Spinach and Cheese Strata & Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms

I tried two new recipes on Christmas day, both came from Smitten Kitchen, and both were a huge hit! The strata is meant to be made the night before, which is key, because it really cuts down on time in the kitchen when you are entertaining. The mushrooms were a simple, light, and tasty side dish addition to our Christmas dinner-- though I could probably do with all the capers, it was a nice change of pace.

Spinach and Cheese Strata

Adapted from Gourmet (sniffle), February 2003

Serves 6 to 8

1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed, squeeze of all excess liquid, and chopped
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 cups cubed French or Italian bread in 1-inch cubes (1/2 lb)
6 ounces coarsely grated Gruyère (2 cups)
2 ounces finely grated parmesan (1 cup)
2 3/4 cups milk
9 large eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Sauté onion in butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and nutmeg and continue cooking for one minute. Stir in spinach, remove from heat and set aside.

Spread one third of the bread cubes in a well-buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other ceramic baking dish. Top with one-third of bread cubes,one-third of spinach mixture and one-third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice with remaining bread, spinach and cheese.

Whisk eggs, milk, mustard and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata. Cover with plastic wrap and chill strata for eat least 8 hours or up to a day.

The next day, let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 350°F. Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms
Perfect as can be from Gourmet.com

1 pound mushrooms such as cremini or white, halved lengthwise if large
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle. Toss mushrooms with capers, garlic, oil, 1/8 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper in a 1 1/2- to 2-qt shallow baking dish. Top with butter and roast, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and golden and bubbly garlic sauce forms below, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Serve immediately, with crusty bread on the side for swiping up the juices.

Christmas Menu

The holiday craziness has me totally slacking on blogging... I'm not even going to post a recipe, just some links to things I'm going to be making for Christmas day... Maybe you'll get some inspiration or last minute ideas.

We are spending Christmas morning at our house for the first time since Caleb and I got married.

For Christmas morning, we're having coffee, oj, and these cinnamon rolls.

Christmas brunch will be this breakfast casserole, bacon, and fresh fruit.

I'll also have plenty of this homemade vanilla- caramel half and half. In my opinion, half and half is a little slice of heaven on earth, and this recipe is brilliant! PS: If anyone can find me a glass pint bottle like the one in the picture on this link, I would be eternally grateful!

We're heading to Christmas dinner at my Grandmother's, and I'll be taking these buttermilk biscuits and this mushroom casserole.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and happy eating! :)

Stuffed Shells

I've gotten out of my cooking and posting groove as of late-- partially because I'm not cooking as much, and partially because, when I do cook, I don't have time to post. I blame it on pre- holiday craziness. But here is a winner-- it was easy, tasted good, my kid (the one who actually eats real food) loved it, and it tasted better reheated! It didn't make as many shells as the recipe said it would (maybe I just over- stuffed my shells), and knowing that it reheats well, I might double the recipe next time and just freeze half.

This recipe is from Martha Stewart Living (I can't remember exactly which one).

1 box (12 oz) jumbo pasta shells

1 Tbsp extra- virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

4 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 red onion, chopped

1 head radicchio, cored and shredded (4 cups)

1 tsp red wine vinegar

12 oz. fresh ricotta cheese (1 1/4 C)

8 oz fresh mozzarella, chilled and cut into small cubes (1 C.)

salt and pepper

5 C. tomato sauce (I used my favorite pasta sauce)

unsalted butter, for dotting

finely grated parmesan for garnish

1. Bring large pot of water to boil. Cook shells for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse. Transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with oil. Let cool.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large high- sided skillet over medium heat. Cook prosciutto, garlic, and onion, stirring, until prosciutto starts to carmelize, 6 to 8 minutes. Add radicchio; cook until tender but not mushy, about 4 minutes. Stir in vinegar; cook until evaporated. Let cool slightly. Stir in ricotta and mozzarella; season with salt and pepper.

3. Pour 2 cups sauce into bottom of each of two 8x12 in. baking dishes. Stuff 32 shells with 1 heaping Tbsp of filling each. Pack 16 shells into each dish. Cover with foil. Freeze if desired.

4 Preheat oven to 375º. Dot shells with butter. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and raise oven temperature to 450º. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 15 minutes more. Heat remaining sauce; serve with shells. Garnish with parmesan.

