3/27/14 ChefElla's Crispy Chicken with Garlic Butter Noodles

CHEFELLA'S CRISPY CHICKEN WITH GARLIC BUTTER NOODLES

Sometimes my Dad makes dinner for us.  He only knows how to makes a few dishes, but they are really good.  He said he learned to make this dish from my Grandma.  It is not fancy, and it is not for every night, but I always look forward to him making it, and to me eating it.  This is a great recipe for you to teach your Dad how to cook.

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 a grown up help.

1. Wash your hands.

2. For this recipe you will need measuring cups and spoons, a heat proof rubber spatula, a large mixing bowl, a saute pan, a pot for cooking pasta, a strainer , a knife and a cutting board.

ChefElla's Crispy Chicken with Garlic Butter Noodles

Ingredients: (This recipe will make 4 servings.)

1 Lbs.       Chicken Tenders, Raw, or Chicken Breast Sliced into long Strips

4 Tbl.        Olive Oil  

2 Tbl.        All Purpose Flour
                 -If you want to make this recipe gluten free you can use a gluten free flour.
6-7oz       Whole Wheat Spaghetti, Raw (1/2 a box)
                -If you want to make this recipe gluten free you can use a gluten free pasta.
1 Cup      Grape Tomatoes, Cut In Half
1 Tbl.       Butter or Butter Substitute
1/2 tsp    Salt
1/2 tsp    Granulated Garlic
1/8 tsp    Paprika
1 tsp        Oregano Leaves, Dried
Garnish   Parmesan Cheese
Garnish   Fresh Basil, Chopped or Scallions, Thin Sliced.             

3. Cook pasta according to the directions on the box and drain.
4. Return your pot back to the stove and turn on low.  Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and butter to your
    pot.  When the butter melts add tomatoes and pasta back to the pot and mix well.
5. Sprinkle salt, garlic, paprika and oregano to your pasta and tomatoes and mix well.
6. Pre-heat your saute pan on low.
7. In your large mixing bowl mix chicken and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  When the chicken is
    coated sprinkle flour over chicken and mix well until the flour coats the chicken.

8. Turn your pan to medium high.  When the pan is hot lay each piece of chicken in the pan.  Let the
    chicken cook for 3-4 minutes.  Turn the chicken over and cook for and additional 2-3 minutes.

9. Serve pasta with chicken and top with Parmesan Cheese, fresh chopped Basil or Scallions.

This is a quick and easy dish to make and enjoy with family and friends.

Enjoy

- ChefElla

3/22/14 ChefElla's Shrimp Cakes with Spicy Avocado Sauce

CHEFELLA'S SHRIMP CAKES WITH SPICY AVOCADO SAUCE

I like seafood, but every time I tell my friends I like seafood they all say, "YUCK!"  I think my friends do not like seafood because they have not had the chance to try something they like.  I think they tried one thing once, and said, "I did not like that fish, or shrimp, or crab, so I do not like seafood."  I know they do not say the same thing with candy because I see them trying all sorts of candy until they find their favorite.  I like to share my love of food with my friends, so this week I made a recipe for them to give seafood one more try.  I hope it changes their minds about seafood and about trying new things even though they did not like something the first time.

For this recipe you will need to use the oven, a food processor (cuisinart) and a knife.  If you are not allowed to use the oven, appliances or a knife by yourself you can have a grown up help.

Note:  If you do not have a food processor you can still make this recipe.  You will just need to mince your shrimp and water chestnuts by hand.

1. Wash your hands.

2. For this recipe you will need measuring cups and spoons, a rubber spatula, a large mixing bowl, a small mixing bowl, a food processor, a cookie sheet, a butter knife and fork, and a cutting board.

ChefElla's Shrimp Cakes

Ingredients: (This recipe will make 20-24 appetizer servings.)

1 Lbs.       Shrimp, Cooked, Peeled, De-veined, Tail-off, and Thawed.
                 -A frozen shrimp is o.k. if you thaw it first.  An expensive shrimp is not necessary.
                 -If you like another kind of seafood feel free to substitute it instead of shrimp.

