Hazelnut Parsnip Soup

Hazelnut Parsnip Soup
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:

• 1 cup roasted hazelnuts (and 1/2 cup for garnish- roast all at once)
• 4 shallots, chopped
• 2 medium leeks (whites only), chopped
• 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 5 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• to garnish: 1/2 cup chopped roasted hazelnuts

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F and roast whole hazelnuts on a sheet pan for 10-15 minutes until toasted.
In a large skillet, melt the butter and saute the vegetables for 10-15 minutes, until softened.
Stir in the flour, salt and pepper and stir to cook. Add water, chicken broth, and 1 cup of roasted hazelnuts (skins removed- once they are toasted put them in a clean kitchen towel and “rough them up” to remove the skins).  Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Use an immersion blender to blend the soup into a smooth soup, then strain the soup through a sieve (the texture of the ground nuts is not pleasant, but adds a beautiful flavor- straining is necessary for a smooth textured soup).
Return the soup (strained liquid) to the stove in a clean pot and add the heavy whipping cream, heat through and adjust the flavor with additional salt and pepper if desired.  Serve in  soup bowls and garnish with chopped toasted hazelnuts.

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Avgolemono Chicken Soup

Strange name I know, it's Greek and is a wonderful Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup.  I went to a ladies night out and a friend brought this soup to the event.  I went back for thirds and then took some home with me to share with my husband.  Delicious!  My kids all love it too and it is a frequent request now.  I make it about every other week now.  The recipe is from Cat Cora on the Food Network.  I made a few changes to suit my family's tastes.

Just today my daughter announced that every Restaurant should have this recipe and serve it because she would order it every time!  It really is that good.  Do try it!
Source:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cat-cora/avgolemono-chicken-soup-with-egg-lemon-sauce-recipe/index.html

Avgolemono: Chicken Soup with Egg-Lemon Sauce - Cat Cora
1 (3 pound) free range chicken
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 bay leaves
1 leek, cleaned and quartered
1 carrot, peeled and quartered
2/3 cup Aborio rice
2 large eggs
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions

Place the chicken in a large pot with 2 quarts cold water, enough to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low, skimming when necessary.

In a separate pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the onions. Sweat the onions until clear. Set aside.

When chicken is cooked through, remove from the broth. Let the chicken cool and pull the meat from the bones. Dice into large cubes. Set aside.

Add the onion, bay leaves, leek, and carrot to the broth and simmer for 1 hour. When finished, remove the carrot and leek from the broth and add the rice. Bring to a boil and then turn heat to medium high to simmer until the rice is cooked to al dente, about 30 minutes. Add the chicken back into the broth. Add more water if needed.

In a small bowl beat the eggs and lemon juice together. Pour 2 cups of broth slowly into the bowl of egg and lemon, whisking continuously. Once all the broth is incorporated, add the mixture into the pot of chicken soup and stir to blend well throughout. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Recipe Notes


Prep     10 min
Cook    3 hr 10 min
Total:     3 hr 20 min
Serves 8-10


Becky's NOTES:
After I remove the carrots and leeks I chop the carrots into small pieces (last time I even squeezed them through my potato ricer) I add the carrots back into the soup with the chicken.  I do not add onions, my kids don't care for the texture, but I do let them simmer in the broth with the leeks and carrots, but do not add them to the final product.  Very very yummy and fairly easy to make!  Do go out and buy some Aborio rice, it is perfect for this soup.

Chicken Fried Steak

Chicken Fried Steak
There is something special and comforting about this dish.  I have tried them in various restaurants, but never made them myself.  A few months ago, I ate a rather poor version of Chicken Fried Steak in a restaurant... and it was a POOR version, combined with the fact that it was really poor service that day and they didn't bring the gravy out with the steak and I had to wait 5 to 10 minutes for them to bring it and by then my steak was less than perfect.. so I went to look for a version I can do myself.  This certainly isn't diet food!  I am on a semi diet though -- so I had a small piece.
I made the mistake of buying two family packs of cube steak there were two huge steaks in each pack, but I could have just purchased one..as I cut them into smaller pieces to make them manageable.  I followed the recipe from allrecipes.com exactly, but seasoned up the gravy with a few dashes of Tabasco sauce to get the taste where I like it.                                        
I also drizzled lemon juice over the steaks for extra flavor, but did not find it to give it much flavor, I think next time I will squeeze some over the steaks after they come out of the cast iron skillet (if you have one, this recipe is perfect for it!)  I served this with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans, sorry about the lighting in the picture.  This makes plenty of Gravy!  My husband and I loved it.  The kids preferred it without gravy (I have sick children I know!)

