Stollen Beer Bread

Makes 1 1lb Loaf

225g (1 pkt) My Secret Kitchen Original Beer Bread Mix
1 tsp cinnamon (or MSK Vanilla Pudding Spices if you still have some!)
125g marzipan
50g dried cherries or cranberries
150g mixed dried fruit
150ml ginger beer or lemonade
Flaked almonds and icing sugar to garnish

Preheat oven to 175C and grease a 1lb loaf pan. Roll out the marzipan evenly until it is a slice roughly the same

length and width as the tin.  In a large bowl, empty the Beer Bread Mix and Vanilla Pudding Spices and stir together.

Add the cherries, mixed dried fruit and mix together so the fruit is coated evenly in the bread mix. Make a well in the

centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the ginger beer or lemonade and quickly mix to combine.  Put 2/3 of the mix into the loaf pan and lay the slice of marzipan on top, add the remaining 1/3 of the mix and smooth over.  Bake for 45 - 50 mins.  Leave to cool

before dusting heavily with icing sugar and scatter with flaked almonds and a pinch of Vanilla Pudding Spices.

pumpkin pie bars

when i returned to work in october, there were a few new faces. new students that started working with us for the quarter, a soon to start new staff member, and a researcher from italy. in the first week or two i was back, a few of us went out to lunch with our italian researcher to talk about his research in water footprinting and our life cycle assessment work. the conversation quickly became a lesson for all of us in the differences between our cultures. while we were enchanted with the thought of living in italy - the food, the clothes, the wine, all of it - he was quick to remind us how expensive everything is there and how cheap it is here. while talking about food and food customs during the holidays, one thing stuck with me: his family and friends told him he had to try pumpkin pie while he was here. to them, pumpkin pie is the quintessential american food of the holiday season. and they're exactly right.

while these bars aren't exactly pumpkin pie, they're a pretty good surrogate. they're portable and if you're anything like me, you're more likely to eat a bar on a weekday than a piece of pie. pie is saved for the holidays themselves.

pumpkin pie bars
adapted from kraft
1 hour, makes one 9x13 inch pan

for the crust:
1 1/3 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 cup oats
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

for the filling:
1/2 cup sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 eggs
15 ounces (about 2 cups) pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice or 1 teaspoon each cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice
1 cup white chocolate chips (optional)

1. preheat your oven to 350F. line a 9x13 inch pan with aluminum foil and grease. set aside.
2. make the crust by mixing the flour and sugar. cut in the butter, using your hands or a food processor, until the mixture resembles coarse sand. mix in the oats and pecans.
3. press about half of the crust into the pan and bake for 15 minutes. reserve the other half of the crust mixture for the topping.
4. while the crust bakes, make the filling. beat the sugar, cream cheese, eggs, pumpkin, and spices together until smooth. pour over the crust when its finished baking. 
5. sprinkle the top with the other half of the crust mixture. sprinkle the white chocolate chips over top, if using.
6. bake for 25 minutes and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. use the foil to transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. store bars in the refrigerator.

the latest

i had a great thanksgiving with my little turkey. we spent the long weekend with my parents, watching old james bond movies and entertaining the baby. or being entertained by the baby.

if you follow me on facebook, then you know i've started my holiday baking this week. here's my bucket list, in no particular order. what are you baking this year?

grandma's cookies
gingerbread white chocolate chip biscotti
cranberry bliss bars
chewy white chocolate chip gingerbread cookies
hot chocolate cookies
salted caramel peanut butter cups
bacon almond brittle
brown sugar chocolate chunk cookies
chocolate peppermint sandwich cookies

yesterday on my way from the body shop (i was hit in a grocery store parking lot on thanksgiving, great way to kick off the holiday season) in to work, i stopped at dunkin' donuts for a bagel and coffee. only this time, i got a white chocolate latte. and was not disappointed in the least.

i'm still planning on making christmas stockings for this year. so in the next four weeks, i have to sew three stockings, make cookies, plan christmas dinner, and make homemade ornaments. wish me luck. when does the "taking on more than you can handle" stop?!

these christmas blend coffee bars look and sound killer. i might have to make them soon, even though they aren't officially on the list.

as a kid, we always had treat for breakfast on christmas morning. usually my uncle stopped and got donuts for all of us on his way over to my grandparents' house. since we won't be driving anywhere on christmas, i want to make something delicious. cinnamon rolls or monkey bread would be perfect, but they take up too much time. i'm thinking this cinnamon roll coffeecake might be exactly what i am looking for. do you have any easy breakfast treats perfect for christmas?

if you haven't seen it yet, twelve bloggers have teamed up for the ultimate holiday giveaway: a new 21.5" imac & a $500 prepaid visa card.  click here for more info & to enter.

