Chicken with Mustard'y Mandarin Orange Sauce

Around this time of the year, I look in the refridgerator and say "Man. I have way too many jams, jellies and preserves in this place." Most are left over from The Great Cookie Bake-Off of (insert year here).

I was trying to think of when I actually purchased the peach preserves that were staring back at me. I'm pretty sure I was still with Nathan, which means that the jar and it's contents are at least 9 months old. I examined the insides of the jar, from the outside. No fuzzy stuff. I opened it. No odd smell. I tasted it and it didn't make me gag! We were in the clear!

If you like sauces that contain mustard, you will love this. I used a grain mustard, but honey mustard would be lovely. Dijon would work too. I loved the way the grain mustard made little speckles in the sauce though.

CHICKEN WITH MUSTARD'Y MANDARIN ORANGE SAUCE

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup of either orange marmalade or peach preserves (I hate orange marmalade!)
2 tbsp grain mustard
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 small can of mandarin oranges, drained
1 tsp grated orange peel
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large skillet, heat oil and butter together until butter is melted and sizzling. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken on both sides. Meanwhile, combine OJ, preserves, mustard and thyme in a small bowl. Don't fret if the preserves do not dissolve into the juice...they will when the mixture hits the heat. Lumps are fine! Pour mixture over chicken. Bring to a boil and continue cooking for another 5-8 minutes or until the juices from the chicken run clear and sauce thickens. Gently stir in oranges and orange peel. I plated over steamed white rice cooked in chicken stock for added flavor.

Sweet and sticky. Just like Madonna's last tour. I promise that people - adults and children alike - will be licking their fingers.

Creamy Pasta with Shrimp

Friend: "Do you have anything to eat in this house?"

Me: "Ummmm..."

I had frozen pre-cooked shrimp, a green pepper, half a pint of grape tomatoes and cream - plus some pickles, yogurt and a couple Balance Bars. There was some serious potential in my *seriously* understocked kitchen pantry/fridge!

CREAMY PASTA with SHRIMP

Pasta of your choice - I used plain spaghetti
6 tbsp butter
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 lb pre-cooked shrimp, de-veined and de-shelled
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved - if desired
2 tbsp fresh basil, or 1 tsp dried basil
Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Cook pasta as usual.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic and green pepper. Cook until onion is translucent and fragrant. Add shrimp.

Combine cream and flour in a small glass - mix well to form a slurry. Pour cream mixture over shrimp and cook until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Add pasta, tomato and basil and combine. Grate a little fresh parmesan cheese just before service.


Dinner was done in about 12 minutes, tops. The leftovers were pretty tasty as well - still creamy, which surprised me!

Plus, I got to break out the pasta bowls I've been sitting on for 2 years, which made me very, very happy.

Coffee Cake

This coffee cake recipe is so good, and so easy, that I have already made it 5 times! It's moist and light, and the crumb topping is to die for.


(BLUEBERRY) COFFEE CAKE

1 stick butter, softened
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries (thawed and drained, if frozen)
1 cup streusel (recipe below)
powdered sugar glaze (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 or 9 inch tube pan, set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add 1 cup of flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and beat until combined. Add 1/2 cup of sour cream, mixing well. Repeat process with the remaining flour and sour cream.

Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange the blueberries in a single layer on top of the batter - making sure to keep them away from the sides of the pan so they don't burn. Top with remaining batter, making sure it is evenly distributed. Sprinkle the streusel over the top.


Bake for 60 minutes, or until cake is golden and center is completely set. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan, and let cool completely. Before service, spoon the glaze over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Dig in!


STREUSEL

2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp coarse salt
1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Cut in butter using a pastry fork until large, moist clumps form. Makes 4 cups.


GLAZE

1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tbsp milk

Whisk sugar and milk together until completely smooth. Immediately drizzle over cake.

Marinated Flank Steak

Hooray for the first post of 2009! I won't say that increased blogging is my New Year's resolution, because you know how those things go...but I have taken an oath to myself to cook for *me* more and this blog will most likely reap the benefits.