Here is the link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/The-Best-Chicken-Fried-Steak/Detail.aspx
The-Best-Chicken-Fried-Steak
4 (1/2 pound) beef cube steaks
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (e.g.
Tabasco™)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups vegetable shortening for deep
frying
Gravy:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste (1 Tbsp salt, 1 tsp pepper)
5 dashes of Tabasco (Becky's change)

Pound the steaks to about 1/4-inch thickness. Place 2 cups of flour in a shallow bowl. Stir together the baking powder, baking soda, pepper, and salt in a separate shallow bowl; stir in the buttermilk, egg, Tabasco Sauce, and garlic. Dredge each steak first in the flour, then in the batter, and again in the flour. Pat the flour onto the surface of each steak so they are completely coated with dry flour.

Heat the shortening in a deep cast-iron skillet to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Fry the steaks until evenly golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Place fried steaks on a plate with paper towels to drain. Drain the fat from the skillet, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid and as much of the solid remnants as possible.

Return the skillet to medium-low heat with the reserved oil. Whisk the remaining flour into the oil. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to release solids into the gravy. Stir in the milk, raise the heat to medium, and bring the gravy to a simmer, cook until thick, 6 to 7 minutes. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Spoon the gravy over the steaks to serve.

Recipe Notes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ready in 40 minutes
Serves 4

Becky's NOTES:
After dredging the cube steak in flour and buttermilk and then in flour again it is a pretty gloppy mess!  I stacked my steaks on a plate, but as I got toward the end of frying I didn't know where the steak began to pick it up, next time I will put wax paper between each steak so they don't stick to each other and pull the breading off other steaks.  Will make again!

Breadsticks/Pizza Dough

My daughter's science teacher gave us a recipe to make for extra credit.  I made it twice that weekend.  The first time a single recipe the second time we doubled the recipe...and then I gained 2 lbs!  They are quite delicious.  My daughter sprinkled them with poppy seeds, but kosher salt, sesame seeds, or Parmesan cheese are also great on them.




Mrs. B.'s Bread Sticks/Pizza Dough

Preheat oven to 425F
1 pkg. yeast
1 cup warm water
a few tsp. sugar
Mix above ingredients together and wait until mixture becomes bubbly
add 2 1/3 cups of flour (white, wheat or a mixture)
1 tsp salt
Stir the flour and salt in thoroughly until the dough sticks together in a big ball (I rub some olive oil on my hands to prevent the dough from sticking to me)  Coat the dough with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and a towel.  Set the dough in the bowl aside in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.

After the dough rises, form it into either bread sticks or into pizza.  Let the dough rise for 10 minutes if you are making pizza, top with toppings and put in oven.
Bake for approx. 20-23 minutes.  Breadsticks may need less time. Remove from oven when ready
Coat breadsticks with butter after baking and sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.  Dip in tomato sauce.

One recipe is enough for one batch of breadsticks, but I often double or triple the recipe.

Strawberry Salad - Cuisine at Home

Here is another Cuisine at Home recipe.  I guess I have been in the mode of trying new recipes lately.  I made a few changes because I did not have an ingredient or two.  I used slivered almonds instead of pecans because I could not find any pecans though I usually have at least one bag in my pantry.. and I used Champagne Vinegar instead of white wine vinegar for the same reason and the results were still very delicious.