4 oz.        Water Chestnuts (After you drain one 8oz can you will be left with 4oz of Water Chestnuts.)  

1 tsp        Garlic, Fresh Minced (If you only have granulated garlic use 1/4 tsp granulated garlic instead)
                 -Minced is when you cut something into a small dice and then you chop down so that it is
                  in really small pieces.
1/2 Cup   Scallions (Green Onion), Thin Sliced, (2-3 green onions)
                -Wash the green onion and cut off the small root end.  Slice the green onion into thin circles.  Be
                careful because the green onion can roll while cutting it.
2 ea          Eggs
1.5 Cups  Panko Bread Crumbs.
                -There are different kinds of bread crumbs.  Panko are white Japanese bread crumbs that are
                made from a special bread and only contains the white part of the bread.  You can also use
                French bread crumbs called mie de pain (meaning middle of the bread).  Do not use plain bread
                crumbs they contain the crust and are heavier.
2 Tbl.        Sesame Seeds
1/2 tsp      Black Pepper
4 tsp         Soy Sauce

3. Pre-heat oven to 400F.
4. Cut cut shrimp into pieces and put into your food processor.  Chop your shrimp on low until it is in small
    pieces.  Do not blend into a paste.  You still want to be able to see some shrimp pieces.  Put shrimp into
    your mixing bowl.  (See ingredient picture below).

5. Add water chestnuts to the food processor, and chop them into small pieces.  Again do not blend into a
    paste.  Add water chestnuts to the bowl with the shrimp. 

6. In your small bowl mix your egg, soy sauce, and black pepper.

7. Add egg mix to your large bowl and mix well with your shrimp and water chestnuts.
8. Add remaining ingredients and mix until all of the ingredients are combined.  Do not beat or whip the
    mixture.
9. Cover your cookie sheet with foil and spray with pan spray.
10.  Wet your hands and take a heaping table spoon of the shrimp mixture and roll into a ball with your
       hands.  Put the shrimp ball on the pan and pat it gently so that it flattens out a little.
11.  Repeat the process until all of your mix is rolled and patted flat on the tray.  The cakes should not touch.
12.  Put the tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
13.  When the shrimp cakes are done flip them over so that the browned side is facing up.

Spicy Avocado Sauce

Ingredients: (This recipe will make about 1 cup of sauce.)

1 ea         Avocado, Ripe

                -To figure out if an Avocado is ripe you can do one of two things.
                 1.  Ask the produce person nicely if they will pick out a nice ripe avocado for you, or
                 2.  Gently squeeze some avocados.  If they are hard as a rock they are not ready.  A ripe
                      avocado should be just a little soft when you press on the skin.

1 Tbl.      Mayonnaise

                -I use Canola Mayonnaise because it has 1/2 the calories of regular mayonnaise but still has all of
                 the flavor of regular mayonnaise.  You can use whatever kind you like best.

1/2 tsp     Soy Sauce

1/2 tsp     Wasabi Paste, ready to use
1/4 tsp     Garlic, Fresh Minced (If you have granulated garlic, just use a pinch.)

14. Clean the food processor and rubber spatula.
15. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise.  There is a large hard pit in the avocado so you will need to cut
      around it not through it.  Separate the two halves of the avocado and using your butter knife pry out the
      pit.  Take your knife and cut the Avocado while it is still in the skin (see picture below)  Do not cut
      through the skin.  Cut the Avocado one way and then the other to make small squares.  Scoop the
      Avocado out of the skin with your rubber spatula into the food processor. 

15. Add all of the ingredients to the food processor and mix until the sauce is smooth.

Serve your shrimp cakes warm with your spicy sauce.  If you do not like the Spicy Avocado Sauce serve your shrimp cakes with Teriyaki, Plum, or Sweet and Sour Sauce.