I now find myself looking for ingredients that will do double (or triple) duty for me. For example - flank steak. I can cook it once - then use the leftovers to make a whole new meal of fajitas with just the addition of some grilled peppers and onions! No waste, and my taste buds still can rejoice.

MARINATED FLANK STEAK

2 1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed, excess fat removed
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 tsp black pepper*
4 tsp salt*
2 garlic cloves, bruised
2 tsp paprika
*or to taste

In a large plastic food storage bag, combine all ingredients, with beef. Marinate at room temp for 30 minutes, or longer if desired. Preheat broiler to 400 degrees. Using a meat thermometer at the very center of the steak, broil until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees - medium rare. (The ends will be more well done.) It took about 10 minutes.

Allow the steak to rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing to redistribute juices. Hold a very sharp knife at a 45 degree angle and slice the steak across the grain into thin slices. Carving this way makes the steak extremely tender!

I served the steak with some basic roasted fingerling potatoes and my own raw vegetable salad (recipe below). Of course, if you have a grill working during these winter months, go ahead and grill the steak instead of preparing it in the oven/broiler...it'll probably taste better too.


RAW VEGETABLE SALAD

1 large pepper, any color (or combination), julienned
1 small red onion, sliced
1/4 cup frozen corn, thawed and drained
1/2 cup green beans, thawed and drained
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
fresh parsley, finely chopped

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and let chill at least 3 hours prior to service. Wonderful color!

The Great Cookie Bake-off of 2008

This Christmas season wrapped up the third annual Great Cookie Bake-off! With just about 5,000 cookies being produced from one KitchenAide stand mixer (with one bowl and handle attachment), 4 silpats, 4 baking sheets and one oven, I say I did A-OK. It took about 3 days, start to finish, and I lost most of my sanity.

On the docket was the usual crop of tasty nuggests: cream cheese cookies, thumbprints, buckeyes, delux sugar cookies, gingerbread men and ladies, russian teacakes, cherry snowballs and bourbon balls - this time with actual boudon! This year, as I always do, I tried a couple of new recipes. Some were successful, some were not. I realized that A.) I need a cookie press and B.) I can not make a pinwheel cookie look pretty to save my life!

English Toffee Bars

1/2 cup butter, 1 cup oats
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 6-oz pack semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup almond brickle pieces (or a couple of chopped Heath candy bars)

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large saucepan. Stir in oats, flour, brown sugar and nuts. Press mixture firmly in the bottom of a greased 13x9 inch pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.

Meanwhile heat sweetened condensed milk and 2 tbsp butter over medium heat until bubbly, stirring constantly. Stir in vanilla. Pour over baked crust layer. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate. Let stand for 2-3 min or until softened. Spread chocolate evenly over top. Sprinkle with almond brickle pieces. Cool. Chill for 5-10 minutes or until chocolate layer is set before cutting into pieces. Makes about 36 if you cut methodically. (I did not.)


I thought the English Toffee bars tasted like a candy bar, although there was nothing particularly Christmas'y about them. The recipe was easy and I was able to double it without a problem. The bars came out of the baking dish perfectly without any kind of hassel, which is always nice, and when the cookies were delivered to their recipients, this was the first cookie that about 75% of them went after.

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For years and years I have tried to make macaroons. Each year I adapt the recipe just a touch, and each year the recipe fails. I was just going to give up on the idea of macaroons this year but looked at all the coconut I had leftover and changed my mind. I'm glad I did, because 2008 became my year for kicking coconut macaroon's asses! The cookie had always kinda melted into a flat mess that tasted really good, but did not resemble a macaroon at all. In this go'round, I added a little flour to stabalize the batter...and it worked. I came out with an army of perfectly shapped coconut macaroons!

(no fail) Plain Coconut Macaroons

3/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups shredded coconut

2 large egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1/4 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use silicon silpats. In a large bowl whip egg whites until frothy. Mix in all other ingredients. Dampen hands with cold water. Form 1/2 inch balls. Keep macaroons about an inch apart on baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool on wire rack.