Strawberry Salad
with Pecans and Feta Cheese
Sweet strawberries at their seasonal peak contrast nicely with this savory and salty salad.
Source: Cuisine at Home Issue 74/April 2009 page 46

Makes 6 servings
Total time: 15 minutes

3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. sugar
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 quart strawberries hulled and halved or quartered
6 cups spring mix salad greens
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped (or any other nut you wish)
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh or 1/2 tsp. dried dill

Whisk together vinegar, oil, and sugar.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Toss strawberries, greens, pecans, feta and will with dressing. Serve.

Becky's Notes:
Is this a knock your socks off salad? (given the previous post on my blog that might not be such a good idea anyway) No, but it is very good and I will make it again.  I also made Pioneer Woman's Chicken Parmesan to go with this and it paired up nicely.  
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/chicken-parmigiana/

All-American Chicken-Zucchini Casserole

Here is another recipe from Cuisine at Home.  It also is in the Cuisine At Home Issue 79/February 2010 on page 23.

Let me start by saying, my husband and I liked it.  Two of our three children tolerated it, and the third disliked the texture, but she ate it after I dangled the proverbial carrot (I mean dessert).  I also have a dog.  He is a German Shepherd who weighs in at 100 lbs and whose only purpose in life is to lay on the carpet and expect to get belly rubs all day and coat every inch of the house with dog hair, but he comes into this story a little later... ah well, why not now.  As you know German Shepherds are covered in fur.   A LOT OF FUR that then ends up on the floor and the largest clump is the dog.  I lovingly call him the German Shedder!  Yes, SHEDDER... my son who is now a very active 6 was having a good day.  He was all energetic after dinner.. I still had the casserole sitting on the table waiting to cool and then be put away because there was plenty left over for another meal, since two of my kids tolerated it and one disliked it... well my son was in Winter Break mode, which means -- wear the same pair of socks until they are able to stand up on their own, even though Mom does plenty of laundry.. well, he was swinging it around and around.. throwing it in the air and then catching it... and yes, his aim and exuberance got a little in the way... the sock ceremoniously flew high in the air...and you guessed it: landed splat right in the middle of the left over casserole... his sock, covered in dog hair, and disgusting dirt.. in the left overs.. so I don't think we will have it again... at least not that one.. some friends suggested I skim off the top... but no, I don't think I want the health inspectors knocking down my door... plus the best part of this dish is on top.

I skinned and de-boned the chicken thighs myself.  And for the future, I will be using ready to go chicken breast halves next time.. if there is a next time.  Maybe when my daughter is at Winter Camp...

Here is the recipe:
All-American Chicken-Zucchini Casserole
Serves 8
Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes (though it took longer for me because I struggled so with the stupid de-boning and then I could not locate some items so I had to drag a chair and climb on it to look deeper into my cabinet to find a few things..and the phone rang and it was my mom.. and we had dinner at 7! which is late for us... but my son learned to ride his bike without training wheels under the watchful care of his father.. good stuff...oh and we finished the experiments for two science projects that will be due soon that day... entertaining I must say... but that is not part of the recipe so let me get back to that.. as I was saying:

All-American Chicken Zucchini Casserole- Cuisine at Home

Serves 8
Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

For the Zucchini Mixture:
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup dry basmati rice
8 cups chopped zucchini (2 1/2 lbs)
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced

For the Cheddar Mixture:
3 large eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese (5 oz)
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided use
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs, divided use
1 tsp. dried italian seasoning
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (only if they come that way!)
Kosher salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F coat a 9x13x2 baking dish with non-stick spray.

Bring broth to a boil in a small saucepan over hight heat.  Add rice, cover, and reduce heat to low; simmer until liquid is absorbed; 20 minutes

Combine zucchini, onion, water, and garlic in a large saucepan; cook, stirring occasionally over medium heat until zucchini is tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain and lightly mash zucchini mixture.

Stir together eggs, cheddar, sour cream, milk, 1/4 cup Parmesan, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, 1 tsp salt, Tabasco, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a large bowl.

Add the cooked rice along with the zucchini mixture to the cheddar mixture in the bowl.  Spoon the combined mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Saute until golden brown, 3-5 minutes on each side.

Arrange chicken on rice mixture in the baking dish.  combine the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and remaining 1/4 cup bread crumb; sprinkle over the chicken and rice in the baking dish.

