Monday, November 21, 2011

Weekend baking

I felt like I was cooking all weekend!
Friday night, I helped host Bible study. And by help, I made all the snacks!

Chips/Salsa (salsa on an earlier post)

Sliced apples/Fluffy Apple Dip (via Taste of Home)

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme
Assorted apple wedges

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter and pie spice until blended; fold in marshmallow creme. Serve with apple wedges. Yield: 2 cups.

Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

1 box German Chocolate cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 stick butter, softened

1 bag of Heath chips

1 Tb. vanilla extract

Combine cake mix, butter, eggs, vanilla and Heath chips. Scoop onto a lined cookie sheet, bake 8-10 minutes at 350.

On Saturday, we kicked off my sister-in-law's birthday week with a Chicken Burrito Pizza and Pink Lady Cake.

Chicken Burrito Pizza

12 slices
107 calories/slice

For the Pizza
1 11 inch whole wheat pizza crust
1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella
1 4 oz Chicken Breast cooked and chopped
4 tbsp Black Beans
1/2 red or sweet onion
2 tbsp salsa

For the Pico de Gallo
1 large tomato, diced
1 small green chili, diced
1 tbsp cilantro
1/2 red or sweet onion
salt

For the guacamole
1 large avocado
1 tbsp chopped cilanto
1/2 red or sweet onion
1 lime juiced
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread the salsa over pizza dough, then sprinkle on mozzarella. Top with chicken, black beans, and onion. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until pizza edges are golden brown.

Meanwhile make the pico de gallo and guacamole.
Remove pizza from oven, cut into 12 slices, and top with pico and guacamole.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (Wolfgang Puck)

Instructions for Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the honey and let sit for 5 minutes, until foamy.
Put the flour in a food processor fitted with the stainless-steel blade. Mix the 1 cup cool water with the olive oil and salt. With the motor running, pour the olive oil mixture and the yeast slowly in through the feed tube. Process until the dough forms a ball that rides around on the blade.
Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until double in bulk. Punch down the dough and knead it on a lightly floured surface for 1 minute. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and roll them into tight balls. Place on a tray, cover with a damp towel, and let rest for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator before use.
Roll or stretch each ball of dough into a 7-to-8-inch circle. Place the circles, one at a time, on a wooden peel or on a baking sheet and build the pizza as desired.

Pink Lady Cake (Smitten Kitchen)

[Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Filling]

The cake recipe is adapted from Sky High, and the only thing I would change next time would be to add a drop or two of red food coloring because when cake is called Pink Lady, well, it should really be pink.

The cream cheese frosting is not from the book (which has a Swiss buttercream-based one I am eager to try when I am not rushing to finish) but a classic, standard recipe. I have upped the amount of cream cheese frosting from what I used, which you can see is spread a tad thin. Pretty pink princesses should never be deprived of fluffy vanilla cream cheese frosting on their birthdays, you know?

For the cake
4 1/2 cups cake flour
3 cups sugar
5 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups pureed frozen strawberries*
8 egg whites
2/3 cup milk
1 to 2 drops red food dye, if using (to make the pink color pop more)

For the cream cheese frosting
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks; 6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Make the cake
1. Preheat the oven to 350»F. Butter three 9-inch round or 8-inch square cake pans. Line with parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

2. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the electric mixer on low speed, blend for 30 seconds. Add the butter and strawberry puree and mix to blend the ingredients. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes; the batter will resemble strawberry ice cream at this point. (Deb note: I must warn you not to try the batter at this point. Not even a smear of it. How unbearably good it is will shock you, and lead to more dipping. Only you can stop this from coming to pass.)

3. In another large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk and red food dye, if using, to blend. Add the whites to the batter in two or three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well and mixing only to incorporate after each addition. Divide the batter among the three prepared pans.

4. Bake the cakes for 30 to 34 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the layers to cool in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert and turn out onto wire racks and peel off the paper liners. Let stand until completely cooled before assembling the cake, at least an hour.