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Cheesecake Cookie Cups

1 package Nestle Toll House Refrigerated Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar Dough

2 packages of cream cheese, room temp

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Paper-line 24 muffin cups. Place one piece of mini chocolate chip cookie dough in each muffin cup, and press down slightly. Bake for 8 minutes of until cookie has spread to the edge of each cup.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, eggs and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Pour about 3 tbsp of the mixture over each cookie in cup. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Top each cheesecake with a level tablespoon of pie filling. Keep refridgerated.

You could use your own homemade cookie dough, if you so desire...but taking a little help when you can is SMART! Totally tasty and very much like the real thing.

Ooooohhhhh, aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Some photos of a very successful Thanksgiving meal. (Minus the fire I started on the stovetop the previous night...a pot with vinegar spilled over then stunk up the whole place!) Desert recipes forthcoming.

Deviled eggs, risotto rice balls with marinara for dipping and jumbo shrimp cocktail in the background. There was also a cheese platter...but it didn't make it into the shot.

I am very proud of this turkey! I basted it every 1/2 hour and foiled where I had to to make sure that the skin tanned evenly all over.

Got out the good plates!

Caramel Pumpkin Pie. Yum-my. And, I'm not a fan of pumpkin pie.

A slow drizzle of chocolate ganache for the Chocolate Torte. (A little too chocolate'y for my taste - but everyone else raved about it.)

Thanksgiving 2008

Where I ask, did this year disappear to? It doesn't seem right that it is already the end of November, especially since I just got used to writing/typing "2008" on all my business letters. My mother called me up a couple of weeks ago and tricked me into hosting Thanksgiving at my apartment. I'm pretty game for the adventure since I have been a very bad home cook lately. She tried to get me to agree that I would give her all of the leftover turkey - but funk that! I paid $44 dollars for that 20lb organic, corn-fed, farm raised piece of gold...it's going in my belly for days. Plus, I have never left her house with any kind of Thanksgiving rememberance of the meal!

Just for comparison, here is what I planned last year, and the year before.

And now...for this year's (not so) exciting offering. Or as I like to say - more of the same. There's a reason it's called "tradition."

To start:
Jumbo shrimp cocktail
Cheese and fruit platter
Risotto rice balls (because they were such a HUGE hit!)
Bacon wrapped pineapple

Dinner:
Butternut squash soup
Turkey
Stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Fall fruit salad
Roasted brussel sprouts (not everyone is thrilled about this veg)
Tossed salad
Cranberry and pitted date conserve
Sweet potato biscuits

Dessert:
Chocolate torte with a chocolate ganache
Caramel pumpkin pie
Vanilla ice cream / homemade whipped cream

My sister also requested a cranberry jell-o salad, and since I want to make her smile, I just may make a small batch of it...plus, I have that Jell-O cookbook that I've been threatening to break out.

Spaghetti with Creamy Garlic Sauce

Everything's better with bacon, right? Does that question even have to be asked? Creamy pasta happens to be one of my major downfalls - and when combined with crisp bacon it means that I ate a whole lot of this meal, then passed out in a coma on the couch cursing at myself. The pasta itself is so rich and flavorful, not only from the glorious bacon that rests on top, but because it's also loaded to the gills with garlic. Hey, I'm not kissin' anyone right now...I can eat all the garlic I like. (And for those of you who are kissing someone, remember that two garlic breaths cancel each other out!)

SPAGHETTI WITH CREAMY GARLIC SAUCE

12 oz. uncooked spaghetti, or pasta of your choice
1/2 lb sliced bacon, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 1/2 cup milk
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (fresh, preferred)
1 cup frozen peas

Cook pasta according to packaged directions.

Meanwhile, crisp bacon and set aside on paper towels to drain excess fat.

In the same pan you used to crisp the bacon, add butter, onion and garlic and saute until onion is translucent. Add cream cheese, milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper and gently stir until cream cheese has melted into a beautifully creamy sauce. Add peas. Once sauce is thickened, add drained pasta and toss to combine. Top with bacon!

When I make this again, I will probably substitute the peas for a little fresh baby spinach, because I felt that the dish needed a little more green in it. Can I also say "yay" that I got to use my pasta bowls for the first time ev-ah! (I've only had them for 4 years, but they were stored away in the attic.)

