cooking light's browned butter chocolate chip cookies

for the last couple months, i've been on a chocolate chip cookie kick. i don't know if it's the simplicity of a chocolate chip cookie, the minimal time commitment, the deliciousness, or a combination of the three, but something keeps drawing me to them. and while i declared cook's illustrated's browned butter and alton brown's the chewy versions to be my favorites, i'm always drawn to new recipes.

while thumbing through my october cooking light, i stumbled upon their version, which uses browned butter - one of my favorite chocolate chip cookie tricks - and swaps out some of the all purpose flour for whole wheat. the verdict? certainly tasty, and a bit crunchy for my liking as i overbaked them by about 30 seconds to a minute. even so, they were demolished in a few days.

cooking light's browned butter chocolate chip cookies
adapted from cooking light
makes 2 1/2 dozen

since the write up in the magazine was in love with the combination of semi sweet and dark chocolate chips, i added 1/2 cup semi sweet chips and 1/2 cup chopped hershey's special dark chocolate bars that i had left over from making smores this summer. the combination is good, but isn't necessarily worth it.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup chocolate chips, semisweet, dark or a combination

1. brown the butter by cooking it in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 5 minutes until nutty. remove from heat, add the oil, and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
2. preheat your oven to 375F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
3. in a large bowl, blend the butter mixture and sugars until combined. add vanilla and eggs and mix well. add the flours, baking powder, and salt and mix until combined. stir in the chocolate chips.
4. using about one and a half tablespoons of dough for each cookie, drop dough about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. bake about 12 minutes, or just until the cookies start to brown. cool slightly on the baking sheet and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Worms and Blood

It's that time of year again!  The time when I make all kinds of weird, creepy looking food (with gross names) in the spirit of Halloween and my sweet husband happily eats it all anyway.  I am definitely still a kid at heart and really enjoy making spooky food.  Last year, I made such delights as chocolate oatmeal with ghosts for breakfast, deviled eyes as a snack, and for dinner vampire bat legs with maggots, serpentine stromboli, and baked mice.  Dessert was honey caramel apples, which is not remotely creepy but still very festive. 

Some of these I plan to make again this year because they were so good, but of course I had to find some new fun recipes for this year!  To kick things off, I made the horrifying but yummy Worms and Blood.  Found the idea last year on Our Best Bites (go check out their blog if you want even more great Halloween food ideas).  Okay, so the worms are just sliced hot dogs and the blood is barbecue sauce.  The effect is pretty spooky though and it tastes quite good.  I used homemade barbecue sauce, but you can use whatever kind you want.  Enjoy!

Worms and Blood

8 hot dogs
1/2 T butter
1/2 C barbecue sauce

Slice each hot dog lengthwise into 8 pieces so they're long and skinny like worms.  Heat the butter in a skillet over medium-high and add the hot dogs.  Saute, stirring frequently, until the hot dogs curl up and get a little browned.  Reduce the heat and add the barbecue sauce, stirring until it's heated through.  Serve on hot dog buns.

Yield: About 6 sandwiches, depending on how much you put on each bun.  They reheat well, or you can very easily cook less hot dogs and just use less BBQ sauce.

Jumping Jack & Potato Bread Puddings

A fabulous recipe from consultant Terri Rhind in Wiltshire

Makes 20 bread puddings

Olive oil for brushing
4 thick slices of My Secret Kitchen Original Beer Bread  (day old is better).
20g butter, softened
4 eggs
125ml milk
25g parmesan, grated
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp My Secret Kitchen Jumping Jack Chili Jam
300g baby potatoes, cooked & cubed
10 sprigs of thyme


Preheat oven to 180ºC. Cut 20cm squares of non-stick baking paper, brush each square with olive oil and press each square into lightly greased muffin tin.
Spread the slices of Beer Bread with butter and cut into rough pieces.  Whisk the eggs, milk, Parmesan, salt and pepper together. Add 2 tablespoons of the Jumping Jack Chilli Jam, reserving the rest for later.  Mix together the cubes of bread and potatoe and arrange in the paper cases and pour over equal amounts of egg mixture. Top with the reserved Jumping Jack Chilli Jam and thyme sprigs and bake for 40 minutes or until golden.

white cupcakes with blueberry almond buttercream

we haven't "entertained" much since baby winn was born in june. not only do we not have the time, but our living room typically contains no less than four space hogging baby gadgets at a time (in current use: pack & play, bouncer, floor mat, and swing), which leaves little room for actual, adult conversation. which is why in mid-september jason declared we needed to have a party.

shortly after a date was set and i got busy planning the food. since the party was on a sunday evening, i made two baked pasta dishes to feed the crowd of 15 or so we expected. and these cupcakes. they were so freakin' good. i haven't made this white cake in two years and forgot how unbelievable it is. if you're a fan of almond, you'll love this cake. and the buttercream. to die for. i've made strawberry and blackberry versions of it also, and every one is more delicious than the last. my one and only complaint: the blueberries turned the buttercream pink rather than blue, so next time i'll pick a different berry or add a couple drops of blue food coloring.

for a layer cake version, check out my white layer cake with blackberry buttercream.

white cupcakes
adapted from cook's illustrated
40 minutes plus cooling time, makes 24-28 cupcakes

i made one and a half times the cake recipe and one recipe of the buttercream. i had 42 cupcakes and the perfect amount of buttercream to ice them.