Make the cream cheese frosting
5. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

Frost and assemble the cake
6. Place one cake layer on a cake board or platter. Tucking scraps of waxed paper under the edges of the cake will protect the board or plate from any mess created while frosting the cake. (I forgot, as can be clearly seen above.) Spread about 2/3 cup frosting over the layer, spreading it to the edge. Repeat with the second layer. Add the top layer and frost the top and sides of cake with remaining frosting, reserving a small amount if you wish to tint it and pipe a decoration on the cake. If not, you can decorate the cake top with thinly-sliced strawberries. Remove the waxed strips to reveal and neat, clean cake board.

On Sunday, my sister in law, myself and another friend from school baked cookies for our support staff. I contributed these two winners:

Italian Ricotta Cookies (Allrecipes, Mrs. LoDico)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces ricotta cheese
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 tablespoons milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
In a medium bowl, cream together 1/2 cup butter and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and ricotta cheese. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the cheese mixture. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a medium bowl, cream together the remaining butter and confectioners' sugar. Beat in vanilla and milk gradually until a spreadable consistency is reached. Frost cooled cookies.

Orange Almond Biscotti (Smitten Kitchen)

Almond Biscotti
Adapted from Bon Appetit, December 1999

They’re supposed to make 3 dozen, but my batch yielded at least 45

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup whole almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped or sliced almonds

1 large egg white

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Mix sugar, melted butter, 3 eggs, vanilla extract, orange liquer and zest in large bowl. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir with wooden spoon until well blended. Mix in almonds.

Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each dough half into 13 1/2-inch-long, 2 1/2-inch-wide log. Transfer both logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing apart. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush over top and sides of each dough log.

Bake logs until golden brown (logs will spread), about 30 minutes. Cool logs completely on sheet on rack, about 25 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

Transfer logs to work surface; discard parchment paper. Using serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on same baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes. Turn biscotti over; bake until just beginning to color, about 8 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool.

Do ahead: Can be prepared one week ahead, though mine have kept even longer. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Weekend baking-whole wheat edition, via 101cookbooks.com

Lemony Olive Oil Banana Bread

The recipe instructs you to coarsely chop the chocolate. My advice? Leave a good amount of sizable chunks of chocolate. They become big, melty, chocolate goldmines in the cake. I used a more intricate shaped pan (when compared to a standard loaf tin), and both butter and floured it to help deter sticking.

1 cup / 4.5 oz / 125g all-purpose flour
1 cup / 5 oz / 140g whole wheat flour
3/4 cup / 4.5 oz / 125 g dark muscovado or dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup / 4 oz / 115 g coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate
1/3 cup / 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups / 12 oz / 340 g mashed, VERY ripe bananas (~3 bananas)
1/4 cup / 60 ml plain, whole milk yogurt
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the glaze:
1/2 cup / 3 oz / 85 g sifted dark muscovado or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup / 2 oz / 55g confectioners' sugar
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350° F, and place a rack in the center. Grease a 9- by 5- inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan, or equivalent.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the chocolate pieces and combine well.

In a separate bowl, mix together the olive oil, eggs, mashed banana, yogurt, zest, and vanilla. Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and fold with a spatula until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes. You want to get that beautiful color on the cake, but at the same time you don't want to bake all the moisture out of it. So the minute you're in that zone, pull it. Erring on the side of under-baking versus over.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the loaf out of the pan to cool completely.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze. In a bowl, whisk together the sugars and the lemon juice until smooth. When the cake is completely cool, drizzle the glaze on top of the cake, spreading with a spatula to cover.

Serves 10.

Adapted from Cook This Now: 120 Easy and Delectable Dishes You Can't Wait to Make, Hyperion, October, 2011

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 50 min

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Pumpkin Cupcakes w/ Whipped Cream Frosting- Your Cup of Cake

I made these for Bible study last month; delicious!!

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes with Whipped Cream

The Story:

Fall needs to get here faster. After all, it is the best season. All you need to wear is a light cardigan with jeans, you get an excuse to dress up however you want on Halloween, the colors in the trees all start to turn, and every dessert has pumpkin in it.