Enjoy

- ChefElla

Black Forest Cheesecake

Serves 10 to 12

400g Bourbon Biscuits, finely crushed
2 tbsp. light brown soft sugar
100g unsalted butter, melted
40g dark chocolate, grated
300g cream cheese
300ml double cream
100g (1 packet) My Secret Kitchen Black Forest Cheese Ball & Dip Mix
100ml double cream, whipped
200g dark chocolate grated
8 cherries - fresh or canned in light syrup

Use a little of the melted butter to grease a 9" / 24cm loose bottomed flan tin.
In a large bowl, mix together the crushed bourbon biscuits and the soft brown sugar. Drizzle in the melted butter and stir to thoroughly combine. Then add the dark chocolate, mix and tip into the prepared tin.

Beat together the cream cheese and double cream and fold in 2/3 of the Black Forest Cheese Ball Mix. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.

Pour half of the cheese cake filling into the chocolate bourbon biscuit base. Sprinkle over the remaining Cheese Ball Mix and top with the remaining cheese cake filling.

To garnish, sprinkle the grated dark chocolate over the top of the cheesecake and pipe 8 rosettes of whipped cream around the edge then top each with a cherry.

3/13/14 ChefElla's Blueberry Secret Smoothie

CHEFELLA'S BLUEBERRY SECRET SMOOTHIE

When I get home from school I am so hungry.  After a long day of reading, math, and recess I just want something to eat.  Sometimes when you are really hungry you choose foods that are not good for you.  Lucky for me my mom makes the best smoothies.  Even though I know they are good for me, I still drink them because they taste great.  This week my Mom took over the blog to share one of her famous after school smoothie recipes.  Make sure you share this recipe with your Mom so that she can make a smoothie for you after school, or anytime you need a snack.
ChefElla.

For this recipe you will need to use a blender.  If you are not allowed to use a blender by yourself you can have a grown up help.

1. Wash your hands.

2. For this recipe you will need measuring cups.

ChefElla's Blueberry Secret Smoothie (This recipe will make 2 servings)

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup    Blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 Cup    Strawberries, fresh or frozen

1/4 Cup    Spinach, frozen
                 -If you use fresh spinach it will be one 1/4 cup spinach packed full.
                 -If you would like to use a different green leaf vegetable like kale, arugula, or beet tops you
                  may need to use a different amount.  Other greens can be bitter and you may need to use
                  less or more berries to balance the flavor of the smoothie.
1/2            Large Ripe Banana                 

1/2 Cup     Orange Juice
1/3 Cup     Protein Powder (optional)
3/4 Cup     Ice

3. Add all ingredients to your blender, make sure you put the powder on top.
4. Blend on high until all of the ingredients move smoothly in the blender and you cannot see the
    spinach pieces anymore.

Make your own recipe by trying different kinds of fruits, vegetables and juices until you have your own secret recipe.

Enjoy.

- ChefElla

secret recipe club: meyer lemon iced raspberry yogurt cake & slow cooker chicken cacciatore

a couple weeks ago, a friend of mine mentioned making a blueberry lemon cake on facebook. after reading that and seeing the post, i couldn't get the thought of a meyer lemon layer cake out of my mind. the very next day i scoured claire k creation's blog for cake recipes. i bypassed - and pinned for later - this best ever carrot cake, this lemon tea cake, and this coffee cake for this greek yogurt & raspberry cake. topped with meyer lemon buttercream, it made two pregnant women - she 38 weeks, me 32 - very happy.

now that my sweet tooth was satisfied, i was off to look for an easy dinner that could please us and our toddler. chicken cacciatore did it. it's my favorite kind of slow cooker recipe: dump everything in & cook on low for 8+ hours. minimal effort, easy ingredients, and great flavor. next time i'm adding mushrooms because the three of us can't get enough.