**Notes**

1. I just used a 13x9 baking dish.

2. I think it would be super good with regular bacon, too.

3. I don't think I let the radicchio get tender enough, so watch that.

4. I think you could probably just put all the sauce in the dish, but it probably gets more golden without so much sauce in there, which is nice.

Baked French Toast

Used challah for this when I made it (couldn't find brioche), and it was delicious.

Source: Martha Stewart Living (a recent issue, not sure exactly which one).

6 large eggs

2 C. milk

1/3 C. heavy cream

1/3 C. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg (we used ground)

1/2 tsp. salt

10 slices day- old brioche

1 C. pecans, coarsely chopped or crushed

3 Tbsp. sugar

1. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Whisk in milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt.

2. One at a time, dip the brioche slices into the batter to coat. Overlap slices in a 9 x 13 in. ceramic or glass baking dish. Pour remaining batter over top. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 375º. Top with pecans and sprinkle with sugar. Bake, covered with parchment- lined foil, for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake until top is golden brown and crunchy, 20- 25 minutes more. Serve with syrup.

** we also decided it would be really good with berry compote or syrup.

Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins

These muffins are FAN- TAS- TIC! Easy, yummy... if you're looking for something surprising to bring to your Thanksgiving dinner... this could be it (unless you're expected to bring the turkey-- people might be disappointed :). I will definitely not be reserving these for fall. They deserve to be eaten all the time.

This is yet another recipe from the Nov. 2010 issue of Everyday Food. Yep, this issue was a winner!

For the batter:

10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature

3 C. all- purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. coarse salt

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/3 C. buttermilk

1 1/4 C. pure pumpkin puree

3/4 C. light- brown sugar

2 large eggs

For the sugar coating:

3/4 C. granulated sugar

2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 C. unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Butter and flour 12 standard muffins cups **(I just sprayed with cooking spray and no flour-- too much time and mess). To make batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt , nutmeg, and allspice. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of pumpkin mixture and beat to combine.

2. Spoon 1/3 C. batter into each muffin cup and bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. Let muffins cool 10 in pan on wire rack. Working with one at a time, remove muffins from pan, brush all over with butter, then toss to coat in sugar mixture. Let muffins cool completely on a wire rack. (Store in an airtight container, up to 1 day.)

These can be frozen, up to 3 months. Reheat in a 350º oven, then coat in butter and sugar.

Pumpkin- Chocolate Tiramisu

I have made this recipe twice now, and both times it has been a hit! It is just the right mix of pumpkin and chocolate. Bonus: it is SUPER SIMPLE and quick to make.

source: Everyday Food, Nov. 2010

You can serve this the same day it's made, but it's best when refrigerated overnight.

1 C. mascarpone cheese

1 1/4 C. cold heavy cream, divided

3/4 C. confectioners' sugar

5 Tbsp. almond flavored liqueur (any of the amarettos, recipe suggests Disaronno), divided

1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin puree

2 oz. semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped, or chips (I used milk chocolate chips)

1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, plus 1 1/2 tsp. for dusting

27- 30 ladyfingers (I bought these at the bakery in my grocery store)

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, for dusting

1. In a large bowl, whisk the mascarpone until smooth. Add 1 C. heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, and 2 Tbsp. liqueur; whisk until soft peaks form, 5 minutes. With a rubber spatula, fold in pumpkin puree until completely incorporated.

2. In a small microwave- safe bowl. combine chocolate and 1/4 C. heavy cream. Microwave in 10- second increments, stirring each time, until chocolate is melted. Stir until mixture is smooth. Transfer one- third of the pumpkin mixture to a medium bowl and fold in chocolate mixture until combined. In a small bowl, whisk 1 Tbsp cocoa into 1/3 C. hot water; add 3 Tbsp. liqueur.

3. Cover bottom of an 8- in. square baking dish with ladyfingers (about 9). Liberally brush with cocoa mixture and top with half the pumpkin mixture. Add another layer of ladyfingers, brush with cocoa mixture, and top with all the pumpkin- chocolate mixture. Add a third layer of ladyfingers, brush with cocoa mixture, and top with remaining pumpkin mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours (or up to 3 days). To serve, combine 1 1/2 tsp. cocoa powder and cinnamon in a small fine- mesh sieve and dust tiramisu.