Pumpkin Pie Cakes

24 Golden Oreos

½ cup oil

½ cup applesauce

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups sugar

1 cup brown sugar

15 ounces pumpkin puree (the small can)

2 ¾ cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

Whipped Cream Topping

1 pint heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to decorate

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcakes liners (yields 24).
2. Split the Oreos and drop them at the bottom of each liner, cream side up. (You can use the non cream side as decoration at the end it you want.)
3. Gently combine eggs, oil, applesauce and vanilla.
4. Stir in brown sugar and sugar for several minutes.
5. Stir in pumpkin puree.
6. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
7. Add dry ingredients to oils/sugars and stir only until combined.
8. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and bake for 17-25 minutes, or until an inserted knife or toothpick comes out clean.
9. Whipped Topping: Using a whisk or whisk attachment, beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until combined.
10. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and sprinkle cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice on top to decorate. (I used the Ateco tip #855)

Knock-off Killer Brownies from DLM-Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

1 box (18.5 Ounce) German Chocolate Cake Mix (I Used Duncan Hines)
1 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
1/3 cup Evaporated Milk
1/2 cup Evaporated Milk (additional)
1/2 cup Butter, Melted
60 whole Caramels, Unwrapped
1/3 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, chopped pecans, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and melted butter. Stir together until totally combined. Mixture will be very thick.

Press half the mixture into a well-greased 9 x 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside.

In a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water) melt caramels with additional 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When melted and combined, pour over brownie base. Sprinkle chocolate chips as evenly as you can over the caramel.

Turn out remaining brownie dough on work surface. Use your hands to press it into a large square a little smaller than the pan. Use a spatula to remove it from the surface, then set it on top of the caramel and chocolate chips.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for several hours. When ready to serve, generously sift powdered sugar over the surface of the brownies. Cut into either nine or twelve helpings, and carefully remove from the pan.

*Adapted from the standard/classic "Knock You Naked Brownies" recipe. These brownies don't really knock you naked...but almost.

Peanut Butter Cup Blondies-from Cooking Light, via Bakeorbreak.com

Peanut Butter Cup Blondies

Recipe from Cooking Light. Read and see more at Bake or Break.

1 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
0.75 ounces peanut butter cups (about 4 regular size) chopped

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan lightly with cooking spray.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine peanut butter, melted butter, milk, vanilla extract, and eggs. Stir well.

Add peanut butter mixture to flour mixture, stirring until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Transfer batter into baking pan. Arrange the peanut butter cups over the batter.

Bake for 19 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins-Skinnytaste.com

Low Fat Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

Moist and delicious muffins made with ripe mashed bananas, apple sauce and Better'n Peanut Butter. These are so awesome!

I had a request to make low fat banana peanut butter muffins a few weeks ago and figured even though it's not something I would normally eat, I'm sure you would all like them. Well who knew how good they would be!

I put a little extra peanut butter in the center of each muffin to give you the extra peanut butter flavor when you bite in. The only way I could make these light was to use Better'n Peanut Butter, I buy it at Trader Joe's. I'm sure PB2 would work as well but I haven't tried it in this recipe. Of course, regular peanut butter would work too but you'll have to adjust the nutritional info.

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 12 • Size: 1 muffin • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 160.6 • Fat: 3 g • Protein: 3.9 g • Carb: 30.8 g • Fiber: 1.6 g • Sugar: 13.2 g
Sodium: 104.3 mg

Ingredients:

3 ripe medium bananas
1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 large egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
10 tbsp Better'n peanut butter (divided into 8 tablespoons and 2 tablespoons)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Line a muffin tin with 12 liners.
Mash bananas in a bowl, set aside.

In a medium bowl,

combine

flour, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.

In a large bowl cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add egg whites, bananas, apple sauce, vanilla, and 8 tablespoons better'n peanut butter, and beat at medium speed until thick. Scrape down sides of the bowl.

Add

flour mixture, then

blend

at low speed until combined. Do not over mix.