1 cup whole milk, room temperature
6 egg whites, room temperature
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

1. set oven rack in the middle position. preheat oven to 350F. line cupcake tins with liners and set aside.
2. whisk together milk, egg whites, and almond and vanilla extracts. set aside.
3. in a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. add butter and mix until it forms coarse wet crumbs.
4. add all but 1/2 cup of the milk mixture and beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes. add remaining milk mixture and beat another 1 minute.
5. divide batter evenly among the cupcake tins. i used this cookie scoop to dish out the batter, and two scoops was the perfect amount for each cupcake. if you don't have a scoop, use three tablespoons of batter for each cupcake.
6. bake 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. mine were done in exactly 15 minutes.
7. let the cakes cool in the pan a couple minutes before inverting. cool completely on a wire rack. frost with blueberry buttercream.

blueberry buttercream
adapted from the novice chef
10 minutes, makes plenty for 24 cupcakes

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, room temperature
6 cups confectioners sugar
6 tablespoons strained blueberry puree
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1. beat butter on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. slowly add 1 cup sugar and beat until smooth.
3. add blueberry puree, vanilla, and almond until blended.
4. add remaining sugar half a cup at a time, blending after each addition.
5. when all the sugar is added, beat on medium high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

10/23/12 ChefElla's Crispy Fall Squash Cakes

CHEFELLA'S CRISPY FALL SQUASH CAKES

I like fall.  The colorful leaves and cool air make it nice to be outside after a hot summer.  What I do not like about fall are the vegetables.  I like sweet fresh vegetables and fall vegetables are heavy and sometimes bitter.  My parents give me try all sorts of fall vegetables to try including squash, but I just did not like them.  One night during a family dinner my parents gave me some orange ravioli.  They were so good, and then I found out they were butternut squash ravioli.  While I like the ravioli they take a lot of time to make.  My squash cakes are much faster and easier to make.  I would serve these cakes as an appetizer before dinner or as your vegetable with dinner.  For this recipe you will need to use the stove and the oven.  If you are not allowed to use the stove or oven by yourself you can have your mom or dad help.

1.  Wash your hands.

2.  For this recipe you will need a small sauté pan, a blender or food processor, a rubber spatula

     or wooden spoon, a large mixing bowl, measuring cups and spoons, a small scooper, a fork and
     spoon, aluminum foil, a cutting board, a knife and a sheet pan.

Ingredients: (This recipe will make about 36 pieces)

1 each         Butternut Squash
                   -You will need two cups roasted and mashed for the recipe.  2 cups is equals to around
                   1 medium sized squash.
1/4  Cup     Red Onion, small diced

2                 Large cloves of fresh garlic

                   -Garlic has a paper like coating.  Break off 2 large pieces (cloves) of garlic.  Put them on a 

                   cutting board and hit them with a rolling pin or mallet (kitchen hammer).  It is o.k. to smash
                   them for this recipe.  This will break the paper shell on the garlic.  Remove the cloves from
                   the paper.

4 leaves       Fresh Sage
                   -You can find fresh herbs at your local farmers market, or the produce section
                   at your local grocery store.

3 Tbl.           Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 each         Large Egg

1/4 Cup      Parmesan Cheese

1 Pkg.         Panko Bread Crumbs
                   -Panko bread crumbs are also known as Japanese bread crumbs, mie de pan (middle of the
                   bread), or white bread crumbs.  They are flakey and made from only the white part of the
                   bread.     

1/4 Cup      Whole Wheat Pancake Mix        

1 tsp.           Salt, Kosher or Sea Salt

1/4 tsp.        Black Pepper

                   Pan Spray

3.  Pre-heat your oven to 425F.

4.  While your oven is heating cut your squash in half the long way.  Use your spoon to scoop out the.

     seeds, and throw the seeds away.  Line your sheet pan with aluminum foil.  Spray the inside of the
     squash with pan spray, and put the halves inside down on your sheet pan. Roast in the oven for 35-
     40 minutes.  When the squash is done put it on a plate and place it in the refrigerator for 20-30
     minutes.  When cool, use your spoon to scoop the squash out of the skin, and into your bowl.

5.  Heat your sauté pan on the stove on high and add your olive oil.  When the oil is hot add your
     onions, smashed garlic, and sage leaves.  Mix the ingredients and turn the pan to low.  Cook for
    5 minutes.  After 5 minutes remove the pan from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

6.  When cool put the mixture in your blender, and add your egg, salt and pepper.  Blend the mixture
     until is is smooth.
     -Smooth means there are no lumps in your mixture it should look like milk with green specs.
     -Make sure you wash your hands after you crack your egg.

7.  Pour your liquid into the squash and mix well with your spatula.  When mixed add 1 cup of
     the Panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.  Save the rest of the bread crumbs for later.  When
     incorporated add the whole wheat pancake and mix gently until it is also incorporated into the
     squash.
     -Incorporated means you cannot see the pancake mix anymore.

8.  Line your sheet pan with a new piece of foil, and spray with pan spray.  Pour some Panko bread
     crumbs on a plate.  Using your scooper, scoop some of your squash mixture, and put it on the bread
     crumbs.  Cover the squash with more bread crumbs from the plate and pat the mixture down into a
     patty shape.  As you pat the mixture down the bread crumbs will stick to the squash.  Add more
     bread crumbs as needed.