Bake chicken and rice until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Chicken is done when it reaches 165 F when tested with an instant read thermometer.

Source:  Cuisine At Home Issue 79/February 2010 on page 23

Herb-Stuffed Yankee Pot Roast with Root Vegetables

I love the cooking magazine: Cuisine at Home.  The recipes always have a nice step by step instructions and illustrations.  This turned out amazing and the house smelled so good!  Enjoy.

Herb-Stuffed Yankee Pot Roast with Root Vegetables - Cuisine at Home
 (Cuisine at Home Issue 79 February 2010  page 39)

FOR THE BEEF:
1 beef chuck pot roast (2 1/2-3 lb)
3 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
2 Tbsp. sliced garlic cloves
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

FOR THE SAUCE:
2 medium onions, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 cup flour
1 cup dry red wine

2 cups low sodium beef broth
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 bay leaf

FOR THE VEGETABLES:
2 cups baby red potatoes
1 medium turnip, peeled and quartered
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut in 2 inch pieces
2 cups button mushrooms
sprigs of fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

Trim exterior fat from roast.  Using kitchen twine, tie roast around its circumference.
Combine Thyme, garlic, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Pat meat dry.  Cut 1 inch deep slits into the meat with a paring knife; stuff with thyme mixture.  Season roast well on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large ovenproof pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Sear roast on all sides until well browned, 8-10 minutes.  Transfer roast to a platter

Saute onions, celery, and died carrots in the pan drippings, stirring often, until onions start to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add tomato paste; stir until it starts to brown on bottom of the pot.  Stir in flour.

Deglaze the pot with wine, scraping up any browned bits.  Stir in broth; bring liquid to boil return seared roast to the pot.  Cover pot, place in oven, and braise for 2 hours.

Remove pot from the oven.  Transfer roast to a platter,  Strain sauce, discarding the vegetables.  Stir Worcestershire, Dijon mustard and bay leaf into sauce.  Return sauce and roast to the pot.

Add potatoes, turnip and carrot pieces to the pot.  Cover the pot; return roast to the oven and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender.

Add the mushrooms to the pot during the final 10 minutes of cooking.  Transfer the roast and vegetables to a platter; using a fork, break meat into pieces.  Bring sauce to a simmer; skim off and discard fat.  Season sauce with salt and pepper.

To serve, spoon sauce over pot roast and vegetables; garnish with a sprig of thyme.

Serves 4
2 1/2 cups sauce
Total time: about 4 1/2 hours.

CUISINE AT HOME NOTES:
A beef Roast Classic:
Pot roast has been a tradition in New England since colonial times.  Interestingly enough, Yankee  Pot Roast isn't restricted to a well-defined list of ingredients, but this one-pot meal invariably includes a selection of root vegetables.
We used potatoes, carrots and turnips in this pot roast, but similarly sized chunks of rutabaga or even celery also would taste good.  Since the meat needs a longer time to cook, add the vegetables to the pot a couple of hours and starting to braise.


BECKY'S NOTES:
It had good flavor.  I will probably eliminate the turnip and increase the carrots in this recipe.  I may also not use the red wine, though it gives it a nice flavor, I am not positive that my kids like it as much.  Perhaps I will cut it by half and increase the broth by a 1/2 cup.  It took a long time to cook and the smells were amazing, but made us hungry much earlier in the day!  I guess that is a good thing!  I love mushrooms the kids don't care for it as much.  I removed the root veggies before adding the mushrooms at the end, that way I could easily separate what the kids liked rather than having the mushrooms scattered throughout.  Delicious!  Will make again a great comfort food.  I may use the leftover meat to make my Shepherd's Pie again.  (in this blog)


Here is the pot roast with the herbs tucked into the meat and seasoned with salt and pepper before searing it. I had trimmed it of almost all fat and tied it together with twine (which came completely apart after searing it.. oh well)

Nice and browned on every side.











Diced onion, celery and carrots for the sauce.







Sauteed vegetables until softened










Add tomato paste

Add flour and stir into vegetables.

Add red wine and beef broth







Cooked roast after two hours.

Strain the sauce and discard the vegetables at this point.