Jerk Chicken Chili

Made this chili for dinner this evening using a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store that I cleaned and shredded this afternoon. This was a super simple, quick recipe to prepare. I only got 4 cups of shredded chicken off the bird I had (instead of the 6 cups required by the recipe), so I only made a half batch. This was plenty of chili with enough for Caleb and I to have another meal. A full batch would be enough for 2 meals or entertaining. Also, since I had more than half the amount of chicken, it made the chili thicker, which I liked. I did use the cornmeal/ water slurry at the end to thicken it up, but depending on how thick you like your chili, you might not need it. I got this recipe over at Smells Like Home, and she adapted it from Pam Anderson's One Dish Dinners. I have to admit, I didn't like the smell of this chili while it was cooking, but it sure did taste good when I tried it.

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

3 tbsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1 large rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded (about 6 cups)

4 cups chicken broth

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (15 oz) black beans, undrained or partially drained

1 can (15 oz) small white beans, undrained or partially drained

2 tbsp chopped pickled jalapenos

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 oz semisweet chocolate

2 tbsp cornmeal or 3 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water (optional for thickening)

1.Heat oil in a large pot over medium- high heat.

2. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Add chili powder, thyme, cinnamon, and allspice. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Add chicken and stir to coat with spices. Add broth, tomatoes, beans, and jalapenos, bring to a boil, cover partially, reduce heat, and simmer to blend flavors, about 20 minutes.

5. Stir in garlic, cilantro, chocolate, and either cornmeal or cornstarch/water slurry if desired. If you add the cornstarch slurry, bring the heat up to medium-high and allow the chili to thicken. Turn off the heat and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Taco Salad Dippers

This recipe is FANTASTIC, and easy, and it makes A LOT of food-- so it's great if you have to feed a crowd. Or you can freeze the leftovers. I got this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe by way of my great friend, Chrissie!

*Serves 6-8

2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cups water
1 cup rice (white or brown)
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

In a large pot, brown the ground beef or turkey with the onion and garlic and cook until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are translucent. Drain any accumulated grease. Add the water, rice, seasonings, tomato sauce, tomato paste and beans. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmeruncovered for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, watching to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot (if you are using brown rice, it may need to simmer for up to 60-70 minutes). The mixture will seem very watery at first, but after simmering, it will thicken to perfection as the rice absorbs water and all the ingredients meld together.

Serve warm with tortilla chips for dipping and other taco garnishes.

Green Chili- Chicken Casserole

Today's recipe is not what we had for dinner (we had spaghetti at Great Grandma's), but this is a super- duper- uper- shmuper favorite of our family. Well, at least of Caleb and I. Phin doesn't like it, but, then, he doesn't like anything. I used to make this ALL THE TIME when we lived in CA and before kids. And it's still a go- to, especially when I want to make something I know Caleb likes.

This recipe is from Cooking Light. It's ages old.

1 1/3 C. chicken broth

1 C. chopped green chiles, drained

1 C. chopped onion (I usually just chop a medium onion and don't worry about measuring it)

1 C. sour cream (being a cooking light recipe, it calls for fat free, but I have no use for most anything fat free in cooking/ baking)

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 (10 1/2 oz) cans condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 garlic clove, minced

24 (6- in.) corn tortillas

4 C. shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 lb)

2 C. (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350º.

Combine the first 9 ingredients (through the garlic) in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Spread 1 C. of the soup mixture in a 13 x 9 in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 6 tortillas over the soup mixture and top with 1 C. chicken and 1/2 C. cheese. Repeat layers, ending with cheese. Spread remaining soup mixture over the top. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

***Notes: I often use a store bought rotisserie chicken that I clean and shred. If also like more chicken than not in the casserole. Sometimes, if I'm short on chicken or just for fun, I add some drained and rinsed black beans with the chicken when I'm layering. Also, I never measure as I'm layering. I just eyeball it until I run out of stuff.

Crock pot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

I'm not making this tonight because we have dinner with our community group (yay!), but it's one of my recent favorites, and SUPER EASY! I had NEVER made a lasagna until this, and I will probably never make one anywhere but in a crockpot now.

This recipe is from the blog A Year of Slow Cooking, and there are a bunch of other great looking crockpot recipes over there.

