Parmesan because of parmesan cheese.  It either comes from the word:
1. Parmigiana, meaning "from Parma (northern Italy)", but the recipe is a classic southern Italian dish or
2. Parmiciana, which refers to the wooden slats that overlap in the middle of shutters like eggplant does in Eggplant Parmesan.

Either way, I can't get a straight answer.  What do you think?  Leave comments on this post, please!

Regardless of where the name comes from, and forgetting an important ingredient, it was satisfying!  I served it with tortellini and sauteed zucchini and yellow squash.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. breadcrumbs (panko, which is Japanese style breadcrumbs)
1 T. olive oil
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3 large eggs
1 T. water
6 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets, pounded 1/4 inch thick
2 c. tomato sauce, warmed (I used marinara sauce, but will include the tomato sauce recipe)
3/4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 T. chopped fresh basil

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.  Combine the breadcrumbs and oil in a 12" skillet and toast over medium heat, stirring often, until golden, 10-12 minutes.

2. Transfer the crumbs to a shallow dish, let cool, then stir in the Parmesan.  Combine the flour and garlic powder in a second shallow dish.  In a third shallow dish, whisk the egg whites and water together.

3. Spray a wire rack with vegetable oil spray and place over a rimmed baking sheet.  Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  With one piece of chicken at a time, dredge it in the flour, then dip in the egg whites, then coat with the toasted crumbs (I use tongs for this).  Lay the breaded chicken on the prepared wire rack.

4.  Spray the tops of the chicken lightly with vegetable oil spray.  Bake until the chicken registers 150-160 degrees, about 8-10 minutes.

5.  Top each cutlet with 2 tablespoons of the sauce and 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella.  Continue to bake until the cheese has melted and the chicken registers 160-165, 3-5 minutes.  Sprinkle with the basil and serve with the remaining sauce.

Read More

Cowboy Cookies

These are Mac's current go-to cookie.  So delicious, perfect texture, just the right amount of goods... they can be made with or without the pecans (but you can hardly tell they're in there!)  The recipe is meant to be a cookie-in-a-jar that you can give as gifts, so its a cinch to make!  Thanks, Felecia for the recipe!

Ingredients:

1 1/3 c. rolled oats

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

1/2 c. chopped pecans

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/3 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. melted butter

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions for packaging:

Layer dry ingredients in a 1 quart jar in the order given.  Press each layer firmly in place before adding the next layer.

To bake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together the dry ingredients, butter, egg, and vanilla.  You may have to use your hands to complete mixing (I just throw it all the in kitchenaid).  Bake 8-12 minutes.

Read More