Add Worcestershire and Dijon to the reserved sauce and pour back into the pot with the pot roast.

Add the vegetables (red potatoes, turnip and carrots) and cook for another 1- 1 1/2 hours.

Add the mushrooms to the last 10 minutes of cooking time.  I had sliced on hand that looked fresher than the button ones in the recipe, so I used those.

Serve and enjoy with the sauce.

Chocolate Rum Balls

These rum balls are delicious, but off limits to kids.  They make great gifts.  My husband requests them every year.  If you want to make a kid friendly version, substitute the rum with Orange Juice.  They are not quite as good, but the kids will still enjoy them.

Chocolate Rum Balls - allrecipes.com

Ingredients
3 1/4 cups crushed vanilla wafers
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup rum

Instructions
 1. In a large bowl, stir together the crushed vanilla wafers, 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and nuts. Blend in corn syrup and rum.
   2. Shape into 1 inch balls, and roll in additional confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container for several days to develop the flavor. Roll again in confectioners' sugar before serving.



Notes:
I discovered this time around that if I have just a sprinkle of water on my hands and rub my hands together that they form much easier and won't stick to your hands while you roll them.  They get more potent as the time goes on, so be careful!  Don't eat and drive! Heehee

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, who can resist them?  My daughter requested them for a class party, and then I made some for the family too.  We won't talk about the fact that Christmas is a busy season as it is, and that my husband had been traveling extensively, and that I had had two of my three children home sick in the past week and that I was frazzled and that I had to memorize 8 pieces of music for a Christmas concert I was to sing in with our church choir.. and the fact that I got up at 4 30 in the morning to make these beauties!  It was all worth it.  And I got permission to use my words on songs I didn't get memorized!  Wahoo! (These are also nice for Valentines or any other occasion you can think of)
I got this recipe from allrecipes.com  it truly is a wonderful website if you have not discovered it yet.

Don't buy the overpriced chocolate dipped strawberries in the stores - they are so easy to make and delicious!  Makes about 3 packages of strawberries.  If you have chocolate left over use them to drizzle over cookies, or dip other fruit.  Very good.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Ingredients
16 ounces milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening
1 pound fresh strawberries with leaves
  
DIRECTIONS
   1. Insert toothpicks into the tops of the strawberries (washed and completely dried!).
   2. In a double boiler (bowl over hot water in a pan), melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Holding them by the toothpicks, dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture.
   3. Turn the strawberries upside down and insert the toothpick into styrofoam for the chocolate to cool. (or in this case, I used cupcake papers and just put a berry in each.  Enjoy.

Scottish Shortbread Cookies

I found this recipe online.  It is a shortbread recipe that was passed down from generation to generation.  I made a little change to it.  Rather than baking it in a pan and then cutting them into slices, I rolled them out and treated them like sugar cookies.  I kept the temperature at 325F as in the original, but because they were smaller, the batch was done after 20 minutes.  I made stars and then drizzled them with chocolate that I had left over from Chocolate Dipped Strawberries (Yes, I have that on my blog too)