Pour batter into muffin tin halfway, then add 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining better'n peanut butter into each muffin well. Top off each muffin with remaining batter, and bake on the center rack for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Latin Baked Chicken-Cooking Light

Latin Baked Chicken

I used chicken breast instead of chicken thighs...really, really good recipe!

Ingredients

The 5 Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce
8 (4-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, skinned

Preparation

Directions: Preheat oven to 400°. Combine lime juice, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons honey, and chipotle in a large bowl. Add chicken, and toss well to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes at room temperature. Arrange the chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray, reserving marinade. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Place reserved marinade in a blender, and process until smooth. Place pureed marinade in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook 3 minutes. Brush chicken with half of cooked sauce; return to oven and bake an additional for 10 minutes. Brush chicken with remaining sauce; bake an additional 10 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165°.

Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken-Skinnytaste.com

I served this over rice, but you could use it for a chicken burrito filling as well!

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

Slow cooked shredded chicken with corn, tomatoes and black beans. Prepare the night before and turn your crock pot on in the morning for an easy weeknight meal. Low fat and low in points. Serve over rice with chopped scallions, fresh cilantro, fat free sour cream and reduced fat cheddar.

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 8 servings • Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 190 • Fat: 1.5 g • Fiber: 5.6 g • Carbs: 23.1 g • Protein: 21 g

24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast
14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
15 oz can black beans
8 oz frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
3 scallions, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
salt to taste

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning. Serve over rice

Maple Mustard Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

1/3 cup spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce $
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Cooking spray $

Preparation

1. Combine first 9 ingredients. Place half of mixture in a zip-top plastic bag; reserve remaining mixture. Add chicken to bag; seal. Chill 2 hours.
2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
3. Remove chicken from bag. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 8 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with reserved mustard mixture.

Julianna Grimes, Cooking Light
MAY 2011

Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce- 3 Ingredients

So tasty!! I ended up using a food processor and making it smoother once the onions cooked down. I also added a tablespoon or so of balsamic vinegar to taste.

Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter Recipe

recipe adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan

I used salted butter and also heavily salted the boiling pasta water, so I didn’t add any additional salt to the sauce. Taste and adjust with more salt if needed.

One 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes (San Marzano, if you can find), tomatoes roughly chopped with their juices
5 tablespoons salted butter
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and halved

Heat a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat. Add all of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low to keep a steady simmer. Cook for 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally. Discard the onion. Serve over cooked pasta.

White Chicken Chili-from America's Test Kitchen

Published January 1, 2007.

Why this recipe works:

We found not one but three solutions to bland chicken chili recipes: To fix watery sauce, we pureed some of our sautéed chile-onion mixture and beans with the broth to thicken the base. To avoid floating bits of rubbery chicken, we browned, poached, and shredded bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, which gave our chicken pieces a hearty texture and full flavor. And to solve the problem of insufficient chile flavor, we used a trio of fresh chiles: jalapeño, poblano, and Anaheim.

Serves 6 to 8

Adjust the heat in this dish by adding the minced ribs and seeds from the jalapeño as directed in step 6. If Anaheim chiles cannot be found, add an additional poblano and jalapeño to the chili. This dish can also be successfully made by substituting chicken thighs for the chicken breasts. If using thighs, increase the cooking time in step 4 to about 40 minutes. Serve chili with sour cream, tortilla chips, and lime wedges.

Ingredients

3pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves , trimmed of excess fat and skin
1tablespoon vegetable oil
3 medium jalapeño chiles
3 poblano chiles (medium), stemmed, seeded, and cut into large pieces
3 Anaheim chile peppers (medium), stemmed, seeded, and cut into large pieces
2 medium onions , cut into large pieces (2 cups)
6medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2teaspoons ground coriander
2 (14.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
3cups low-sodium chicken broth
3tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)
1/4cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions , white and light green parts sliced thin