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: almond strawberry jam thumbprints, almond butter cookies, enfrijoladas, chocolate snack cake, bacon topped maple french toast cupcakes, cherry sorbet, slow cooker beans & mushrooms, mojito chicken tacos, maple glazed whole wheat spiced apple pizza, pig out cookies, pasta with blistered tomatoes & arugula and iced grapefruit cookies, mushroom barley soup, scalloped ham and potato bake & andes mint cake, chicken souvlaki with tzatziki, asian pork chops, 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.

meyer lemon iced raspberry yogurt cake
cake adapted from claire k creations & buttercream adapted from sally's baking addiction
makes four 6" layers (two, two layer 6" cakes) or two 8" or 9" layers

5/10/14 update: after many comments from readers overflowing pans or not having them bake correctly, i remade the cakes and found the fatal flaw: the recipe is already doubled for two 8" or 9" layers. to make two six inch layers, halve everything. i've updated the quantities below and directions to indicate this. i am so sorry for those of you that ended up with a big mess in your oven - it was never my intention.

for the cake:
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen

for the buttercream:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
zest & juice of 2 meyer lemons
pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar

1. to make the cake, preheat your oven to 320F. grease and line four 6" cake pans or two 8" or 9" cake pans with parchment paper and set aside.
2. cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing after each addition. 
3. add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and mix until mostly combined. add the yogurt and mix until combined. 
4. beat the egg whites to medium peaks and fold into the cake batter. fold in the raspberries.
5. divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
6. let the cakes cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
7. to make the buttercream, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. add the lemon zest and juice and salt and mix until combined. slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. mix on medium speed for a couple minutes until light and fluffy. if your buttercream is softer than you'd like, you can either add more sugar or chill it for 30 minutes.
8. to make a four layer cake, slice each cake layer in half. spread with buttercream and top with another cake layer. continue until all layers are used. spread the cake with remaining buttercream. store finished cake in the refrigerator.

slow cooker chicken cacciatore
adapted from claire k creations
15 min prep, 4-8hr cook, 30min finish; serves 6

2-14.5ounce or 1-28ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 bell peppers cut into strips
1 medium onion, sliced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
2 large, boneless skinless chicken breasts
egg noodles, for serving

1. in a 4 or 6 quart slow cooker, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, peppers, onion, garlic, oregano, and bay leaf. mix to combine.
2. nestle the chicken breasts in the mixture. cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
3. about an hour before you plan to eat, uncover, shred the chicken with tongs or a fork, and cook on high for 1 hour to thicken the sauce. serve over egg noodles.

An InLinkz Link-up

Secret Recipe Club: Oatmeal Molasses Rolls

I'm very excited to have joined a new cooking group called the Secret Recipe Club!  I've been wanting to join it for well over a year, so this is a long time coming.  The idea behind it is that each month, you are randomly assigned another member's blog, and your blog is assigned to someone as well.  Then you poke around on the other person's blog and pick any recipe, make it, then post about it on a specific day.  Fun!

My first match is the blog This Gal Cooks, which is written by a very nice sounding lady named Julie.  You should really check out her blog, the recipes all look amazing (I had a heck of a time narrowing down my options) and she takes lovely photos.  The recipe I chose was Oatmeal Molasses Rolls because they just looked so tasty and although I love wheat bread with oats on top, I've never actually baked bread with oats or molasses before.

I followed Julie's directions pretty much word for word, and the rolls turned out wonderfully!  They're hearty from the oats and whole wheat flour, but still very soft and fluffy with a hint of molasses.  Most definitely a keeper!  The only changes I would make are that next time I would sprinkle the oats on the rolls right after forming them into balls and really press them in with my hands because the oats ended up just falling off the baked rolls when I waited to sprinkle them on until right before baking.  Also, next time I'd like to experiment with adding 1/4 cup of brown sugar along with the yeast because I think the bit of sweetness would complement the molasses nicely.