11/27/12 ChefElla's Quick Candy Cane Pudding Pie

CHEFELLA'S QUICK CANDY CANE PUDDING PIE

The holidays are so much fun.  Everyone decorates, gets together, gives gifts, and of course eats.  My parents work so hard to make the holidays fun for us, and I like to do my part.  The holidays are a great time to share by making something homemade from your kitchen.  But there is something else that makes cooking fun, and that is spending time with your family in the kitchen.  The fun part about making this pie, is that it is so easy, that you can spend most of your time talking.  Everyone will think that the candy cane pudding pie took you a long time to make, but you will know that all it took was a good conversation, and a little help from ChefElla.

1.  Wash your hands.

2.  For this recipe you will need a small bowl, a small wire whisk, measuring cups, and a small
     hammer, meat mallet, or rolling pin.

Candy Cane Pudding Pie Ingredients:
1                 Oreo or Chocolate Graham Cracker Pie Crust

2  boxes       Jell-O, Sugar Free, Fat Free, Instant Pudding Mix, Cheesecake Flavor (1oz)

2 1/2 Cups  Skim, Fat Free, Milk

2-3 Drops   Green Food Coloring

2-3 Drops   Red Food Coloring

                 -You can use more drops for a brighter color, but I like pink and light green so I used 2-3
                  drops of each.

3.5-4oz      Peppermint Bark, crumbled
                  - You can crumble your peppermint bark by leaving it in the package and using a hammer
                  meat mallet, or rolling pin to gently smash the bark.  If it is not in a package put the bark in a
                  sealable plastic bag and then gently smash the bark.

1 can         Real Dairy Whip Topping

3.  Put 1 1/4 cups of milk in the mixing bowl, add green food coloring and mix.

4.  Add 1 box of the instant pudding and mix until the pudding begins to thicken.

5.  Pour pudding mix into chocolate pie shell.  Let the pie sit on counter or other flat surface for 3-5
     minutes.  Wash your bowl and whisk.
6.  Sprinkle 1/2 of your peppermint bark over the green pudding.

7.  Add remaining 1 1/4 cups of milk to the mixing bowl, add red food coloring and mix.

8.  Add second box of the instant pudding mix and mix until the pudding begins to thicken.

9.  Pour red pudding mix over green pudding and peppermint bark already set in the chocolate pie shell.

     Let the pie sit on counter or other flat surface for 3-5 minutes.

10.  Cover your pie and refrigerate.

11.  When you are ready to serve your pie, top with whipped topping and sprinkle remaining
       peppermint bark over the whip.

You can give this pie as a gift, or enjoy with your family and friends.

Enjoy

-ChefElla

chicken paprikash

if i remember it correctly, i was in sixth grade when i finally got a cd player for christmas. it was the first year in our new house and one of the only times i can remember waking up christmas morning in my own house. usually we went to our grandparents'. that year, they came to us.

i was so excited. it was a sony boombox that not only played cds, but had a radio, dual tape deck - for making mix tapes - and removable speakers. pretty soon after the holiday i bought my first cd, the bodyguard soundtrack - which i still have tucked away in a box of other random memorabilia. i've still never seen the movie, but that didn't stop me from playing it so many times in the next five years that i'm surprised it still plays. i can remember so vividly sitting at my desk, doing math homework after a basketball game, with whitney belting out the words to 'i'm every woman'. it was good to be a kid of the '90s.

what do the bodyguard and christmas gifts from the early '90s have to do with this paprikash? absolutely nothing. but this time of year, between thanksgiving and before the rush of christmas starts, i always think of past gifts. gifts i've received and gifts i've given. each year i remember something different and the memory strikes me at the most random time. this year, i was walking in to daycare, when forever reason, i thought of that christmas, more than 15 years ago.

chicken paprikash
45 minutes, serves 8
click to get the recipe at annie's eats.

chicken (or leftover turkey) & tortellini soup

i hope everyone had a great thanksgiving. did you eat a lot of turk? if you're anything like my father, you have pounds and pounds and pounds of it left over. he cooks two turkeys. one the day before thanksgiving - specifically for sandwiches and leftovers - and one the day of to be served with dinner. earlier this week he told me he cut way back and only cooked 35 pounds of turkey instead of the 44 he cooked last year. 35 pounds of turkey for 12 adults. needless to say i never went hungry growing up.

so if you - like my dad - have pounds of turkey left over and are already getting sick of turkey sandwiches, i suggest this soup. it's painless to whip up, transforms turkey into something different, you probably have leftover carrots and celery from your thanksgiving feast anyway. and if you don't have spinach or mushrooms hanging out, then omit them. no big deal. don't have fresh tortellini? substitute egg noodles or broken spaghetti.