Enjoy.
Source:
http://weheartthis.com/2009/08/24/scottish-shortbread-recipe/

Scottish Shortbread
Yield: 5 dozen depending on size of the cookies
1 lb. butter, softened a day in advance
1 c. sugar
1 egg
6 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt (pinch)
1/4 tsp. baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Cream sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat in egg. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder (I use a whisk for this) in a separate bowl.
3. If you have a Kitchen Aid Mixer, put on your bread kneading attachment and slowly add flour mixture on lowest setting until ingredients are evenly combined. You will have a very dense, mound of dough when mixer is done. If you do not have a Kitchen Aid Mixer, you will need to add the flour mixture by hand. Do not attempt to use a hand mixer or lesser mixer to add the flour, it WILL burn out the motor (Since I’ve been making this, I have officially murdered 4 hand mixers and one Sunbeam stand mixer, so thank goodness I got a Kitchen Aid last year–my reign of terror over small appliances has ended). Add the entire flour mixture into the large bowl with the other ingredients and use hands to combine. Rub the butter mixture into the flour using both hands until the dough resembles coarse meal Start squeezing and punching the dough to force it to stick together. Once the dough starts to stick, knead the dough until it forms a very stiff, dense ball (about 40 times—yes, you read that correctly). Think about how everything was combined using only hands for centuries and don’t feel so bad.
4. THIS IS WHERE I ROLLED THE DOUGH OUT AND MADE COOKIE SHAPES:
Divide the dough in half, place in two 7×11-inch pans. Take a fork and pierce the dough in rows, careful not to press fork too deeply (should go about 1/2 way down).
5. IF MAKING COOKIES BAKE FOR 15-20 minutes per batch until the edges begin to turn golden.  Original Recipe:Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Shortbread will be very light, almost white with barely golden edges when done. Remove from oven, cut immediately with a sharp knife into rectangles, or “fingers” (I prefer to cut off all the edges first). Cool in pan. 
Becky's Change:  Let cool completely and drizzle with melted chocolate.


Recipe Notes

Submitter's notes:
My grandmother's family hailed from Scotland. Along with the necessities, they brought with them was a recipe for Scottish shortbread. This recipe has been passed down through generations. The area that my grandmother’s family settled was in a little steel mill town in Pennsylvania where other Scottish immigrants had settled. There were so many in the area, that the Presbyterian Church that my grandmother attended served shortbread at communion instead of wafers. Now THAT is Scottish. I can’t remember a Christmas growing up where we didn’t have shortbread. Now you, too, can channel your inner Highlander!
Sidenote: if you own a Kitchen Aid Mixer like myself, you’re going to be one happy camper because this will be a breeze. If you do not, prepare for some tired arms!

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

I recently went to Olive Garden with my family.  Since it was cold out that day I had their "Chicken Gnocchi Soup" rather than the usual Salad that I have with my meal.  It was so good and tasty, that I had seconds of it and took my main meal home with me to reheat for dinner.

I looked on the internet and found a few different versions of copies.  Here is one I tried that I found on Pioneer Woman's Site: Tasty Kitchen
(http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/soups/chicken-and-gnocchi-soup/)

Preparation:
Saute garlic, grated carrots and 1/2 chopped onion in 2 Tablespoons of Olive oil

Add cooked,chopped chicken and 4 cups of good chicken broth
(the recipe calls for 3 cooked chicken breast halves, I used an already made rotisserie chicken and cut it up into bite size pieces)

Add 2 cups of heavy cream (I did not have two cups of cream and added last 1/2 cup of half and half)

Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried Thyme and season soup with salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and it had nice flavor)

Add about 1/2 cup thawed, drained chopped spinach (the original used fresh spinach chopped, but I didn't have any on hand and this was an easy substitute

Bring to boil and boil for a few minutes then add gnocchi

Add 1 (16 oz) package of Potato Gnocchi
return to boil and allow to boil for about 4 minutes.  After that turn the heat to low and allow to simmer another 10 minutes.

I tasted it at this point and decided to add about 1 teaspoon of Knorr Chicken Bouillon granules to enhance the chicken flavor.  Turned out great.

Here is the recipe:

Chicken Gnocchi Soup


2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 peeled large carrots, grated
1/2 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 chicken breast halves, cooked and cut up (or Rotisserie Chicken)
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream (or mix of heavy cream and half and half)
1/2 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste
16 oz package Potato Gnocchi

Preparation:
Saute the onion, garlic and carrots in olive oil over medium heat until onion is translucent.
Add chicken, chicken broth, heavy cream, salt and pepper, and thyme.  Heat to boiling, then add gnocchi.  Gently boil for 4 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and continue simmering for 10 minutes.  Add chopped fresh (or defrosted frozen chopped spinach) and cook for additional 2 minutes. Taste and add chicken bouillon if you desire. Enjoy!  I will be adding this to our soup favorites.  It is nearly identical to the soup they serve in Olive Garden and oh so good!!

Lemon Chicken II

One of the best sites for new recipes in my opinion is http://allrecipes.com. Today I made a wonderful Lemon Chicken Recipe (Lemon Chicken II on the site: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Lemon-Chicken-II/Detail.aspx)  I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out wonderfully!  My entire family loved it.