9.  Line your pan with the squash cakes and bake in your 425F oven for 12-15 minutes.

You can eat your squash cakes plain, or serve them with spinach artichoke or onion dip.

Enjoy

-ChefElla

Greek Pasta Skillet

Okay, so this isn't really Greek- it's more Greek inspired and I'm willing to bet anyone from Greece would be horrified at how unauthentic it is- but it sure tastes good!  The recipe is from McCormick and my mom's best friend printed out a copy for me to try about 10 years ago.  I made it soon after and my mother and I both liked it a lot!  Over the years I've made it for several people and they've all liked it, too.  A friend of mine who never eats leftovers was even excited to have it again the next night.  It looks like your standard quick 1 dish dinner recipe, but the addition of ground cinnamon and feta cheese really set it apart.  If you're suspicious of the cinnamon or especially sensitive to spices, you can try halving it, but I do encourage you to at least use some cinnamon as it really does a lot for the flavor.  This is a slightly tweaked double batch of the original recipe so it makes a lot (I make a big batch because we like it so much and it freezes well), but if you don't want lots of leftovers, just use the amounts in the original recipe to guide you.

Sorry about the rotini pasta in the photo.  I've made this recipe many times and have always used penne, but ended up with tricolor rotini this one time!  It was good, but penne holds up better against everything else going on in the dish.

Greek Pasta Skillet

1 T oil
1.25 lb package extra lean ground turkey
4 C chicken broth
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
6 oz can tomato paste
4 t oregano
2 t cinnamon
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
12 oz by weight penne pasta (or whatever shape you want, I prefer penne)
1 lb frozen green beans
6 oz crumbled feta by weight

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium.  Crumble in ground turkey and cook until browned, stirring frequently.  Stir in tomato products and spices until well combined, then stir in pasta.  Reduce heat and simmer over low, stirring occasionally, until pasta is almost done, about 10 minutes.  Remove lid and stir in green beans and feta.  Simmer, covered, until beans and pasta are tender.

Yield: 10 servings

Chocolate Ice Cream

If you love ice cream and have never had homemade, I really suggest that you invest in your very own ice cream maker.  I am honestly rather skeptical when people wax poetic about how much better homemade everything is because that often simply is not the case much for many things.  Homemade salsa?  Yum, definitely better than the jar!  Homemade bagels?  Good maybe, but difficult to make as well as a great bagel bakery, plus they take a ton of time and effort.  I'd rather leave the bagel making to the professionals.  However, ice cream is one of those things that really IS better when made at home.  As much as I love Ben and Jerry's, it doesn't compare to fresh, homemade ice cream.

When I was growing up, we had a hand crank one and every once in a while made a batch, which was of course a ton of fun for a little kid.  Then when I was in high school, Amazon.com was having a big sale on Cuisinart ice cream makers and I convinced my mom that it was time for an upgrade.  Her favorite food is ice cream so not much convincing was necessary!  I can't remember ever having a batch turn out poorly.  I made regular flavors like chocolate, but also coconut cream ice cream and kiwi sorbet.  You can even use an ice cream maker to make slushies using any liquid.  7Up with a bit of coconut extract added is my favorite!  Sadly, I hadn't made any ice cream since I moved out of my mom's house 7 years ago as she was unwilling to part with it, but my husband's parents gave us a Cuisinart ice cream maker just like the one my mom has.  Our ice cream maker is great and I highly recommend it, though there's a new model out that comes in all manner of beautiful colors.

For the first recipe in our ice cream maker, I decided to go with good ol' chocolate since my husband is a complete chocolate fiend.  I slightly altered this recipe I found on AllRecipes- added more chocolate and strained the mixture to make completely sure the finished product wouldn't have lumps- and it is just perfect.  Creamy, rich, deep flavor, and chocolaty but not overwhelmingly so.  The vanilla adds a wonderful touch.  It is quite easy to make, too, so a great recipe if you've never made ice cream before!  You can either serve it fresh from the ice cream maker, in which case the texture will be more like soft serve (which is how I prefer it!):

Or you can scoop the ice cream into a container and freeze it for a few hours until it's firmer and scoop it up then (how my husband preferred it):

Either way, you can't go wrong with this recipe!  We will definitely have it again and I am really looking forward to experimenting with new recipes.  Up next will be either cake batter ice cream (again, for my husband), cherry ice cream, ginger ice cream, or mint cookies and cream ice cream.  So many choices!

Chocolate Ice Cream

3 egg yolks
3/4 C sugar
2 T cocoa powder
1/4 t salt
1 C milk
3 oz (by weight) semisweet chocolate chips
2 C heavy cream
1 t vanilla extract

Beat egg yolks with a fork in a 1 C measuring cup, set aside.  In a small saucepan, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.  Whisk in milk.  Heat over medium, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a simmer.  Remove from heat and quickly whisk about a tablespoon of the mixture into the beaten egg yolks.  Once incorporated, whisk in another tablespoon, then another, then start whisking in slightly large additions.  Continue until you have 3/4 C of egg yolk mixture.  Briskly whisk egg yolk mixture back into pan.  Return to stove and heat over medium low, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened- about 2 minutes.  Don't let the mixture boil.  Remove pan from heat and set aside for a minute so it can cool slightly, then whisk in the chocolate chips.  Pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve and refrigerate until completely cooled, about 2 hours.  When you're ready to make the ice cream, whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla extract.  Freeze mixture according to the directions for your ice cream machine.