chicken & tortellini soup
45 minutes, serves 6-8

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrot
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup all purpose flour
12 cups chicken stock
12-16 ounces fresh tortellini, whatever flavor you like (i used cheese)
6 ounces (about 8 cups) fresh spinach
2 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 cup heavy cream or half & half (optional)
about 2 tablespoons dry sherry

1. melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. add the celery, carrot, and mushrooms and saute until soft and most of the liquid has been cooked out. 
2. sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. stir constantly until the flour is lightly browned, about three minutes.
3. while stirring, slowly add the chicken stock. bring the soup up to a boil, add the tortellini, and cook for one minute less than the directions on the package. 
4. turn off the heat, add the chicken and spinach, and season with salt and pepper. add the cream or half & half, if using. mix in one tablespoon of the sherry & taste the soup. add another tablespoon if you prefer. serve with crusty bread.

the latest

baby winn is five months old today. five. he's getting so big & loves taking walks in his stroller, telling us about his day, and playing with the other babies at daycare.

i was absolutely, head over heels in love with coconut when i was pregnant, and have had a soft spot for it since. so you can imagine my excitement when i saw this crockpot coconut hot chocolate. i bought the ingredients for this the very next day. and they have sat on my kitchen counter ever since, waiting for a few free minutes to whip it up.

vodka + cranberry was my drink of choice before baby winn. time to get back on board with this cranberry vodka spritzer!

i am hosting christmas for the first time ever this year. since there will only be three of us, plus the baby, i'm debating whether to cook a whole bird, or just this roast turkey breast with roasted garlic gravy. thoughts?

speaking of christmas, this salted caramel apple pie, although pretty untraditional, is a contender for christmas dessert. and i'm already behind on my christmas baking. these super chewy ginger cookies are definitely on the list, along with this chocolate peanut butter fudge and bacon almond brittle. the combination of bacon and caramel is killer. and if brittle isn't your thing, try these soft bacon caramels.

i was in trader joe's this week and picked up some of their dark chocolate peanut butter salted caramel truffles. they are just as decadent and delicious as they sound. this peanut butter pie with caramel and chocolate ganache pie sounds like a grown up version of the truffles. love it. 

i've got to get on this baby apron tutorial because baby winn sure is a drooler. and it's almost time to start him on cereal. i'll get on it right after the christmas stockings are done. and christmas dinner is cooked & cleaned. so yea, january.

what's up with chalkboards?! they're everywhere! i can't tell you how many nurseries i saw them in when i was planning baby winn's. regardless of the inhalation issues with chalk dust and the mess it makes, somehow chalkboards became. which is strange, since every classroom i've been in in the last five years has gotten rid of theirs for dry erase or smart boards. anyway, yes, i am jumping on the chalkboard bandwagon with this simply diy chalkboard.

Black Bean, Corn, and Potato Burritos

This burrito filling is something I just tossed together for dinner using ingredients in the fridge and pantry that I'm trying to use up in preparation for all the Thanksgiving leftovers.  It's very simple and may sound boring, but it's surprisingly good!  My husband declared them to be magical because the ingredients on their own are kind of plain, but they combine to make something really tasty.  This is also a VERY cheap vegetarian or vegan meal, especially if you serve them with homemade tortillas and go easy on the array of burrito toppings.  I think it would also actually be good served as a sort of hash by leaving the mixture in the skillet, pressing in some indentations, cracking eggs into the indentations, replacing the lid, and cooking until the egg is set.  Yummy!

Quick note: You can easily use diced onion and garlic instead of the powders, I just didn't have any.  Add the onion about halfway through the cooking time of the potatoes and add the garlic when the potatoes only have a couple of minutes left.  Also, don't add any cheese if you want the burritos to be vegan!

Behold, my burrito with monterey jack cheese and salsa verde:

Black Bean, Corn, and Potato Burritos

2 medium-large baking potatoes (each about 12 oz)
2-3 T butter (can use olive oil to make it vegan)
16 oz can black beans, drained
2 C frozen corn
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t cumin
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t garlic powder
tortillas and your favorite burrito toppings

Wash potatoes and cut into small cubes, each about 1/3 inches wide.  Melt butter in a large skillet over medium, add the potatoes, and toss to coat.  Cover pan and cook, tossing every couple of minutes, for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes begin to soften.  Remove lid and cook about 5 minutes more or until cooked through and nicely golden.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add drained beans, corn, and spices, and cook through.  Taste and add more salt if necessary.  Serve in tortillas with your favorite toppings.

Yield: about 6 servings

Tuesdays with Dorie: Best Ever Brownies

This week's recipe is for brownies!  I have to admit that homemade brownies and I do not have a good track record and I've always been a die hard fan of brownie mix.  It's the only dessert that I thought was better from a package than homemade.  I've only tried making them from scratch a couple of times, and they were always exceedingly "blah."  I've had other people's homemade brownies, too, and no matter how much they brag about them, they too are unremarkable, or at least not as good as the kind from a mix.