I did use peanut oil to fry the chicken because I had it on hand and it can go to a high temperature without burning.

Here is the recipe:

Lemon Chicken II
INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Breading:
2 eggs
2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
For the Sauce:
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, sliced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl combine the chicken, sherry, soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix together, cover and refrigerate. Let marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, 1/4 cup cornstarch and baking powder to form a batter. In a wok, heat 2 cups oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat chicken with batter and fry in wok until browned. Cut into bite size pieces and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, broth, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix together and add lemon slices. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in wok and slowly stir in lemon sauce mixture. Cook, stirring, until sauce is clear. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Lemon-Chicken-II/Detail.aspx

Patty's Corn Bread Pudding

As you know I made chili today.  I also like to make a corn bread pudding recipe when I make chili.  I got this from one of my dearest friends a few years back, and today happens to be Patty's Birthday -- Patty this is in honor of your 28th Birthday (That is a number we can both agree on right?) :-)

Patty's Corn Bread Pudding
Serves 6-8

1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 (8.5 ounce) package dry corn bread mix   
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14.75 ounce) can creamed corn
1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and lightly grease a 9x9 inch baking dish.
In a medium bowl, combine butter, eggs, corn bread mix, whole and creamed corn and sour cream. Spoon mixture into prepared dish.
Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden brown.

My kids love this dish.

As you can see the ingredients are easy- 1 stick butter, melted; 2 eggs, beaten; 1 can creamed corn; 1 can corn kernels, drained; 1 cup sour cream and 1 box of corn muffin mix (I really like Jiffy).  Just combine them all together in the baking dish after you melted the butter in the dish and bake in same vessel.  Easy easy easy and ever so yummy!

It's Chili Cook-off Time

No, before you think I enter these big National cook-offs-- I don't-- it's just some friendly rivalry between good friends.  I don't always win, but no matter what, the time of hanging out and talking with friends is great.  Today I am trying a new recipe.  I usually make Chili with beans -- this recipe did enter a real cook-off and won some nice change.  I found the recipe at:
http://www.momswhothink.com/easy-recipes/best-chili-recipe.html
Here is the original recipe:
Best Chili
(Their Title, not mine-- we shall see)
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
2 1/2 lb. lean chuck, ground
1 lb. lean pork, ground
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped onion
8 oz. hunt's tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 can beer (12 oz.)
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons instant beef bouillon (or 6 cubes)
2 Tablespoons cumin, ground
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons oregano leaves
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon coriander, ground
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon louisiana hot sauce
1 teaspoon cornmeal
1 teaspoon flour
1 teaspoon warm water
Directions:
1. In a large saucepan brown 1 1/4 pounds of the ground meat (the beef and the pork), drain the fat.
2. Remove meat (the beef and the pork). Brown the rest of the ground meat, drain all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.
3. Add the garlic and onion, cook and stir until tender.
4. Add the other half of the meat and the tomato sauce, water, beer, chili powder, bouillon, cumin, paprika, oregano, sugar, coriander, cocoa, and hot sauce. Mix well.
5. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered , for 2 hours.
6. In a small bowl, stir together the cornmeal and flour, then add the warm water and mix well.
7. Stir into chili and cook, covered, for an additional 20 minutes.

I always tinker with recipes and make them mine.  I made a few minor changes.  I used 2 1/2 lbs of Beef Chuck Thin Sliced, trimmed them of most of the fat and cut them into 1/4 inch cubes.  Since I used ground pork, I wanted the texture of the beef to be different, so I cut the Thin Sliced Chuck into small cubes (smaller than bite size)
I used 5 cloves of garlic because the measurement of meat was slightly more than the recipe called for.  I love garlic. The onion I used was also slightly larger than the yield of 1 cup (probably close to 1 1/2 cups)  I used Gebharts Chili powder, because I like the flavor and I reduced the Louisiana Hot sauce to 1/4 tsp instead of 1/2 because I was not sure how hot the chili would be and my children will be eating it later for dinner and I didn't want them to not be able to eat it.