Yield: 6 servings

slow cooker apple stuffed pork tenderloin with root vegetables

everybody knows pork chops and applesauce are a classic combination. do kids still watch the brady bunch? i am a child of the '80s and remember very vividly coming home from school and watching it on tbs, back when all shows on tbs started 5 minutes late, like at 1:05 instead of 1:00, what was up with that?? or do today's kids watch who's the boss?, full house, growing pains, and the other shows from tgif back in the '90s?

after typing that question, i couldn't not google tbs' schedule. and while i don't see family matters or step-by-step, you can catch married with children and home improvement first thing in the morning and friends, everybody loves raymond (my grandma's personal favorite - hi gram!), and seinfeld in the afternoon. ah, '90s television at it's best. 

so this pork. consider it another simple way to pair fresh apples with pork. not only is it easy and quick to prepare and finish, but the apple cider adds great flavor to the pork and the vegetables. it's a great, well balanced dinner.

got a great pork tenderloin recipe? i have another 4 pound pork tenderloin hanging out in my freezer and could use some inspiration!

slow cooker apple stuffed pork tenderloin with root vegetables
serves 8

this makes a lot, like we should have sent out last minute invitations for dinner. feel free to half everything to feed a family of four or less.

4 small or 2 large sweet potatoes, cubed
4 small or 2 large potatoes, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
4 small or 2 large apples, peeled and cubed
1/2 pound carrots (about 4 large), diced
1 cup apple cider
2 to 4 pound pork tenderloin
1 large apple, peeled and thinly sliced
salt, pepper, dried ginger
1-3 teaspoons cornstarch

1. put the sweet potatoes, potatoes, onion, cubed apples, and carrots in the bottom of a six quart slow cooker. season liberally with salt and pepper. add the cider to the vegetables.
2. cut slits about an inch deep and an inch apart along one side of the pork tenderloin. place an apple slice in each slit. carefully transfer the tenderloin to the slow cooker. season with salt, pepper, and dried ginger.
3. cook on low about 8 hours, or until the tenderloin is cooked through.
4. about 20 minutes before serving, drain the liquid from the slow cooker (i had about three cups) and place in a sauce pan. bring to a simmer and reduce to about half the volume. the sauce can be served as is over the pork. if you prefer a thicker sauce, transfer about half cup of the sauce to a small bowl. whisk in 1 teaspoon cornstarch until there aren't any lumps. whisk the cornstarch mixture into the simmering sauce and cook for a couple minutes until thick. if the sauce is still too thin for your liking, repeat, adding more cornstarch. 
5. to serve the pork, slice it between the apple slices, so each slice of pork has a piece of apple. serve drizzled with the sauce.

skillet chicken with apples & cranberries

a week and a half ago, the three of us picked more apples than we could ever eat. after turning about 20 pounds into unsweetened applesauce for the baby, whipping up a batch of my favorite apple chicken chili, i still had a few pounds left (and still have a few stragglers now in my crisper drawer). sure, i could have canned apple pie filling, made apple pie, made a crumble (which i actually did and forgot to post, so check it out here, just be sure not to cook it too long & burn your pecans), or eaten my new favorite salad a few more times, but i wanted something different. i remember ripping this out of a magazine at some point in the last couple years and was lucky enough to actually find it in my mess of "bookmarked" recipes. speaking of bookmarked recipes...does your google reader look like mine? it's chock full of way more recipes that i'll ever be able to make in a lifetime let alone the next year or two. one of these days i need to sort through it...right after my digital photo files are organized, my photo books are done, my clothes are sorted by season and color, and the dozens of other organizational projects are done. it never ends, does it?

skillet chicken with apples & cranberries
adapted from eating well
30 minutes, serves 4-6

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders, cut into thin strips
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 large or 6 small crisp apples, cored and thinly sliced (peeled or unpeeled, your choice)
1 large red onion, sliced
3/4 cup apple cider
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon flour

1. season chicken with salt, pepper, and about 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme. coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and place over medium heat. add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides (the chicken does not need to be cooked completely at this point). transfer to a plate.
2. coat the bottom of the skillet again with oil. add apples, onion, 2 tablespoons cider and 1/2 teaspoon thyme. cook until the apples and onions have softened, about five minutes.
3. add cranberries to the apple mixture and sprinkle flour over everything. stir to combine and cook for about one minute, or until there are no more dry flour spots.
4. add the chicken back to the pan and add the remaining cider. cover and cook until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Applesauce Drop Cookies with Browned Butter Icing

This is another recipe from the Betty Crocker Cooky Book, and just perfect for autumn.  I've been planning to make it for months and have actually set out the ingredients on the counter a few days ago before finally making them yesterday.  We had our first snow yestday, about 2 inches of light fluff.  Living in Alaska means you have to accept the fact that you'll be surrounded by snow for 7 months of the year, and I have to admit that I was a bit happy to see it again!