Well, my friends, all that has changed with this recipe for Best Ever Brownies!  Theoretically we only have to make one Tuesdays with Dorie recipe each month and I already did mine for November, but since I have had exceedingly good results with all but one recipe from the Baking with Julia book, I decided to go for it!  Absolutely no regrets because these really ARE the best brownies either of us have ever had.  Rich, chocolaty, very fudgy, a little chewy, moist, and with that perfect crackled brownie top.  They also stay good for several days, which is a bonus since we don't feel pressured to eat the entire pan in a day :oD  I am also very happy at the prospect of leaving boxed brownie mix behind forever (or mostly, at least- I have a super easy PB Brownie Bites recipe I'll be sharing soon).

You can view the recipe over at A Beautiful Mess.  The only change I made was to use all semisweet chocolate chips for the chocolate.  It turned out delicious this way, but next time I will definitely use the unsweetened and bittersweet chocolates specified in the recipe so it will have even more chocolate flavor.  I also had to bake the recipe a full 50 minutes, basically twice as long as the recipe said.  This was a common issue other TWD people encountered.  I'm certain my brownies were not overbaked- they were completely liquid at 25 minutes and it wasn't until 50 minutes that my toothpick came out gooey rather than covered with runny batter.  To counteract this, I'd like to try baking the batter in a 9 by 13 pan since the brownies were quite thick anyway, and I will DEFINITELY grease the pan (the recipe said not to) since they stuck to the bottom some.  Those little issues aside, this recipe is awesome and I will definitely make them again and again (and again)!

Creamy Herb and Tomato Shell Casserole

 Do you love cheese and noodles?  That's probably a "yes" since you ended up at this blog!  If you do, you would probably really like this recipe.  It has tender shell noodles that curl around each other, and lots of creamy, cheesy, herby sauce studded with the occasional tomato chunk.  If I may say, this is a restaurant quality pasta dish and is even prettier than the average casserole (not that you can tell from my photos!).  It's funny because before I baked it, I wasn't sure how great it was going to be.  The sauce mixed with the pasta tasted fine, but not amazing.  Something magical happened in the oven, though.  The flavors combined and mellowed- and ended up being something wonderful!

 This is a recipe I kinda sorta thought up a couple of weeks ago and finally made last night.  I say "kinda sorta" made it up because it was inspired by this Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe from Food.com.  If you take a peek at the original you can see that it is VERY different from what I actually made and I've basically made it unrecognizable!  That's just what I do :oD  I think it's different enough that I can call it my own recipe!

Quick note:  The shells I used for this were bigger than normal.  Certainly not as big as the kind you use for stuffed shells, but bigger than the ones I normally see.  If you can find those, buy 'em, because they're perfect for holding all the yummy sauce!

Creamy Herb and Tomato Shell Casserole

1 lb shell pasta
4 T butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
 1 t salt, plus more
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
2 t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
4 C milk, divided
4 T cornstarch
8 oz freshly grated parmesan, divided
8 oz grated monterey jack cheese (or mozzarella), divided
16 oz can Italian stewed tomatoes with some of the juice drained off

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9 by 13 baking dish.  In a large pot of lightly salted water, boil pasta until just before al dente.  It will continue cooking in the oven.  Drain, return to pot, and cover.

While pasta cooks, melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat and saute garlic until golden.  Add seasonings and cook a few seconds.  Add 3 1/2 C milk and heat almost to a simmer.  In a measuring cup, stir together remaining 1/2 C milk and cornstarch until smooth.  Stir into sauce and stir constantly until sauce thickens, then continue cooking and stirring for another minute.  Remove from heat and stir in all but 1/2 cup of the parmesan until melted.

Add sauce to pasta and stir to coat.  Taste and add more salt if if needs it (I ended up adding another teaspoon).  Pour half of the pasta into the baking dish and top evenly with the stewed tomatoes and 1 cup of the monterey jack cheese.  Top with remaining pasta, the rest of the parmesan, and the rest of the monterey jack.