Quick Note:  To make a warm place for dough to rise, I turn my oven to 350 for exactly 1 minute, then turn it off, place the dough in a container in the oven, and leave it to rise.  All ovens are different so you may need more or less than 1 minute.  It should be decidedly toasty warm when you stick your hand in the oven, but not hot since you don't want to actually bake the dough.  You can repeat the warming process after an hour or so if the oven has gone cold.

Oatmeal Molasses Rolls

1/4 C butter, plus 2 tbsp more for top

1 C milk

1/3 C molasses

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp salt

2 3/4 to 3 1/4 C white flour, divided

1 packet yeast

2 eggs

3/4 C whole wheat flour

3/4 C rolled oats, plus 1 tbsp more for top

Place 1/4 C butter, milk, molasses, maple syrup, and salt in a small saucepan and heat over medium until butter is melted.  Remove from heat and let cool until mixture is lukewarm (about 115 degrees) so it doesn't kill the yeast.

While molasses mixture cools, place 2 C white flour and the yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Attach the paddle attachment and turn the mixer on low for a minute or two, just to combine the flour and yeast.  Add cooled molasses mixture along with the eggs and mix on speed 4 until well combined.  Add whole wheat flour and 3/4 C oats to bowl and continue to mix until well combined.

Replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook and add 3/4 C of the remaining white flour.  Mix on speed 2 until flour is incorporated.  If needed, add additional flour 2 tbsp at a time until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl and is barely sticky to the touch.  My dough ended up needing exactly 3 C white flour (so 1/4 C more), but yours may be different.

Reduce speed to the lowest setting and knead for 8 to 10 minutes.  Form dough into a ball.  Lightly oil dough ball and the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until it's doubled in bulk.  This will take 1 to 2 hours.

When dough has doubled in bulk, punch it down.  Place on a lightly floured surface and roll into a log.  Cut in half, then cut each half into 8 pieces.  Form into balls and divide evenly among two greased 8 or 9 inch cake pans.  You should have 16 roll balls.  Oil some plastic wrap (I just use no stick spray) and loosely cover the pans. 

Set pans in a warm place and let rise until rolls have doubled in bulk, about 30 to 60 minutes.  Remove plastic wrap and sprinkle rolls with about a tablespoon of oats per pan.  Turn oven to 375 and bake until rolls are golden and cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove from oven, brush with melted butter, and let cool for a few minutes before serving.

Yield: 18 large rolls

An InLinkz Link-up

Ina Fridays: Brownie Pudding

This month's Ina Friday assignment was for a dessert, and with my husband's birthday coming up, I quickly decided to make him Brownie Pudding.  The guy loves brownies, chocolate, and batter, so it seemed like a perfect choice. 

I had to halve the recipe because I didn't have baking dishes that would have worked for the whole recipe (you need to make a water bath), used vanilla extract instead of the seeds from a vanilla bean, and did not have the optional framboise. 

Regardless, the brownie pudding turned out really well!  It has a crunchy, sugary crust on top, then the inside is insanely chocolaty (there's more cocoa than flour in it!), soft and chewy near the edges, and delightfully gooey at the center.  I think I may have baked it a smidgen too long because the center was not actually runny, but it doesn't seem to have hurt things one bit.  My husband gave this 10 stars and had two large servings.  Most definitely a repeat, and better than any molten chocolate cake either of us have had at restaurants.

As a plus, this is super easy to make with pretty impressive and very yummy results!  And since you serve it warm (with ice cream, no less), unlike with a cake, brownies, cheesecake, or pie, you don't have to wait for it to cool before serving.

Brownie Pudding

1 stick butter

2 eggs, room temperature
1 C sugar
1/3 C cocoa powder, plus 1 Tbsp
1/4 C flour
seeds of half a vanilla bean (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
1/2 Tbsp framboise liquer, optional (I did not have this)
vanilla ice cream to serve it with

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a flat, 1 quart baking dish that fits comfortably inside of another baking dish (you're going to make a water bath).  In the bowl of a stand mixer, place eggs and sugar.  Attach paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture is thick and light yellow.