--uncooked traditional lasagna noodles
--4 already cooked chicken breast halves
--jar of prepared pasta sauce
--1 cup buffalo wing sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot)
--3 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
--tub of ricotta cheese (15 oz)
--2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella and cheddar blend)
--1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles
--1/4 cup of water (add at very end)

The Directions.

use at least a 5qt crock pot, or cut back on the amount of ingredients. ( I don't have one this big, so I decrease everything just a tad.)

In a large glass bowl, combine cooked and chopped chicken breast, the pasta sauce, and 1 cup of buffalo wing sauce.

Ladle a big spoonful of the sauce into the bottom of your crock pot. Cover with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. You'll have to break them to get a proper fit.

Add a smear of ricotta cheese to the top of the noodles. Add a layer of chopped bell pepper. Sprinkle on a handful of shredded cheese.

Repeat layers until you run out of ingredients.

Add the bleu cheese crumbles, if desired. Put the 1/4 cup of water into your empty pasta sauce jar and shake. Pour the liquid over the top of the entire lasagna.

Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5. When cooking time is complete, unplug and take off the lid of the crock. Let it sit for 20 minutes before cutting into it, or it will fall apart.

Enjoy this one! It's not too spicy, though my kids didn't want to try it (but then, they don't generally like pasta type dishes).

THE Baked Brownie

I found this recipe at Smells Like Home. I made a few mistakes when making this, not the least of which was not having as much dark chocolate as the recipe called for. Despite this, these brownies are really good, and I will definitely make them again. I think they are a bit cakier/drier than they would be if I had all the chocolate I was supposed to. I used Ghirardelli cocoa powder and I added some peanut butter and chocolate chips.

source: Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

Baked Note: A great brownie is easy to make, but you have to be aware of several factors. (1) Use a dark unsweetened cocoa powder like Valrhona. A pale, light-colored cocoa does not have enough depth. (2) Make sure your eggs are room temperature, and do not overbeat them into the batter. (3) Check your brownies often as they bake. An even slightly overbaked brownie is not a Baked Brownie.

1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons dark cocoa powder
11 ounces quality dark chocolate (60-72%), chopped coarsely
8 ounces butter (2 sticks), cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tsp instant espresso powder
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light colored metal pan 9×13x2 pan.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the salt, and cocoa powder.

3. Put the chocolate, the butter, and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water of the double boiler and add the sugars. Whisk the sugars until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature.

4. Add three eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not over beat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

5. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula, fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cook completely, then cut them into squares and serve.

Yields 24 brownies.

Spinach, Bacon, and Onion Dip

Really good, simple, and would be good to take to parties, etc. The only thing I would do is add more bacon, for two reasons: 1. it cooks down a lot, and 2. I LOVE bacon!!!!!

4 slices bacon, thinly sliced crosswise

1 medium yellow onion, diced medium

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 tsp. all-purpose flour

2 packages (10 oz each) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 C. whole milk

1/2 C. sour cream

1 bar (8 oz) cream cheese

1/2 C. grated Parmesan

crostini or pita chips, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, cook bacon over medium, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 10 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels. Discard all but I Tbsp of fat from pan. Add onion to pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 minutes. Add flour and cook 30 seconds. Add spinach, milk, sour cream and cream cheese. Cook, stirring, until cream cheese melts, 2 minutes. Stir in bacon and 1/4 C. parmesan.

2. Transfer mixture to a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and top with 1/4 C. parmesan. Bake until bubbling, 14 minutes. Heat broiler and broil until top browns, 3 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes. Serve warm with crostini or pita chips.

*** You could probably use lower fat versions of all the dairy products to make this a bit lighter.

Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls with cream cheese glaze

I must confess we haven't eaten these yet, or even baked them actually. They are currently ready, but not iced, and sitting in our fridge waiting to be baked fresh in the morning. So I can't vouch for them except to say that I have a really good feeling about these. One adjustment -- I used 1 1/4 C. whole wheat flour. Also, I didn't have any instant yeast, so I just used active dry yeast. I know it's not the same, but the dough rose fine so far. I guess we'll see in the morning. I got this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, and she says you can use active dry yeast if you whisk it into the buttermilk/ butter mixture and let it rest for 5-7 minutes until it's foamy. I didn't do this, but I was just feeling lazy (plus, I'm kind of curious to see how it affects the outcome). In future, I'll just plan to keep some instant yeast in my pantry, as well as active dry yeast. This seems labor intensive, but it was really super simple. Just requires planning ahead so they have time to rise and be ready when you want to eat them.