Be warned - like most pasta dishes, the leftovers were not as satisfying as the actual meal. The cream sauce solidifies (a little extra milk did loosen the sauce, but it wasn't the same) and the bacon loses some of it's crispness. My advice - make only what you plan to eat that night. If you want more, spend the 20 minutes and make it again...after all, you have that 1/2 package of bacon left!

Pumpkin Empanadas

Let me start off by saying that I am not a big fan of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving - or anytime, actually. I prefer fruit pies or anything cheesecake or chocolate or better yet, any combination of the three. However, when I saw this recipe for Pumpkin Empanadas, I was intrigued and knew that I had to try them.

The result? A rich morsel of goodness wrapped in a light, flaky crust. The recipe promised that the empanada would taste like an individual slice of pumpkin pie. Not so, in my opinion...it's more of a cross between a pumpkin pie and a super sweet pecan pie.

PUMPKIN EMPANADAS

Filling ingredients:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (I didn't have this, so I substituted 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg and 1/4 tsp ground ginger)
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Crust ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
8-10 tbsp cold water

Glaze ingredients:
1 egg
1 tsp water

In a saucepan, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, 1 tbsp butter, filling spices. Stir to combine some and cook over medium heat until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat, and cool completely (approximately 1 hour). Stir in pecans and set aside.

(OK - so I realize this is not the most appetizing of photos...but the filling is really tasty!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt and butter. Pulse ingredients until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pulse in enough water until dough is just moistened.

Divide dough in half. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface, until about 1/8 inch thick. (Keep remaining dough in the refrigerator so it remains cold.) Cut circles with a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter. Place 1/2 tsp of the filling in the center of each circle. Fold one side of the circle over to form a crescent-shaped empanada. Pinch dough lightly to form a seam, then use the tines of a fork to seal the empanada closed. Place on a non-greased cookie sheet. Repeat until all cookies are made.

Whisk together egg and 1 tsp water in a small bowl. Brush egg mixture lightly onto empanadas. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until cookies are browned and glossy. Remove from oven and let cool. Eat warm!


Although I appreciate the absolute perfection that is homemade pie crust - the next time I make these, I will probably cheat and buy some pre-made crust to cut down on the mess and save time. The recipe also said that it would yield 4 dozen cookies...which is a total LIE! I got about a dozen and half out of my dough, with lots of filling left over. This did irritate me some, but I plan to make another batch tonight, so I threw the leftover filling in the fridge with a little plastic wrap to cover it.

I do think that a touch of "sugar in the raw" sprinkled over the top, pre-bake, would give these cookies a little somethin-somethin. All I'm thinking about today, is how good they would be with a side of vanilla ice cream!

Ham and Lentil Soup

I had big plans for those lentils, I really did. But, then I made this soup and although it was tasty, it looked a wee bit unappetizing, and I became afraid. Afraid not of the lentils themselves - but of what they can become when matched with a immersion blender.

Silly, silly me.

So, after finding 3 bags of lentils (the green variety) in the pantry, I knew that I must search for a recipe that would highlight the little disc-shaped legume and bring it to it's former glory. Since I've been on a soup kick, it only seemed natural that the recipe I would give the thumbs up to would be...soup. Ham and Lentil Soup. Brace yourself for some serious "yum."

HAM AND LENTIL SOUP

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery sticks, washed and diced
8 oz. cubed ham
1 1/2 cups dried green lentils
4-6 cups of chicken stock
1/2 cup dry vermouth
1 can of stewed tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
2 cups baby spinach
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried parsley

Heat oil and butter in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring often, until onion becomes translucent. Add vermouth and continue to cook until vermouth reduces by half. Add ham, lentils and tomatoes - followed by 4 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a boil, and cook (with lid on) for about 15-20 minutes, or until lentils are al'dente. Take lid off, add spinach and season with dried herbs and salt and pepper. The spinach will immediately wilt down. If soup is too thick for your liking, add more chicken stock until it becomes the consistency you desire.

If you are not a lentil fan, prepare to be converted!