While the sugar and eggs mix,sift together the cocoa powder and flour.  Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and add the cocoa powder-flour mixture, vanilla, and Framboise.  Mix only until combined.  With the mixer still running, slowly pour in the cooled, melted butter.  Again, mix just until combined.

Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.  Set baking dish inside the other baking dish and place it in the oven.  Fill the larger baking dish with enough hot tap water to fill it halfway up the side of the dish.  Bake until a toothpick inserted 1 1/2 inches from the side of the baking dish comes out mostly clean, about 45 minutes.  Do not over bake. 

Let the brownie pudding cool for 15 minutes, then serve with vanilla ice cream.

Yield: 4 servings (recipe says 3, but 4 or even 6 is more realistic)

 Here's a list of the other bloggers that participate in Ina Fridays!

•   Alyce @ More Time at the Table
•   Ansh @  Spice Roots 
•   Barbara @ Moveable Feasts  
•   Bhavna @ Just a Girl From AAmchi Mumbai..
•   Chaya @  Bizzy Bakes
•   Linda,  @ Tumbleweed Contessa
•   Mary @ The Egg Farm
•   Minnie @ The Lady 8 Home
•   Mireya @ My Healthy Eating Habits
•   Patti @ Comfy Cuisine
•   Peggy@ Pantry Revisited
•   Rocky Mountain Woman @ Rocky Mountain Woman
•   Veronica @ My Catholic Kitchen

Eggs Woodhouse

My husband and I like watching the show Archer, which is basically about the antics of a James Bond-like guy with a drinking problem and mommy issues, among other things.  Archer enjoys a certain egg dish that he makes his poor, downtrodden English valet named Woodhouse prepare.  The recipe can be found in Adam Reed's book How to Archer: The Ultimate Guide to Espionage and Style and Women and Also Cocktails Ever Written and is ridiculously convoluted and expensive, with an estimate of $130 per serving if you make it exactly as specified.  My husband requested Eggs Woodhouse for his birthday breakfast.  I don't have $260 to spend on eggs (if I'm putting this kind of work into a recipe, I want some, too!), but we all do things for the ones we love, so I decided to give it a go.

Before making it, I went over the recipe and slightly adapted it to make it a little more stream lined and a little less bankruptcy inducing.  For example, my salt was just regular salt, the ham was nice sundried tomato rosemary ham from the deli, and I skipped the saffron and caviar garnishes.  You will be happy to know that I did use BROWN eggs though, just like the recipe says!  I also used a recipe for Hollandaise sauce (from AllRecipes) that doesn't need a double boiler or metal bowl over simmering water because I have don't have either of those things.

After a practice run making poached eggs the night before and a solid hour and a half of work in the kitchen the next morning, the eggs were ready!  The recipe may have been a bit of a pain to make, but now I know how to poach eggs, make Hollandaise sauce, and make creamed spinach.  Even better, I'm happy to say that Eggs Woodhouse are delicious.  All the flavors go together very well and we found it extremely enjoyable.  Definitely won't be making it all the time (it also took half an hour to wash all the dishes), but I would make it again for special occasions if my husband asked nicely.

 After all that work, I forgot the paprika!  It was added after the photo was taken.  Toast, too.

Eggs Woodhouse for Two

Creamed Spinach:

2 C tightly packed fresh spinach, chopped finely

3 T butter, divided

1/2 tsp salt, divided

1/8 tsp pepper

2 T whole wheat flour

2/3 C milk

1 bay leaf

8 drops hot sauce

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add spinach, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper.  Saute until spinach wilts and softens, about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat. 

In a small sauce pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat.  Whisk in the flour to make a roux.  Whisk constantly until mixture bubbles and begins to turn slightly golden, about 1 minute.  Whisk in the milk 1/3 C at a time, making sure the sauce is completely smooth before adding more milk.  Immediately add bay leaf, hot sauce, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce comes to a simmer and thickens.  Cook for 1 more minute to make sure there is no raw flour taste.  Discard bay leaf and stir in sauteed spinach.  Heat through, then cover the pan with a lid and set aside

Poached Eggs:

4 fresh eggs (they hold their shape better)

1 tbsp white vinegar

I made my poached eggs exactly according to Alton Brown's video, and they turned out perfectly!  Below I've basically written down what Alton says to do.