Instructions

1. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until skin is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken and lightly brown on other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate; remove and discard skin.
2. While chicken is browning, remove and discard ribs and seeds from 2 jalapeños; mince flesh. In food processor, process half of poblano chiles, Anaheim chiles, and onions until consistency of chunky salsa, ten to twelve 1-second pulses, scraping down sides of workbowl halfway through. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Repeat with remaining poblano chiles, Anaheim chiles, and onions; combine with first batch (do not wash food processor blade or workbowl).
3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from Dutch oven (adding additional vegetable oil if necessary) and reduce heat to medium. Add minced jalapeños, chile-onion mixture, garlic, cumin, coriander, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
4. Transfer 1 cup cooked vegetable mixture to now-empty food processor workbowl. Add 1 cup beans and 1 cup broth and process until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add vegetable-bean mixture, remaining 2 cups broth, and chicken breasts to Dutch oven and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until chicken registers 160 degrees (175 degrees if using thighs) on instant-read thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes (40 minutes if using thighs).
5. Using tongs, transfer chicken to large plate. Stir in remaining beans and continue to simmer, uncovered, until beans are heated through and chili has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
6. Mince remaining jalapeño, reserving and mincing ribs and seeds (see note above), and set aside. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces, discarding bones. Stir shredded chicken, lime juice, cilantro, scallions, and remaining minced jalapeño (with seeds if desired) into chili and return to simmer. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and serve.
Per Serving:
Cal 370; Fat 6 g; Sat fat 1 g; Chol 115 mg; Carb 25 g; Protein 52 g; Fiber 7 g; Sodium 710 mg

Step-by-Step

Building Flavor in White Chicken Chili

1. Brown Chicken: Brown the bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts before poaching them to achieve deep chicken flavor.
2. Sauté Vegetables: To create a flavorful chile-centered base, sauté the trio of chiles and onion along with the spices and garlic.
3. Puree Vegetables: To thicken the chili, process 1 cup each of the sautéed chile mixture, beans, and broth in the food processor.
4. Stir in Fresh Chile: Add one minced raw jalapeño to the finished dish for a last-minute burst of chile flavor.

Recipe Testing

The Chosen Chiles

We found that using a combination of poblanos, Anaheims, and jalapeños was the key to achieving vibrant chile flavor. Here's what each chile brings to the table.

Jalapeños: This small, smooth-skinned, forest-green chile provides heat and a bitter, green bell pepper-like flavor.
Anaheim: This long, medium-green, mildly spicy chile has an acidic, lemony bitterness.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Katie's Chicken Salad

Before I forget, I came up with a delightful chicken salad combination that the internets should know about:

1 package of boneless skinless chicken breast (1.5 lbs?)
2-3 green apples, cored and diced (skins on!)
1 red onion, diced
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
Salt, pepper to taste

Directions
I typically sear my chicken breast with salt, pepper, olive oil, and fresh garlic in a hot pan, then allow to finish baking in the oven at 350, until meat thermometer indicates they're finished.

Allow chicken to cool, then shred and place in a separate bowl.

Core and dice apples (typically I use 2-3), and red onion.

Combine apples, onion, chicken, almonds and mix together with 1-1 1/2 cups of nonfat Greek yogurt.

I like to use this as a filling in whole wheat tortillas, with lettuce/tomato, or whatever is on hand.

New dinners

Marcella Hazan's Simple Marinara

* 2 cups canned plum tomatoes (whole, peeled, chopped, with their juices about one 28-oz. can)
* 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut in half
*1-2 Tb. molasses
*1 Tb. balsamic vinegar
* salt, to taste

Preparation

#1 Combine the tomatoes, their juices, the butter, and the onion halves in a medium saucepan.

#2 Add a pinch or two of salt. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, at a very slow but steady simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary, for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free from the tomato.

#3 Stir occasionally, mashing any large pieces of tomato with the back of a wooden spoon. Taste and salt as needed.