****update: These are REALLY good. Using the wrong kind of yeast didn't seem to adversely affect them, but next time I'll probably use the instant, because I'm just not a rule-breaker. :) Also, I think I'd use regular milk or halft milk and half buttermilk in the glaze. It was a little too tangy for me. Enjoy!

Makes 12 rolls

Rolls:
¾ cup buttermilk, warm (I pour the buttermilk in a glass liquid measuring cup and microwave for 1 minute on 50% power)
6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs
4 ¼ cups (21 ¼ ounces) flour
¼ cup (1 ¾ ounces) sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
1 ¼ teaspoons salt

Filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Glaze (or use the delicious cream cheese frosting from this recipe):
1 ½ cups (6 ounces) confectioners sugar
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons buttermilk or milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the dough, whisk the warmed buttermilk and butter together in a large liquid measuring cup. Combine 4 cups of flour, sugar, yeast and salt together in a standing mixer fitted with dough hook (or you can use a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or electric handheld mixer). With the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and eggs and mix until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes. Increase the mixer to medium speed and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes (knead for 15-18 minutes by hand). If after 5 minutes of kneading, the dough is still overly sticky, add 1/4 cup flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough clears the sides of the bowl but has a slight tacky feel when pressed between your fingertips. (See this tutorial for a visual.)

Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover the top tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, around 2 to 2 ½ hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

*Note: to make these rolls ahead of time, once the rolls are formed and placed on the baking sheet, immediately cover them with lightly greased plastic wrap and refrigerate them; do not let them rise. Refrigerate overnight, up to 16 hours. Let the rolls sit at room temperature, covered, until they have doubled in size about 3-4 hours and then uncover and bake as directed. The rolls can also be frozen at the same point as mentioned above (cover with a layer of greased plastic wrap and a top layer of tin foil). They will need to sit at room temperature for 9-11 hours to defrost and rise before baking.

Meanwhile, lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish (if doubling the recipe, I’ve found using a large rimmed baking sheet, 11X17-inches, works great). In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter (I use my trusty roul’pat for this step) and press it into a 16 by 12-inch rectangle (if you have doubled the recipe, split the dough in half and roll out one half at a time). Gently brush the softened butter over the rectangle, using an offset spatula or rubber spatula. Sprinkle on the brown sugar mixture, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the top and bottom edges. Lightly use the palms of your hands to press the brown sugar mixture into the butter, adhering it to the dough.

Lift the longest edge closest to you and begin rolling the dough into a tight log. Pinch the seam closed and roll the log so it is seam side down. Gently stretch the log to be 18 inches in length with an even diameter all the way throughout and pat the ends to even them up.

Using a serrated knife, slice the log into 12 evenly sized rolls (or more if you like your rolls thinner). Arrange the rolls cut side down on the prepared baking pan and cover with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden on top and cooked through but not overly browned.

While the rolls are baking, mix the softened cream cheese and buttermilk together until smooth. Add the vanilla and mix. Whisk in the confectioner’s sugar. Add additional milk or buttermilk one teaspoon at a time until desired glaze consistency is reached. It should be thick yet pourable. Drizzle the warm rolls with the glaze.

Recipe Source: adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Handbook

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chipsters

Today's recipe is one of my FAVORITE cookie recipes! Peanut butter and chocolate is a match made in heaven, and this recipe pairs them perfectly. I've adapted it from the food blog Smells Like Home.

2 C. plus 6 Tbsp. all- purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm

1 C. brown sugar, packed

1/2 C. granulated sugar

2/3 C. creamy peanut butter (I use exclusively natural peanut butter, but, having tried this recipe with both kinds, I prefer it with traditional peanut butter, such as Jif).

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 C. chocolate chips (I use milk or a mixture of milk and dark)

1/2 C. shredded sweetened coconut (I don't like coconut, so I either leave it out altogether or substitute oats)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside. With electric mixer, mix butter, sugars, and peanut butter until thoroughly combined. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low- speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and coconut (if desired).