This is a departure from how I usually make chili- I typically make it with beans. I know, in cook offs that are on the National level, this is almost sacrilegious!  To finish them off, I top them with crisp bacon bits (not from the bottle!!), cheese and have sour cream on the side to cut the heat if it is too spicy.  I also bought some avocados to top the chili this time.  I love living in Southern California, avocados are easy to find and of great quality.  Another key point is to make the chili ahead a day or even two days ahead  of an event if you do not have to cook it on site.  This mellows the seasonings out.  Yum Yum.

Sorry about the soft focus on this one.  This is the trimmed, cubed Chuck Beef that I had purchased thin sliced.

I cooked the ground pork and beef in two batches and drained them well after cooking.






Browned beef- drain well.











Add chopped onions (1 to 1 1/2 cups)

Add 5 cloves garlic, chopped finely

Add 1 1/2 cups beer, 1 cup of water and 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

Add the seasonings (sugar not shown in this picture)

I added half of the Louisiana Hot Sauce that it called for because you can never remove the heat you can always add it though.

Here is a picture of the seasonings before I stirred it into the meat mixture.

The chili before I put the lid on it and reduced the heat to low, simmering for 2 hours.

After it has simmered it will be this beautiful color.  The aroma is great at this point, but there is still the thickening step to this recipe.

Combine 1 teaspoon cornmeal and 1 teaspoon flour with a few teaspoons of warm water.  I actually ladled some of the chili into the bowl and stirred it so that all the thickening agent would end up in the chili, then returned it to the pot of chili.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes longer

I ladled the finished chili into a bowl and topped with my favorite toppings.

Avocado
Crisply cooked bacon
Shredded Mexican style cheddar jack cheese

It was quite good. I do think I will use this recipe.  I will have to double it to serve the crowd.  I hope to reserve enough of this tonight so I can see how it tastes tomorrow.

I enjoyed this recipe and I am sure you will as well.

Chops in Mushroom Gravy

This is a favorite of my families too.  I originally got it from the Taste of Home Magazine.  I have made a few alterations to get it to my taste.


Chops in Mushroom Gravy - Taste of Home Magazine
Serves 6-8
Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 to 2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
6 to 8 boneless pork loin chops (1 inch thick)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 med onion -- chopped
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces -- drained
2 cup milk
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Hot mashed potatoes

Instructions

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first four ingredients. Add pork chops, one at a time; toss to coat. Set remaining flour mixture aside. (you will use it to thicken the sauce)
In a large skillet, saute chops in butter until golden brown; transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. In the same skillet, saute the onion, green pepper and mushrooms until tender. Stir in reserved flour mixture; gradually add milk until blended. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in lemon juice. Pour over chops. Cover and bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. Serve with potatoes.


Becky's Recipe Notes:
Changes I have made.  I like to use Roasted Red Peppers from the jar and dice them instead of using the green peppers.  It gives it a nice flavor.  It is really important not to add the lemon juice too soon, or the sauce seems to curdle.  Whisk it in while adding it.  2 Tbsp is roughly 1 lemon's juice.  I also heat the milk up in the microwave so I am not adding cold liquid to my warm dish.


Here is what I did:
I dredged the pork chops in the flour mixure:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 to 2 teaspoons paprika (I like it seasoned well I use about 1 1/2 tsp)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

I melted 4 Tbsp of butter in my scanpan (this is my new favorite non stick pan)


Turn them after they are golden brown. When both sides are browned remove them to a baking dish.

Add the chopped onions, diced (roasted) peppers and can of mushrooms to the pan with the butter.

Stir the flour mixture into the vegetables and cook the flour for a few minutes to remove the raw taste.  It will look a little clumpy, but don't worry it will be fine after you add in the warm milk and incorporate the liquid.

Slowly add the 2 cups of warmed milk




Stir and let the sauce thicken.

Off heat stir in 2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

Pour the mixture over the pork chops and cover with foil.

Bake at 350 F for 50-60 minutes.  Serve with Mashed Potatoes (my favorite is Garlic Mashed Potatoes) and serve with a salad.