In any case, these soft, spicy cookies were the perfect treat to make in honor of the first snow of winter.  They are very cakey-- to the point that you could probably make some fantastic cupcakes with no changes to the recipe-- and the dough is more like a thick batter.  While the applesauce flavor is not really apparent, it does make them very moist.  Another blogger described these cookies as being "senior citizen cookies", which I thought was so funny!  Especially since they are extremely similar to Pumpkin Spice cookies, a lifelong favorite of mine that were incidentally the only cookies I would eat as a child.  So much for being old!  They are delicious and a great choice if you love spices like cinnamon and cloves as much as me, regardless of your age.  Also, while the cookies are very good on their own, the addition of the creamy vanilla frosting with a hint of browned butter makes them even better.  Last of all, this recipe is a good choice if you need spur of the moment cookies since you don't need to let any cold ingredients warm up and don't need to mess with rolling out cookie dough or forming balls.

As usual for me, I changed the recipe quite a bit.  The original called for coffee and well drained applesauce, but I chose to leave out the coffee and use regular applesauce.  It also called for chopped nuts (which you are free to add if you feel so inclined), 1/2 t less cinnamon, and 1/2 t more nutmeg.  I do like nutmeg, but unlike cinnamon I think it's best in small amounts and the 1/2 t I used was just right.  The recipe also said and to refrigerate the dough for 2 hours before baking.  I wanted to see how they would turn out without being refrigerated so just went ahead and baked them and they turned out perfect, each cookie about half an inch thick.  Wouldn't really want them any thicker!  Also, don't know what this says about me, but the recipe made half as many recipes as it said it would and I needed twice as much of the icing.  Come to my house if you want to get sugared up.

As a side note, I just realized that all of the recipes from the Cooky Book that I've shared on the blog so far have been drop cookies!  Kind of odd since I really don't make drop cookies very often.  Guess I need to pick another section of the book next time!  In my defense, I've actually made 2 non-drop cookies from the Cooky Book so far and just haven't shared them on the blog yet.  As tempting as Orange Drop Cookies and Pineapple Drop Cookies look to me, I think next I will try Oatmeal Coconut Crispies.  Yum.

Applesauce Drop Cookies

1 C shortening
2 C packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 C applesauce
3 1/2 C flour
1 C golden raisins
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 t cloves
1/2 t nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Mix together shortening, brown sugar, and eggs until smooth, then mix in applesauce.  Add other ingredients and mix just until well combined.  Drop dough by tablespoons onto cookie sheets, with 2 inches between cookies.  Bake until set and lightly golden, about 9 to 12 minutes.  Let cookies cool on sheets for 10 minutes, then cool completely on cooling racks.  Whether or not you choose to add the icing, store the cookies between layers of wax paper in the refrigerator.

Yield: 4 dozen medium sized cookies (you will of course get more if you make small cookies, which I do not!)

Browned Butter Icing

5 T butter
3 T cream (could probably use milk)
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
about 2 1/2 C powdered sugar

Melt butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly once it melts.  You want to brown the butter slowly, over a low heat, and in a small pan stirring all the while so it doesn't burn.  Cook until the butter becomes light brown.  Immediately remove from heat and stir in the cream, then the vanilla extract.  Stir in powdered sugar until you have icing that is thick enough to spread easily but is not drippy.  Immediately spread icing on cooled cookies and let set completely before you put the cookies away.

pear quinoa salad

in my quest to drop the extra 25 or so pounds i am carrying since i got married and had a baby, i have been on a search for easy and healthy breakfasts and lunches. this quinoa salad is perfect, since it can be both of those or a mid-afternoon snack. i made a batch of this one sunday evening and ate it multiple ways through the next week. i played around with the temperature - some days eating it straight from the refrigerator and others taking the chill off with a quick spin in the microwave - and found i liked it best warm, with a little extra sweetness from a drizzle of real maple syrup. it's both delicious and filling.

pear quinoa salad
adapted from eating well
20 minutes, serves 6

this salad can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold. try it at different temperatures and see what you like. i recommend going easy on the chives as well, they can be a bit strong.

14 ounces chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fruity vinegar
1/4 cup fresh chives, minced
2 ripe pears, diced
maple syrup, for serving

1. in a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. stir in the quinoa, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the liquid has absorbed, about 15 minutes. if the liquid hasn't all absorbed and the quinoa has popped, drain off any excess liquid. keep uncovered to cool slightly.
2. while the quinoa cooks, whisk the oil, vinegar, and chives together in your serving bowl. season with salt and pepper. add pears and toss to coat.
3. when the quinoa is finished cooking, add it to the mixture and toss to coat. serve with a drizzle of maple syrup. store leftovers in the refrigerator.

like kitchen trial & error on facebook!

10/10/12 ChefElla's Chicken & Asparagus Pasta

CHEFELLA'S CHICKEN & ASPARAGUS PASTA

I like spaghetti.  I would eat it everyday if my parents let me.  I like spaghetti with red sauce, cold spaghetti, spaghetti noodles with butter, or even spaghetti out of the refrigerator.  The problem with this is my parents do not love spaghetti as much as I do.  Lucky for me I have the perfect recipe.  This is a recipe that might not be your favorite, but your parents will love it.  It does have all of my favorite things in it, asparagus, parmesan cheese, olive oil, chicken and of course noodles, and I even added some tomatoes for my parents.  For this recipe you will need to use the stove and the oven.  If you are not allowed to use the stove or oven by yourself you can have your mom or dad help.

1.  Wash your hands.

2.  Get a stock pot, a pasta strainer, a large sauté pan, a blender or food processor, a heat proof spatula
     or wooden spoon, measuring spoons, aluminum foil, and
     measuring cups.