Bake until lightly golden and bubbly, about 40 minutes.  Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: About 10 servings

slow cooker tex-mex chicken stew

ah, martha, you almost got me again. for me, she's always been hit or miss. on one hand, my favorite basic yellow cake comes from martha stewart. her peach pie is out of this world. chicken & pearl couscous with tomato and lemon is one of the best meals i've had this year. and then there are the flops, which i also need to get better at documenting. these peanut butter swirled chocolate cupcakes sounded delicious but are far from it. and her one bowl chocolate cake? while not a disaster, i'd take ina's version over martha's any day.which brings me to this stew.

as written, a cup of dried pinto beans are put in the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. the theory is that cooking the beans at a low temperature for a long time - more than 8 hours - in liquid will soften them. great in theory, not so good in practice. we were left with beans that had way more bite to them than desirable. halfway through my bowl i started pushing them to the side with my spoon, making it easier to toss them in the trash when i was born. it's unfortunate, since this is another ridiculously simple and delicious slow cooker recipe.

so i remedied the pebbly beans. instead of adding dried beans, add a can (or homemade cooked beans) at the end and mix them in to warm through. you'll be rewarded with a rich creamy stew with perfectly cooked beans. 

slow cooker tex-mex chicken stew
adapted from martha stewart

the salsa you choose will determine the level of spice and heat in the final stew. remember, you can always add more spice by adding chili powder if needed, but it's impossible to remove heat once added. i am not a fan of spicy food and used a jar of medium salsa. jason thought it was good, i thought it was a touch too much and will use half a jar of mild and half a jar of medium next time.

1 1/2 cups (12 ounce jar) mild or medium salsa
2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chilis in adobo
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
2 cups (16 ounce can) pinto beans, rinsed
sour cream, avocado, cheddar cheese, tortillas and/or green onions for serving

1. combine the salsa, chilis, flour, and 1 cup water in your slow cooker. mix to combine. 
2. season the chicken with salt and pepper and arrange on top of the chili mixture. 
3. arrange the onion and pepper on top of the chicken.
4. cook on low for 8-9 hours. mix in the beans and shred the chicken. cook a couple minutes longer to ensure the beans are heated through. serve with your favorite toppings.

like kt&e on facebook.

spiced pumpkin chocolate chip loaf

i wish i didn't procrastinate so much. the weekend before halloween we carved pumpkins with friends. that same satuday, we drove to my parents for my mom's halloween party & spent the night. both were planned weeks in advance. yet somehow, that saturday morning, i left myself way too many things to do: pack overnight bags for me & the baby, wash a load of diapers, buy pumpkins to carve, and make some kind of food to bring both to parties. this loaf cake fit the bill perfectly. i whipped it up in no time first thing in the morning, did laundry and packed bags while it baked, showered while it cooled, and since it makes two loaves, had the perfect amount for both parties. i plan to make christmas stockings this year. let's hope they're done in time.

spiced pumpkin chocolate chip loaf
adapted from baked: new frontiers in baking
1 hour 30 minutes, makes 2 loaves

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
about 2 cups pumpkin puree (one 15 ounce can)
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

1. preheat your oven to 350F. butter two loaf pans and dust them with flour. if you skip or skimp on this step, your loaves will stick to the bottom, trust me. set aside.
2. in a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients: flour, spices, baking soda, and salt.
3. in a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin, oil, and sugar until combined. whisk in the eggs and vanilla. stir in the chocolate chips.
4. pour the dry ingredients into the wet and fold to combine. be careful not to overmix.
5. divide the batter equally between the two pans. bake about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. cool in the pans for 15 minutes before inverting the loaves on a wire rack to cool completely.

shells with mushrooms and bacon

even before baby winn was born, jason and i have divided weekly dinner duty. usually we each choose two meals to make, assuming one night will either be leftovers or take out. usually jason chooses something without a real recipe, like paninis or pasta with meat sauce. this month, when browsing through my newest copy of everyday food with the baby, jason shouted we had to have this pasta dish for dinner. naturally, i suggested he cook it. and that he did.

The original recipe came from Everyday Food... I am a big fan of pastas with simple sauces, so when I saw this, I knew I had to make it.

I made a few changes to the original recipe, though. The first was that I added a shallot. Originally I read the recipe as "shallots" instead of scallions. But by that time I already had my mind set on some shallots so I added them with the bacon. The second change was that the original recipe only called for 2 slices of puny, regular bacon. This amount of the world's best form of meat for a huge pot of pasta is a joke so I pumped it up to a meaty 4 slices of thick-cut bacon. And it could have even taken more. I also doubled the amount of cheese from 1/2 cup to 1 cup, because more cheese is always better. The last change was simply the number of scallions, the original called for 1/2 cup but our store only sells them as a "small bunch" and as I had no other use for them I put in all I had, which was about a cup and a half. I don't think it was too many scallions.

shells with mushrooms and bacon
adapted from everyday food, november 2012
30 minutes, serves 4

omit the bacon and substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock for a great vegetarian dinner!