Crack each egg into its own small bowl.  Heat 1 1/2 inches of water in a large nonstick skillet over medium.  Use a digital probe thermometer to track the temperature.  Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the water at 190 degrees.  Stir in the vinegar.  Right before you're ready to add the eggs, use a nonstick skillet safe slotted spoon to scrape the bubbles from the bottom of the skillet. 

Wait a few seconds for the water to go still (you don't want to make egg drop soup!), then quickly and carefully add an egg to the skillet by turning the bowl on its side and allowing water to go into the skillet so the egg gently slides out of the bowl.  Repeat with the other 3 eggs.  Set timer for 4 minutes and 30 seconds.  Continue to monitor the temperature of the water as the eggs cook. 

When their time is up, gently remove the eggs (in the order you placed them in the skillet) with the slotted spoon.  They may stick to the bottom of the skillet a bit, but you should be able to gently jiggle them loose.  Remove the eggs to a plate lined with 3 layers of paper towels, and cut off any excessive bits of egg white with the edge of the slotted spoon.

Blender Hollandaise Sauce: 

 2 egg yolks

1/8 tsp yellow mustard

4 drops hot sauce

1/4 C butter

Place egg yolks, mustard, hot sauce, and lemon juice in a small bowl (one big enough for an immersion blender to fit into) and blend with the immersion blender for a few seconds.  Place butter in a glass measuring cup and microwave until completely melted and quite hot, about 1 minute if the butter is straight from the fridge.  Turn immersion blender back on and blend the yolk mixture while you add the butter in a thin stream.  Blend until sauce thickens and is smooth.

Additional Ingredients:

-4 artichoke bottoms (I used canned, fresh ones would be better)

-4 oz shaved deli ham, sliced chiffonade

-2 button mushrooms, sliced as thinly as you can

-paprika

-buttered toast (optional)

To Assemble:

Prepare artichoke bottoms, ham, and mushroom, and place in the refrigerator until needed.  Make the creamed spinach and set aside.  Make the poached eggs and set aside.  While the eggs poach, you should have enough time to put bread in the toaster and make the Hollandaise sauce.  Be sure to work quickly after the eggs are done cooking because you don't want them to get cold!

Place the pan of creamed spinach back on the stove over low heat so it can warm up for a minute.  Heat the ham and mushrooms.  I just stuck the covered bowl of ham in the microwave for 45 seconds and the mushrooms for 20 seconds.

Divide the creamed spinach between two plates.  Arrange the artichoke bottoms over the spinach, then top each artichoke bottom with a poached egg.  Sprinkle the ham over the egg, then sprinkle on the sliced mushroom.  Pour Hollandaise sauce over everything and sprinkle with a bit of paprika.  Serve with toast on the side if you'd like.

Yield: 2 servings

Copycat Frito Lay Bean Dip

This is just a really tasty, easy, and CHEAP recipe for bean dip.  We think it's better than the canned stuff from Frito Lay.  It has more flavor, as well as a definite spicy kick.  You could also make two batches of this for the price of one tiny can of bean dip!  I found the recipe over at Food.com and it's basically perfect exactly as written.

Copycat Frito Lay Bean Dip

1 can refried beans (check the ingredients if you want to make your dip vegetarian or vegan!)
2-5 jarred jalapeno slices (depending on how spicy you want it)
1 Tbsp brine from the jar of jalapeno slices
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Blend all ingredients in a food processor, or alternatively, place everything in a smallish bowl and blend it with an immersion blender until smooth.  Serve with corn chips or tortilla chips, or you can make a quick lunch by spreading some on a flour tortilla, sprinkling with a bit of shredded cheddar, and rolling it up.