Ingredients: (This recipe will make four servings)

1 1/2 Cups    Dried Whole Wheat Pasta, Elbow, Penne, or Farfalle (bow-tie) pasta will all work for this
                    recipe.

6                  Large cloves of fresh garlic.

                    -Garlic has a paper like coating.  Break off 6 large pieces (cloves) of garlic.  Put them on a 

                    cutting board and hit them with a rolling pin or mallet (kitchen hammer).  Do not smash

                    them.  This will break the paper shell on the garlic.  Remove the cloves from the paper.
4 oz              Asparagus spears, cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
                   -Make sure you cut off the white part of the asparagus because it is too hard to eat.

1/2 Cup        Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
1/4              Medium Red Onion, chopped

1/2 Cup       Parmesan Cheese

3 Tbl.           Lemon Juice     

1 Tbl.           Parsley Flakes         

1 tsp.           Salt, Kosher or Sea Salt

1/4 tsp.        Black Pepper

8 oz.            Roasted or Grilled Chicken, Medium Diced.         

                  -Medium dice is about the same size as a dice from one of your games.

1                 Medium Tomato, Small Diced.  If you want you could also use 1 cup of Grape Tomatoes

                   cut in half.

                  -Small diced is about half the size of your diced chicken.

3.  First, heat your oven to 400F. 

4.  While your oven is heating, take a medium sized piece of aluminum foil and put it on the counter.
     Put your garlic on the foil with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Fold up the foil so the garlic is enclosed in
     the foil pouch.  Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

5.  Fill your stock pot 3/4 full with cold water.   Put the pot on the stove and turn the heat on high.
    When the water comes to a boil add your pasta and cook for the recommended cook time on the
    box.  When your pasta is finished put your pasta strainer over the sink and pour the pasta into it.
    - Be careful because the water and the noodles will be very hot.  You might want to have your
      parents help you with this part.
    - If you are going to use your pasta right away let it sit until you are ready for it.  If you are making
    your pasta ahead of time run cold water over your pasta, let it drain,  cover it and put it in the
    refrigerator for later.

6.  When your garlic is finished (it will be soft), put it into your blender or food processor.  Add olive
     oil, red onion, cheese, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and parsley flakes to your blender and blend
     until smooth.

7.  Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan on the stove on medium heat.  When hot add the asparagus pieces
     and cook for 5 minutes.  Make sure you stir the asparagus a few times while it is cooking.

8.  Add chicken and cook for 2-3 more minutes.  Add pasta and sauce from your blender to your pan
     and mix. 

9.  Heat for 2-3 more minutes, add tomatoes mix well and remove from heat.

Enjoy this alternative to plain spaghetti. 

-ChefElla

Dirty Rice with Turkey Sausage

 When I was a kid, I was a very picky eater.  Not so much with veggies or grains, but with dairy and especially meat.  This meant that I didn't like much of what my mom served for dinner and I was often happy to just eat rice and veggies while everyone else ate the meat.  Without fail, I topped my rice with Messina's Cajun Creole Seasoning, which my dad brought home from a trip to New Orleans.  I just loved Messina's!  That was 17 years ago and while I'm now much less picky, I still love Messina's.  Lucky for me, my dad now lives in Louisiana so I can pick up jars of Messina's whenever I visit.

Now that my little story is out of the way, on to the recipe!  This is a thoroughly tweaked version of Christy Jordan's Dirty Rice over on Southern Plate.  Don't get me wrong- the original version is really good (if not authentic, since it's supposed to be made with chicken gizzards), but I'm not a fan of sausage and it turned out SO GREASY!  So the next time I decided to use ground turkey seasoned with spices you'd find in sausage.  Then the next time I figured out that you can just cook the rice in the skillet with the turkey, cutting down on dishes.  If you're in a hurry though, you can steam the rice in the chicken broth while you cook the peppers and turkey.  It's up to you!  Also, feel free to use fresh bell pepper and onion (one of each).  I went with frozen because it was $1.50 for a 12 oz bag and whole bell peppers were $3 apiece.

For the Cajun seasoning, you can use whichever you like, but how much you enjoy the finished dish will of course depend on how much you like the seasoning.  My husband likes Messina's, too, so we both really enjoy this dinner.  It's very yummy, easy, and pretty healthy to boot.  Perfect with a salad on the side!

Dirty Rice with Turkey Sausage

1 T olive oil
12 oz frozen onion and bell pepper strips
1 stalk celery, diced (optional)
1 1/4 lb extra lean ground turkey
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t dried sage
1/2 t dried thyme
1 t dried parsley
3 C chicken broth
1 1/2 C uncooked rice
Cajun seasoning to taste

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high.  Saute onions, peppers, and celery until browned.  Remove to a bowl.  Add ground turkey to skillet and immediately sprinkle on the garlic and spices.  Use a spatula to break up the raw meat and to incorporate the spices.  When turkey has cooked fully, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Add rice, stir well, cover, and reduce heat to low.  Let cook completely undisturbed (don't lift the lid!) for 20 minutes so the rice can steam properly.  When rice is cooked, add peppers back to the skillet and stir to combine, then add Cajun seasoning to taste (I use 1 1/2 t) and mix thoroughly before serving.