3. Roll a scant half- cup of dough into a ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull apart into two equal halves. Place dough on cookie sheet with jagged surface facing up leaving ample room between each ball. Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and out edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy (approx. 11-14 minutes). Do not overbake.

This dough seems strangely crumbly after you mix it, which is why you form the dough balls the way you do. Don't be alarmed, this is what the dough is supposed to be like. :)

Cottage Pie

Tried another new recipe for dinner tonight. It was very good... meat, potatoes, vegetables, all in there... but I felt like it could have used a little more flavor. So I may try a few more spices next time I make it. I didn't have the fresh thyme that the recipe called for, so I just used some dried-- that might have been part of what was missing.

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided

1 large yellow onion, diced medium

2 large carrots, cut into 3/4 in. pieces

coarse salt and black pepper

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 lb. ground beef or lamb (I used ground beef, magazine also suggests using left over turkey from Thanksgiving)

2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

1 C. dark (porter) beer

2 Tbsp. all- purpose flour

3/4 C. frozen peas (I added more than this).

1 large russet potato, very thinly sliced

** I also added some sliced leeks because I had them. I thought it was too watery after it was done baking, and might leave out the extra cup of water next time.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp butter over medium- high. Add onion and carrots and cook, stirring often, until onion is soft, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in tomato paste. Add meat and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through, 3 minutes. Add thyme and beer and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until slightly reduced, 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir to combine. Add 1 C. water and cook until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in peas and season with salt and pepper.

2. Transfer mixture to a 2- quart baking dish. Top with potatoes, overlapping slices. Season potatoes with salt and pepper and drizzle with 2 Tbsp. melted butter. Bake until potatoes are browned around the edges and tender when pierced with a knife, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

This is another recipe I've shared with a few of you. I got it from my friend Melanie, who shares my love of baked goods with chocolate chips in them! :)

Muffins:

1-1/2 C flour

1 C oats

1/2 C sugar

1 TBS baking powder

1 C milk

1/4 C oil

1 egg

chocolate chips (enough to look good!)

Mix until moist and line muffin cups with liners. Fill 3/4 full.

Streusel:

1/3 C oats

1/4 C flour

1/4 C packed brown sugar

3 TBS butter, chilled

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbs. Spoon over muffins. Bake at 350 for @15 minutes.

Slow-cooker White Chicken Chili

We're eating dinner at my Grandma's tonight, so I won't have tonight's dinner recipe to post. Instead, I'm going back a little while and posting another good crock pot recipe that I've shared with some folks on Facebook in the past.

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 large green pepper, chopped
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 med onion, chopped
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
1 Tbsp plus 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 lbs bone-in split chicken breasts, skin removed (I just used 2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts)
2 can (14.5 oz)cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 C. chicken broth
1 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp salt

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Place peppers, onion, garlic, 1 Tbsp cumin and 1 tsp coriander in the skillet; cover. Cook, stirring for 6 minutes.
2. Transfer vegetables to slow cooker; add chicken, beans, and broth. Cover; cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 6 hours.
3. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon. Check liquid for bones. Stir in remaining 1/2 tsp each cumin and coriander, lime juice, and salt.
4. Shred the chicken; stir into slow cooker. Serve with sour cream and cilantro, if desired.

It could have used a little more spice, so you can include the jalapeno ribs and seeds, and stir in 1/4 tsp hot sauce at the end if you like.

This recipe is from Family Circle, 2009

Slow-cooker Carne Guisada

This was delicious! The boys ate it, too, and it wasn't very spicy. I made homemade flour tortillas and served it with cheese and sour cream. Think I'll eat the leftovers over rice, though.

2 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast or bottom round, cut into 1-inch pieces

salt and pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 medium white onion, diced medium

1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced medium

1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced small

5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

3/4 tsp. chili powder

3/4 tsp. dried oregano

6 Tbsp. all- purpose flour

1 3/4 C. low- sodium chicken broth

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

1. Season beef with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 tsp. oil over high. In two batches, cook beef until browned on all sides. Transfer to a 5-6 quart slow cooker.

2. In same skillet, cook 2 tsp oil, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic over medium, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until vegetables are tender, 5 minutes. Add cumin, chili powder, oregano, and flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly pour broth into skillet, stirring until liquid is smooth. Simmer 2 minutes, then transfer mixture to slow cooker, along with tomatoes and bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high6 hours.