Yield: About 8 servings

grandpa's favorite double chocolate cookies

when i first started this blog four and a half years ago, i was pleasantly surprised to find my grandpa to be one of my biggest readers and fans. yes, this grandpa that still grows his own strawberries and then turns them into jam, and every year provides me with enough tomato plants he grew from seed to fill out my garden. a couple times a year, usually after i've posted a relatively mediocre recipe review, a letter comes in the mail with my grandpa's favorite version of said recipe. i'm slowly getting through them all. and just like his jam and tomato plants, these cookies did not disappoint. easy, quick - no chilling! - and the perfect chocolate fix.

grandpa's favorite double chocolate cookies
30 minutes, makes about 3 dozen

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or a combination

1. preheat your oven to 350F. line a baking sheet and set aside.
2. mix the butter, sugar, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. mix in the egg until combined.
3. add the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and mix until combined. stir in the chocolate and/or peanut butter chips.
4. drop by the teaspoon onto the baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes or just until set. cool a couple minutes on the sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. store in an airtight container. these freeze really well.

morning cookies (vegan and gluten free!)

I know, I know. "Morning cookie" seems like an oxymoron, or at least a poor choice, but I promise it isn't. This recipe was born out of my need for a healthy, portable, no-refrigeration-needed snack that I could have in the middle of the morning to tide me over until lunch. I had been buying granola bars for years to help with this issue, until I got fed up with the high prices and high sugar (this recipe has none!) and decided to just make them myself. 

Another fantastic thing about these cookies is that they help me use up the awkward few tablespoons of mix-ins that are always left over from other recipes. 1/4 cup of nuts from this, a few tablespoons of raisins from that, the bottom of a bag from that other thing - you know how it goes! While you can absolutely use specific ingredients for mix-ins, I like to just use whatever mix of dried fruit, nuts, and chips I have on hand. 

As if this recipe needed a third bonus, it's all made in the food processor. I will always be appreciative of a single dirty bowl. If you don't have any quick oats on hand, you can put old fashioned in the processor first and give it a few good pulses. Ta da! The quick oats have been made.

After adding in a banana, nut butter (I use peanut, but you can use almost anything!), applesauce, maple syrup, and a few spices, you have a fantastic cookie base that is delicious on its own. But, we all know we're not going to stop there. Time to get creative with the mix-ins!

I use my largest cookie scoop, which holds a scant 1/4 cup, for above-average size cookies. My batches usually yield around 9, more than enough for the week, but you can feel free to make yours bigger or smaller - just remember to adjust your baking time!

These guys don't like to spread on their own, so I like to aid the process by pressing them down with the bottom of a drinking glass about halfway through the baking process. It's also important to let them cool completely before trying to remove them from the pan, since they're a little more baked-oatmeal and a little less regular-cookie when hot. Don't worry, after 10-15 minutes they are ready to be bagged or snacked on for the week ahead!

Morning Cookies (Vegan, Gluten Free, No Refined Sugar)

Adapted from Joy the Baker 

Yields 9

Ingredients

2 cups quick oats

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cup peanut butter (or the nut butter of your choice)

1/4 cup maple syrup (I used sugar-free, but regular or honey will also work)

1/2 cup mashed banana

1/2 tsp vanilla

1-1 1/2 cups mix-ins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Combine all ingredients except for mix-ins in food processor until combined, about 2-3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl every minute. (Note: If using old fashioned oats, add them first, pulse 5-6 times to break them down, then all remaining ingredients). 

3. Stir in mix-ins by hand until well combined.

4. Drop 1/4 inch scoops onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. Bake for 15-16 minutes, edges will be golden brown, pressing cookies with a glass about halfway through. Let cool. 

Nutrition: 

Calories: 265, Fat: 13g, Carbs: 32g, Fiber: 4.31g, Sugars: 13.8g, Protein: 8.3g

Happy baking!

Amanda