4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 shallot, diced
1 1/2 cups chopped scallions
2 cups cleaned and sliced mushrooms
2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 lb small pasta shells
1 cup Parmesan

1. Start with heating a pot of salted water for the pasta. Cook the pasta at the same time as the rest of the dish to al dente, drain, and leave in the pot.
2. In a skillet, heat a pan under medium heat and add the bacon. The bacon will start to cook and give some oil. Once there is enough oil (maybe 30-60 seconds), add the shallots and cook until the bacon is starting to brown.
3. Add the scallions and cook for about 5 minutes until the scallions have wilted.
4. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, until they have released their moisture.
5. Add the peas, stock, and butter, and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until the liquid has reduced by half.
6. Add the sauce to the cooked and drained pasta. Add the Parmesan cheese and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Buttermilk Pie

Buttermilk pie.  It doesn't necessarily sound all that tasty, does it?  Unsurprisingly, it is a very old recipe.  And perhaps surprisingly, it is a GOOD recipe!  Before I made it myself, I'd only had buttermilk pie once before: at a little restaurant in Louisiana about 8 years ago when I was visiting my dad.  We toured the Houmas House in Darrow, Louisiana, which is a couple of hours away from where my dad lives.  It's a beautiful place and we had a very nice, peaceful day wandering around.  Afterwards, we stopped at a little restaurant and shared a piece of buttermilk pie for dessert.  I had to try it because it sounded interesting!

I had absolutely no idea what to expect, but it turns out buttermilk pie is very, very reminiscent of the filling in lemon bars, only without the lemon.  It is sweet and a little tangy, with a nice amount of vanilla.  Not a complicated or sophisticated flavor and a bit of an acquired taste.  It reminds me a lot of transparent pudding, which is another very old fashioned recipe.  My grandmother made them every year for Thanksgiving and I haven't had one in at least 10 years.

Although the buttermilk pie is good as is, I really think it would be fantastic with lots of lemon juice added.  Like a lemon bar with a ton of filling, what's not to love?  It is good though without the lemon flavor though and a great use for leftover buttermilk.  My buttermilk was actually left over from the Buttermilk Crumb Muffins I made earlier this week. 

This recipe comes to you from Southern Plate.  I've been eying it ever since it was originally posted and am so glad I finally got to make it!

Buttermilk Pie

1 9 inch pie crust, placed in pan (can use this cheater's recipe)
1/2 C softened butter
1 1/2 C sugar
3 eggs
1 C buttermilk
3 T flour
1 T lemon juice
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
cinnamon to sprinkle on top (optional, I forgot)

Preheat oven to 350.  Place butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until well combined.  Add other ingredients except cinnamon and beat until smooth.  Pour into crust.  Sprinkle top with cinnamon if you would like.  Bake until set, 40 to 60 minutes.  When the pie has set, you will be able to stick a toothpick in the center and have it come out clean (though a bit shiny), but it will still be jiggly if you shake it gently.  Let pie cool completely before serving.  Serve at room temperature or cold.  Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Cheater's Pie Crust

Are you really bad at rolling out pie crusts, or just don't like the hassle?  And when it comes to pie, are you more interested in what's in the pie rather than the crust?  If so, then this is the pie crust for you!  If you're fantastic at making pie crusts and/or love traditional pie crust with a passion, you will probably want to pass on this recipe.  It's not bad by any means- I wouldn't make it if it was a bad recipe- but it doesn't have the flaky thing going on that so many people love.  It's more like a vaguely tasty delivery system for luscious pie filling and lets what's in the pie take center stage.

Now, to the recipe.  I first made it with this pie from AllRecipes 10 years ago and have been making it ever since, with a few minor changes.  If I'm making a pie with just 1 crust and a gingersnap or graham cracker crust won't cut it, or it's something savory like quiche, then this is the recipe I use.

Sorry there's not a picture of the plain crust, I meant to take one tonight but I forgot and went ahead and poured in the filling!  Here's a picture of it once filled and baked though, you can see that it holds up just fine to being cut and served:

Cheater's Pie Crust

1 1/2 C flour
1 1/2 t sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 C oil
2 T water

Place first 3 ingredients in a pie plate and toss with a fork to combine.  Add oil and water and mix with the fork as much as you can, then dive in with your hands to finish mixing in the flour.  Try not to over work it.  Press some of the dough up the sides of the pan, then crumble the rest into little pieces evenly into the bottom of the pan.  Press the dough down to form a solid crust without any holes or cracks.  Proceed with your recipe as if it were a regular pie crust.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

If you've never mixed up your own taco seasoning, you should really give it a try!  I have been making it myself since I came across this recipe on AllRecipes a couple of years ago.  If you have tacos a lot, you will save yourself quite a bit of money, especially if you buy spices in bulk.  This mix also tastes better than packaged seasoning and doesn't have any weird ingredients.  And if you need any more convincing, it doesn't take any more time to cook taco meat with this than the packaged kind.  If you mix up a big batch of the seasoning, all you have to do when you're cooking the meat is measure out the taco seasoning, sprinkle on a little flour, add water, and cook and stir.  Easy peasy!  Oh, and great served on homemade tortillas.