Recipe from Everyday Food, Nov. 2010

Buttermilk Biscuits

This recipe was simple and delicious. I don't have a biscuit cutter, so I used a glass.

12 oz all-purpose flour (about 2 cups), plus more for dusting

4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 oz (2 Tbsp) unsalted butter, chilled

2 oz (1/4 C) vegetable shortening (such as Crisco), chilled

1 C. low-fat buttermilk, chilled

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Using your fingertips, rub the butter and shortening into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

4. Make a well in the middle of this mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Stir with a large spoon until the dough just comes together. Then knead in the bowl until all the flour has been taken up.

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, then start folding the dough over on itself, gently kneading for 30 seconds or until the dough is soft and smooth.

6. Press the dough into a 3/4-inch thick round. Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut out biscuits, being sure to push the cutter all the way through the dough to the work surface before twisting to "punch" out the biscuit. Make your cuts as close together as possible to limit waste.

7. Place the biscuits on an aluminum sheet pan so the they just barely touch. Reroll scraps and punch out as many biscuits as possible.

8. Use your thumb to create a shallow dimple in the top center of each biscuit, and bake until the biscuits are tall and light on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

This recipe is from Family Circle, Nov.1, 2009

Herb-roasted Chicken and Vegetables

Silas helped Mommy with this one. Super simple and easy to put together!

Peeling carrots.

"What's this?"

1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), rinsed and patted dry

coarse salt and pepper

1/2 bunch thyme

1/2 bunch parsley

2 leeks (white and light green parts only), halved length-wise, then crosswise, and rinsed well

3 medium carrots, cut into 3-in lengths

1 pound small red potatoes, any large ones halved

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 C. dry white wine

Preheat oven to 450. Season chicken inside and out with salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan. Stuff thyme and parsley in cavity.In a large bowl, toss leeks, carrots, and potatoes with the oil, season with salt and pepper. Scatter vegetables around chicken, arranging potatoes at the edge of the pan, pour wine into pan. Roast until chicken is golden and juices run clear when pierced between breast and leg (an instant read thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh, avoiding bone, should read 165 degrees), about 1 hour.

The chicken turned out fantastic (my kids devoured it!), and the vegetables were perfect! I've never cooked leeks before, but they were fantastic.

I made homemade buttermilk biscuits to go along with this meal. They were delectable. I'll share that recipe in another post!

Recipe from Everyday Food, November 2010

Chocolate Chip Oat Scones

This recipe is from our dear friends Melanie and Mei. It's a favorite at our house for breakfast or anytime. Also really good warmed up if you can't eat them right out of the oven.

2/3 C. margarine or butter, melted (I always use butter, margarine does not exist to me.)

1/3 C. milk

1 egg

1/4 C. granulated sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 1/4 C. oats

1 1/2 C. flour

chocolate chips (I use milk or a mixture of milk and dark)

In a medium bowl, mix butter, milk, and egg together with a wooden spoon. Stir in sugar, baking powder, and cream of tartar. The mixture will start to look a little bubbly. Stir in oats and then flour. Add as many chocolate chips as you want. Pat dough into a circle (I usually do it on parchment paper on a baking sheet so I can just bake right on there). Cut it into 8 triangles (no need to cut all the way through the dough, just score it). Bake on cookie sheet or baking stone at 350 for about 15-20 minutes.

Black Beans and Sausage

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 pound kielbasa or other smoked sausage, cut into 1-in. pieces

3 mediums carrots, diced

2 shallots, diced

salt and pepper, to taste

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (15.5 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3 tbsp chopped, fresh parsley

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add sausage and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add carrots and shallots to skillet and cook until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add black beans and broth and bring to a boil. Add sausage, reduce heat to a rapid simmer, and cook until carrots are tender, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.

I recommend serving this with rice. We used Uncle Ben's Minute Rice, Spanish style, and it was awesome! This recipe is so simple and good. Yum, yum, yum!

Recipe from Everyday Food, November 2010

Welcome!

Hey there, whoever you are.

If you are reading this blog, then maybe, like me, you love to eat, but only cook most of the time because you have a family to feed. So I will be posting some of our favorites. Enjoy!