#4 Add molasses, and balsamic vinegar

#5 Carefully puree one batch of sauce at a time in a food processor, return to heat and serve immediately.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/MARCELLA-HAZAN-SIMPLEST-TOMATO-SAUCE-EVER-1273750#ixzz1YMCo5Lcz

Turkey and White Bean Chili

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
1/4 cup chili powder
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
3 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
3 15-ounce cans small white beans, rinsed, drained

Chopped red onion
Chopped fresh cilantro
Plain low-fat yogurt or light sour cream

Preparation

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until light brown and tender, about 10 minutes. Add oregano and cumin; stir 1 minute. Increase heat to medium-high. Add turkey; stir until no longer pink, breaking up with back of spoon. Stir in chili powder, bay leaves, cocoa powder, salt and cinnamon. Add tomatoes with their juices, breaking up with back of spoon. Mix in stock and tomato sauce. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add beans to chili and simmer until flavors blend, about 10 minutes longer. Discard bay leaves. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium-low heat before continuing.)

Ladle chili into bowls. Pass red onion, cilantro and yogurt separately.

Scones, scones....

I've been able to host some visitors to my new city, which has allowed for some experimenting and new recipes:

I'd also like to note that for both scone recipes, I've substituted whole wheat flour for half the white flour and things have turned out beautifully!

Blueberry Oat Scones (Orangette.blogspot.com)
Adapted from Standard Baking Company (Portland, ME)

If you use frozen berries, do not thaw them before using.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed golden brown sugar
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. kosher salt
11 Tbsp. (5 ½ ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 ¾ cups cold half-and-half
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries or blackberries

For garnish:
3 Tbsp. old-fashioned rolled oats
5 tsp. Turbinado sugar

Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade attachment, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pulse to mix well. Add the butter and pulse again briefly, until the mixture looks coarse and the largest lumps of butter are no bigger than a pea.

In a large bowl, stir together the half-and-half and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and the rolled oats, and stir until just combined. The dough will be thick and sticky. Add the berries, and stir briefly to mix. [When I use blackberries in particular, I find that it’s difficult to stir them into the dough without crushing them, overworking the dough, and turning the whole mixture purple. My solution is to only stir a little, and then move on to the next step. As you scoop the dough onto the baking sheets, you can use your fingers to press any errant berries into the mounds of dough.]

Using a 1/3-cup measuring cup, scoop the dough into mounds, arranging them 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Garnish the tops with rolled oats and Turbinado sugar.

Bake for 24 to 27 minutes, or until the center of the scones feels firm to the touch.

Note: Wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container, these keep beautifully at room temperature for 4 or 5 days. Warm in a toaster oven before eating.

Cinnamon Bun Scones

Ingredients

SCONES
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Quaker® Oats, quick or old fashioned, uncooked
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter or margarine, chilled and cut into pieces
3/4 cup whole or 2% milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

GLAZE
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3 to 4 teaspoons Tropicana Pure Premium® orange juice, Dole® 100% orange juice or milk

Preparation

Heat oven to 425°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.

In large bowl, combine flour, oats, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, baking powder and salt; mix well. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In small bowl, combine milk, egg and vanilla; blend well. Add to dry ingredients all at once; stir with fork or rubber spatula until dry ingredients are moistened. In small bowl, combine remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar with the pecans and cinnamon; mix well. Sprinkle evenly over dough in bowl; gently stir batter to swirl in cinnamon mixture (Do not blend completely.) Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack; cool 5 minutes. In small bowl, combine powdered sugar and enough orange juice for desired consistency; mix until smooth. Drizzle over top of warm scones. Serve warm.

Yield

12 SCONES

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Whole Wheat Heath Chocolate Chip Cookies

Heath-Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter softened

1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup raw sugar (if you don't have raw sugar, you could use 1/2 white and 1/2 brown)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups flour (I usually use white whole wheat, but white would work)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 bag miniature chocolate chips

1 bag Heath chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, salt and baking soda in medium bowl and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, using mixer cream butter, oil, and sugar together until well combined. Gently mix in vanilla. Then add eggs and beat well. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and Heath chips.

Using a cookie scoop (sprayed with cooking spay or buttered), place dough 2" apart on cookie sheets. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until gently browned. Remove and cool.