Yield: 6 servings

fall apple chicken salad with maple mustard vinaigrette

i ate this salad six times in two weeks. six. it is that good. and it wasn't just me that loved it, jason said it's one of the best salads he's ever had. in my opinion, the goat cheese makes it, but if you aren't a fan - i'm talking to you, mom - then skip it. we had ours with fresh honey crisp apples we picked ourselves, but any firm, sweet apple will do. 

fall apple chicken salad with maple mustard vinaigrette
salad inspired by and vinaigrette from crumb blog
20 minutes, serves 4

for the vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 teaspoons grainy old fashioned mustard
1 small shallot, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup olive oil

for the salad:
8 cups mixed salad greens
4 chicken breasts, cooked and thinly sliced
4 ounces goat cheese
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 crisp apples, thinly sliced

1. whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl or place them in a mason jar and shake.
2. divide the salad greens among four bowls. top each with  a chicken breast, 1 ounce crumbled goat cheese, 1 tablespoon almonds, 1 tablespoon cranberries, and half an apple. top with vinaigrette.

Caramel Latte Cup Cakes

Coffee and chocolate cup cakes with a maple caramel buttercream dusted with cocoa and garnished with a natural coffee bean
makes 12 cup cakes

For the Cup Cakes:

1 packet My Secret Kitchen Mochaccino Cookie Mix
3 medium eggs
100g butter, melted
2 tbsps milk

For the Buttercream:

150g unsalted butter, room temperature
250g icing sugar
2 tbsp My Secret Kitchen Maple Caramel Sauce

Preheat oven 180C and line a muffin tin with 12 paper cakes.
Empty the flour mix and the chocolate chunks from the Mochaccino Cookie Mix into bowl.  Drizzle over the melted butter and mix together.  Add the 3 eggs and milk; mix together thoroughly. Divide the batter equally between the 12 paper cakes and bake in the centre of the oven for 18 - 20 minutes.  Leave the cup cakes to cool on a wire cooking tray.

To make the buttercream, cream together the butter and icing sugar until smooth, slowly add the maple caramel sauce and continue to beat until thoroughly combined.

For an extra touch, add 1 tsp of coffee liquer to each cup cake before icing with the buttercream.  Pipe or fork over the buttercream and garnish with a dusting of cocoa and a natural coffee bean.

secret recipe club: asian pork chops

remember last month when i said i needed to put a bit more effort into my secret recipe club posts? with a new goal of choosing a recipe that's unpredictable, i had a hard time choosing between the keenan cookbook's asian pork chops and these rainbow cookies. ultimately, the pork chops won. although i have a feeling the rainbow cookies will be making an appearance around christmas time. both jason and i love almond, especially when paired with raspberry jam, so i can only imagine how perfect those cookies would be.

these pork chops were delicious. flavored with fresh ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and soy sauce, it has all the great flavors of stir fry. it didn't hurt that dinner was on the table in less than a half an hour. and it would be delicious with chicken too. 

for more information on the secret recipe club, including the list of participating bloggers, featured recipes from members, and instructions on how to join, visit the secret recipe club website! 
 

check out my previous secret recipe club posts: lemon lime meltaways, blueberry peach crisp, minted lemon ice, white chocolate macadamia nut blondies, raspberry cream filled eclairs, jam swirled cheesecake, whole wheat grapefruit cake, chewy no bake granola bars & carrot cinnamon waffles, cannoli, gingerbread muffins, double chocolate peanut butter chip oatmeal cookies, butterscotch peach cake, whole wheat honey pancakes, minted pineapple lime agua fresca, breakfast tacos, simple almond sandwich cookies, & roasted banana rum cake.

asian pork chops
adapted from the keenan cookbook
5 min prep, 10 min cook; serves 4

1 pound pork chops, either bone in or boneless
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
2 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons sesame oil

1. place everything in a large ziptop bag. shake well to coat the pork. close the bag and refrigerate at least an hour and up to overnight.
2. cook the pork in a single layer in a saute pan over medium heat. saute pork on both sides until cooked completely.

slab pie

as promised, here's what i did with all those cans of apple pie filling: slab pie. the idea is so obnoxiously simple, it's another why didn't i think of that recipes. if you can even call it a recipe.

here's the basic idea. take your favorite double crusted pie dough. instead of lining a round pie pan with it, line a 9x13" or 11x14" pan with it. fill with your favorite pie filling, top with the other crust, and bake for an hour. and then serve pie to a crowd. my version is an apple slab pie, made with homemade canned apple pie filling, but i bet a peach version would be just as tasty.

my pie was destined for a family get together last month. to say it went over well is an understatement. every single person had a piece, some going back for seconds.

slab pie
makes one 9x13" or 11x14" pie

i made this pie in a 11x14" pan and used 2 quarts of homemade canned apple pie filling. while it looked like a lot of apples going in, but they cooked down and as you can see, made a thin layer of filling. next time i'll add a third quart. 

your favorite double crust pie dough (i used this one from martha stewart)
your favorite pie filling (enough for 1 standard 8" or 9" pie) OR 2 or 3 quarts homemade canned apple pie filling