This base recipe is pretty mild heat wise, though that will depend on your chili powder and other ingredients to some extent.  It shouldn't be too hot for kids or people who don't like spicy.  If you want it hotter, just add more cayenne!  You can also leave out the salt (though I already cut down on the salt by 1/3 in the recipe I posted) or change any other ingredients.  Maybe even add a smidge of cocoa powder.  There are lots of options.  Oh, and you can use this for things other than meat- I'll bet it would be good in chili or sprinkled on popcorn or french fries.  In a couple weeks I plan to make roasted cashews sprinkled with this taco seasoning.  Yum!

Seasoning all mixed up:

  

and cooked with ground turkey:

Homemade Taco Seasoning

4 T chili powder
3 1/2 T paprika
3 T cumin
2 T onion powder
2 T garlic powder
4 t salt
1/4 t cayenne pepper

Place ingredients in a glass jar, put on the lid, and shake to mix.  To make taco meat, brown 1 lb ground beef or turkey in a large skillet.  Drain off fat.  Sprinkle on 2 T taco seasoning and 1 scant T flour (about 3/4 T).  Stir well until meat is coated, then add 3/4 C water and cook, stirring, until liquid has thickened, about 2 minutes.  Serve however you would regularly serve taco meat.

Yield: Enough taco seasoning for about 8 lbs of meat.

martha's slow cooker beef stew

for the month of october, i eased going back to work, working one day a week. tuesday. so for the five tuesdays in october, i went to work and jason stayed home with baby winn. this beef stew was perfect for one of those tuesday nights, when i wanted to play with the baby as soon as i got home and jason wanted to relax or do one of the dozen or so things on his to do list that can't possibly get done when you have a baby around.

speaking of not having enough time, that is the one thing i wish i knew before i had baby winn: when you spend a day at home with him, you have time for one chore, and that's it. no side projects that you'll get done in your "free" time, as i naively thought before he arrived. as any parent knows, those precious few minutes while the baby is sleeping, swinging, or otherwise content leave you scrambling to do no less than six things, of which you will only get done two, and spend the entire rest of the day trying to squeeze in some time to do the other four things. like this post, and all others in the last month and those to come in the next year. i'm squeezing it in between baby bedtime and parks & recreation. time not only moves one hell of a lot faster with a baby around, it's also a million times more precious. and hard to come by.

martha's slow cooker beef stew

click to get the recipe from martha stewart. i followed the slow cooker variation and cooked it on low for 8 hours. other than halving the recipe (three pounds of meat is a lot for 2 people), and adding a bit more potatoes and carrots to use up what i already had, i followed the recipe as posted.

11/06/12 ChefElla's Chicken Pot Pie With Dumplings

CHEFELLA'S CHICKEN POT PIE WITH DUMPLINGS

Sometimes my Dad tries to tell me about the things he would eat when he was my age.  My Mom always say yum, but to be honest none of it sounds very good.  Last week my Dad said he needed my expert help in the kitchen.  He said he was making a special soup, and because I was ChefElla he needed my help.  Making the dumplings was the best part, and when we were done, it tasted so good.  Later my Dad told me it was pot pie soup.  That day I learned that sometimes even food with a funny name can taste good.
For this recipe you will need to use the stove and a knife.  If you are not allowed to use the stove or a knife by yourself you can have your mom or dad help.

1.  Wash your hands.

2.  For this recipe you will need a 1 gallon stock pot with a lid, a wooden spoon, a large mixing bowl, measuring cups and spoons, a wire whisk, a small scooper, a fork, a cutting board, and a knife.

Chicken Dumpling Soup Ingredients: (This recipe will make 4-6 servings)

2 Cups       Mirepoix (mirror-i-pwaw) Mirepoix is the french name for your soup starting vegetables.
                           Mirepoix is made up of carrots, celery, and onions.  Usually it is 2 parts onion to 1 part
                           carrot and 1 part celery, but each recipe can change.
                           For example in this recipe we are using:
                  1 Cup        Red Onion, small diced

                      -Small diced is when you cut the onion into 1/4 inch pieces.  (see ChefElla's salsa recipe
                      for more explantation on how to cut an onion.

                  1/2 Cup      Celery, small diced

                  1/2 Cup      Carrot, small diced

3 Tbl.         Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbl.         Whole Wheat or All Purpose Flour
1/4 Cup     White Wine

                 -You can use any kind of wine you have or you can buy white cooking wine at the store.
                  The good thing about cooking with wine is once you cook it, the alcohol is gone and
                  all that is left is the flavor.

3 Tbl.          Extra Virgin Olive Oil

32oz.          Chicken Broth.  (You can buy 32oz containers of Broth at the store.)
1 lb.            Chicken Breast, Large Diced.  You can use fresh or pre-cooked chicken.