1. mix up your pie dough according to the recipe. divide the dough roughly into two unequal portions - one should be roughly 1/3 of the dough and the other the remaining 2/3 of the dough. form each into a rectangle, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to overnight.
2. about 30 minutes before you want to make the pie, remove the pie dough from the refrigerator to take the chill off and make it easier to roll with a rolling pin. preheat your oven to 350F.
3. roll the larger piece of dough so that it is a couple inches longer and wider than your pan - it will go up the sides, so you want it an inch bigger on all sides. line the pan with the dough, using your fingers to push it in the corners. if it rips or breaks, just patch it back with your fingers.
4. add your pie filling. if you're using canned apple pie filling, shake the jars well (the spices will have settled to the bottom), open, and pour over the dough. spread out the filling into an even layer.
5. roll the smaller piece of dough the same size as your pan to make the top crust. transfer the crust to the top of the pie and use your fingers to pinch the top and bottom crusts together. using a sharp knife, cut slits in the top of the pie throughout to let steam escape.
6. bake the pie for about an hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. cool completely before glazing (optional) and serving.

i topped my apple pie version with a glaze made of powdered sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, and water.

Ham & Cheese Hedgie Bread

I've seen this type of bread around the internet under the names hedgehog bread, bread pulls, and blooming bread.  Whatever you want to call it, one thing is certain:  it is DELICIOUS!  I mean really, really good; perfect for an occasional treat or a fun appetizer for a small group. The bread has interested me ever since I saw it over at The Girl Who Ate Everything, and this is my spin- I kind of combined her Bloomin' Onion Bread and her Ham and Cheese Sliders recipes.  Even though I made this back in May and just hadn't posted it yet, looking at the picture makes me want some RIGHT NOW!

Ham & Cheese Hedgie Bread

8 oz mini sourdough bread boule (California Goldminer Sourdough is what I used)
4 oz shaved ham, cut into 1 inch squares (I used sundried tomato rosemary ham)
4 oz thinly sliced cheddar, cut into 1/2 inch strips
3 T thinly sliced green onions
4 T butter
1 1/2 t poppy seeds
2 t dijon mustard
1/4 t Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350 and place a large piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet.  Cut bread to look like a hedgehog, going first one direction, then the other, and being sure not to cut all the way through the bottom crust.  A serrated knife works best for this.  Place sliced loaf on the baking sheet.  Stuff in cheese (you may need to break the pieces more), then ham, then sprinkle on green onions, then spoon on butter mixture.  Wrap with the foil.  Bake covered 10 minutes, then unwrap and bake 10 minutes more, or until cheese is melted and bread is light golden.  Serve immediately with lots of napkins, but watch out for burned fingers!

Yield: about 6 servings

canned apple pie filling

last year, just like the last couple years before, we picked way more apples than i knew what to do with. after homemade apple sauce, apple crisp, a pancake or two, multiple pots of apple chicken chili, and eating apples straight up or dipped in caramel or peanut butter, i was still left with pounds of apples without a plan.

until i stumbled upon a recipe for canned apple pie filling. honestly, i have no idea where i got it from, since i finally found my hand written version on a copy of this gingerbread muffin recipe. regardless of where it originated, this canned pie filling is easy, tasty, and the apples don't turn to mush. i baked mine in apple pie bars (more on those later) rather than in the traditional round pie plate, and they were perfect. everyone raved and no one knew the filling wasn't made fresh that morning.

canned apple pie filling
makes 6 quarts, enough for 3-6 pies

depending on the size of your pie pan and how thick you like your pies, use one or two quarts per pie crust. the apples bake down quite a bit in volume. bake filled pies at 350F for about an hour, until the crust is brown and the fruit is bubbly.

6 pounds firm apples, peeled and sliced or diced to your liking
6 3/4 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups corn starch
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
4 teaspoons salt
15 cups water
4 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. combine the sugar, corn starch, spices, salt, and water in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
2. boil until the mixture has thickened and is bubbling. 
3. remove from heat and mix in the lemon juice. 
4. divide the cut apples among your sterilized jars. fill each jar with the liquid, leaving 1 inch head space. process quart jars in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes. 

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Fruit Pizza

It's recipe catch up time!  This is a recipe I kind of made up this past summer.  I say "kind of" because fruit pizza is hardly a unique concept, but I did use my own recipe for the crust and the cream cheese filling.  In any case, this is a very yummy, easy, pretty, and summery dessert!  A sugar cookie spread with lemony cream cheese and topped with fresh fruit.  What's not to like?!  You can use pretty much any fruit you want on top.

Fruit Pizza

Crust:
2/3 C shortening
3/4 C sugar
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t lemon extract
2 C flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 C sugar
1/2 t lemon extract
1/4 t vanilla extract

Topping:
sliced fruit of your choice (I used blueberries, kiwi, mango, papaya, and pineapple)

Preheat oven to 375 and lightly grease a 12 inch springform pan.  Cream together shortening and sugar until fluffy, then beat in eggs and extracts until smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix just until combined, being sure not to over mix.  Evenly press the dough in the bottom of a springform pan, building up the edges a bit.  Bake the crust until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes.  Let cool completely.  You can stick it in the refrigerator to speed things along.

When the crust has cooled, make the filling.  Beat together the filling ingredients until smooth, then spread on top of the crust.  If you're going to serve it immediately, top with the fruit and serve.  If you're going to serve it later, just cover the pan with plastic wrap (leave the sides of the pan attached to the base!) and add the fruit soon before serving.  You can add the fruit a few hours ahead of time and it will be okay, but the fruit releases some juice so it's ideal to wait if you can.

Yield: about 12 servings