1/2 Cup      Fresh or Frozen Corn.

1/2 Cup      Fresh or Frozen Green Peas. (if you do not like peas you can leave them out)     

1 tsp.           Salt, Kosher or Sea Salt

1/2 tsp.       Tabasco

3.  Put your pot on the stove add your Olive Oil, and heat on medium.

4.  Add your mirepoix and cook for 5 minutes, stirring every minute or two.  Do not brown your
     vegetables.

5.  Add flour to your pan and mix well.  Try to get the flour all over your vegetables.  Stir 1-2 minutes.

6.  Add the wine to your vegetables and mix.  The mixture should look like a globby mess. Stir for
     30 seconds.

7.  Add your chicken stock and mix with a wire whisk.

8.  Bring your soup to a simmer.
     -Simmering is when there are bubbles gently coming up in your soup.  If there are a lot of bubbles
     and steam then you are boiling.

9.  When you soup is simmering, add your chicken, corn, peas, salt and Tabasco, and mix well.
10.  Bring the mixture back to a simmer.  Stir the soup occasionally so the soup does not stick to the
       bottom of the pan.

While you are waiting for your soup to simmer you can make the dumplings.

Sage Dumpling Ingredients: (This recipe will make about 20 - 1inch dumplings)

1 Cup          Whole Wheat Flour

2 tsp.           Dried Parsley

1 tsp.           Dried Sage

1/2 tsp.       Granulated Garlic

1 1/2 tsp.     Baking Soda

1 tsp.           Salt, Kosher or Sea Salt

2 Tbl.           Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 Cup       Water.

1.  Add all of your dry ingredients to a bowl and mix well with a large fork.

2.  Add your oil and water to the dry ingredients.  

3.  Mix slowly.  Try to incorporate all of the flour into the dumplings, but do not over mix.

     -Incorporating is when you do not see the flour anymore.

4.  The dumpling mixture will look like a sticky lump of dough.

5.  Scoop your dumplings with a scooper or spoon one by one and ease them into your simmering

     soup.  

     -Try not to put the dumplings on top of each other.  

     -The dumplings will begin to float.

6.  Put the lid on your stock pot, turn your stove down to medium low or low heat, and set your timer

     for 15 minutes.

7.  After 15 minutes you can take the top off your pot and turn off the stove.

Serve warm in a bowl.

Enjoy

-ChefElla

Tuesdays with Dorie: Buttermilk Crumb Muffins

This week's TWD recipe is for Buttermilk Crumb Muffins.  The recipe is courtesy of Marion Cunningham, a lady who published several well known baking books.  If you'd like to read the recipe, it's hosted over on the blog Easier Than Pie, and you can also watch Marion Cunningham and Julia Child make the recipe together here.  Usually I'm not a fan of cooking shows, but I do enjoy watching the video for Tuesdays with Dorie recipes!

Now, to business.  This was a pretty straight forward endeavor.  I followed the recipe exactly and even mixed up the flour and brown sugar with my fingers like Marion in the video.  Normally I don't like getting stuff on my hands but this was kind of fun!  In the video, they get exactly 12 big muffins by filling the tins almost all the way to the top.  I did the same and my batter loving husband ate what little batter remained, but really it would probably be just as well to make 16 or so muffins instead of 12.

This is what my muffins looked like- just like the video, huh?

Not the prettiest things, but know what?  They sure were good!  They taste very homey and old fashioned.  The cinnamon and nutmeg are pretty mild and the brown sugar gives them a nice, full flavor.  Perhaps not the most exciting muffins ever, but they were FAR from boring.  They actually remind me quite a bit of the glorious Allspice Apple Crumb muffins, only without the apples, a slightly different flavor profile, a different type of crumb topping, and a lot less work.  Admittedly, they are not on the same level as Allspice Apple Crumb muffins, but I can be a bit particular about muffins and I thought these guys were really yummy anyway.  The only part I wasn't completely pleased with was the crumb topping.  It tasted pretty floury and there wasn't a whole lot of it (though next time I could just set aside more!) and it wasn't as crumbly as some, but it was still nice and I think scooping out part of the mixture before adding the rest of the ingredients is part of the charm.

Oh, and sorry there isn't a picture of them out of the pan.  For the love of muffins, use paper liners if you make this recipe!  They didn't stick per se, it's just that they're so soft and fluffy that you end up tearing the tops off the muffins when you try to get them out.  The original plan had been for me to send these to work with my husband, but I don't think his coworkers want to crowd around a muffin tin with spoons, so the muffins will be staying home with us.

Verdict:  A repeat muffin for sure!  Not an every day muffin what with all the shortening and sugar, but good for the occasional treat or to take along somewhere.