Fresh Tomato Sauce & Fettucini

There's a local restaurant here in Richmond that I absolutely love; Edo Squid's. Typical of most of my favorite restaurants; I get the same dish every time I go. This particular dish is very simple. It's called spaghetti with marinara. It always comes out piping hot and has plenty of flavor, which consists mostly of garlic. Lately, most of the jarred marinara I get from the grocery stores just haven't been doing it for me. So, I've been wanting to find a recipe that resembles Edo's marinara. I found it. Thanks to my mom trying it while visiting her sister. She told me about this recipe she made out of one of our favorite cookbooks; The New Best Recipe. She thought it was better than Edo Squid's version, so I had to try it. The verdict is in and I have to say it very much resembles Edo's. I think I would have to make it again to determine if it surpasses Edo's version. But, it was very delicious and flavorful. My only complaint; there wasn't enough juice to soak up with my bread. I think this is because I incorporated the fettucini in the sauce as opposed to just pouring the sauce on top of the fettucini. Normally, I would use spaghetti, but I wanted to get rid of my fettucini. Please try it...it was very good!

Ingredients:
2 pounds tomatoes - You are allowed to use any tomato as long as it's ripe and flavorful. I just used the cheapest, which was Roma tomatoes.
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh Basil, chopped
Salt to taste

The New Best Recipe has a very long explanation on why you have to boil the tomatoes. Just do as they say, they're never wrong. :)
Prepare the tomatoes by taking out the core, and then place about 5 at a time into a pot of boiling water for about 20 seconds. Remove and immediately place into a bowl filled with ice water. Don't fill it up too high otherwise when you put the tomatoes in; the water will spill onto the countertop. I learned this the hard way. Once you are finished with the tomatoes, take a pairing knife and gingerly slice the skin off of the tomatoes. The Cook Illustrated authors suggest dipping the paring knife into the ice bath before slicing the skin off. They think it's easier to slice the tomato this way. I'm not so sure it helped all that much. The cookbook suggests cutting the tomatoes in half and removing seeds. I did this, but then cut again into quarters.

In a decent size skillet; place the 2 cloves into 2 tbsp olive oil over about medium-low heat and saute...but do not brown the cloves. Turn up the heat to medium-high and place the tomatoes into skillet and cook for about 10 minutes until the tomato juices dissolved. I wasn't entirely sure if the tomato juices had dissolved. But, after about 12 minutes I figured it was safe to turn the heat back down to warm, add the basil and salt to taste, and cover the skillet with a lid and cook for about 20 minutes. At this point I set up my pot to boil my pasta.

The Cook Illustrated author suggests that if you are using penne then this version works great. However, if you are using a fettucini or spaghetti then they suggest pureeing the sauce in a blender or food processor. I pureed about half the sauce, because I wanted some chunks in the marinara. Perhaps I should have pureed the entire batch as this probably would have made it more juicy. Add the pasta and stir together to incorporate. I also would have preferred just pouring the sauce over the pasta instead of dumping the entire pasta into the sauce. It was an excellent recipe.



(Click here for printable recipe)

Potato and Cheese Soup

The author of this particular recipe titled it: The Best Potato Soup You Will Ever Eat. I beg to differ. While it was a good potato and cheese soup it definitely wasn't the best I ever ate. The best is another potato soup that I'm saving for a potential Iron Chef show-down. So, I just named this soup a boring: Potato and Cheese Soup. I'm definitely a soup lover, and I went searching for a new recipe to try. I came across this particular recipe and since it received pretty good reviews I thought I would give it a whirl. Again, it's not bad. I would make it again. It was pretty quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:
4 whole Potatoes
3 cans (10.75 Oz. Can) Cream Of Potato Soup
3 cans Milk (Use The Soup Can To Measure)
1/2 bags (8 Oz. Bag) Mozzarella Cheese
1 bag (8 Oz. Bag) Cheddar Cheese
2 cloves Minced Garlic
1 teaspoon Salt And Pepper

First step when you are buying these ingredients is to make sure you don't forget the main ingredient: the potatoes! I forgot this ingredient the other day, so I ended up making it yesterday after going to the grocery store just for the forgotten potatoes. Next, take out about 4 large potatoes and peel and wash them. Place in a pot with water and boil for about 30 minutes until soft. Pour out the water, and mash the potatoes making sure to leave some chunks in there. At this point I was a little nervous, because I had used 5 potatoes and there were a lot of mashed potatoes in my pot. But, have no fear; after placing the 3 cans of potato soup and pour milk into the 3 empty soup cans. It all turned out okay. I poured the salt and pepper in and the minced garlic. I added a little more salt and pepper to my taste. Then I dumped the 1/2 bag of shredded Mozzarella Cheese, the full bag of shredded cheddar cheese, and about a half bag of Colby and Monterey Jack shredded cheese. I fried up about 6 pieces of bacon and placed in the soup. After it's heated up and salted to your taste it's done. I think it could have used some kind of herb but I didn't add anything else. It was a good soup, and I'm having some leftovers today. Perhaps it will be even better the next day.

(Click here for printable recipe)

Iron Chef Coffee: Coffee-Braised Short Ribs

They say you eat with your eyes. That’s why gourmet restaurant chefs spend so much time stacking, drizzling, swirling, spreading, and placing every morsel of food so that it looks as delicious as it tastes. But I don’t know about you—I eat with my mouth. It doesn’t matter how good something looks, if it doesn’t taste good, I don’t want it. And this recipe? Tastes gooooood.

But unfortunately for me, my Iron Chef competitors made some desserts that not only tasted pretty delicious, they also looked really beautiful and tasty. And one thing braised short ribs are not is attractive looking. So even though this was a winning recipe based on taste, it just couldn’t get its presentation in order. Still, I recommend it.

(photo taken by the R.Home photographer, not me!)

I found this recipe on Epicurious, but modified it based on the comments, and used beef short ribs instead of bison (who eats bison?).

Marinade:
4 cups water
3 cups chilled strong brewed coffee
1/4 cup coarse kosher salt
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (packed) dark brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups ice cubes
8 short ribs

For the marinade, mix the water, coffee, salt and sugar in a bowl. The recipe calls for chilled coffee… I didn’t really chill mine fully, but I did let it sit out for a little while. Plus the water really takes the temperature down. Stir this until you don’t see any more salt or sugar crystals. Then add the next three ingredients. Next, add the ice cubes and stir until they melt. Not really sure what the point of the ice cubes is, unless it’s just to make sure the mixture is cool and won’t cook the meat. Once the ice cubes are melted, you can add the short ribs. Cover and chill them for 4 to 6 hours. I actually let them sit for 24 hours with no adverse effects. Might not be a good idea to marinate them longer since the acid in coffee really breaks down the meat and could make it mushy.

Short Ribs:
1/4 cup chopped bacon (about 1 1/2 ounces)
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped shallots
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup strong brewed coffee
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 chipotle chile chopped, and 1 Tbsp adobe sauce
1/4 cup Heinz chili sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Drain the marinade off the ribs and discard. The marinade, not the ribs! Then preheat the oven to 325°. Use a heavy ovenproof pot (like a dutch oven) and sauté the bacon over medium heat just until it begins to brown. Remove the bacon to a plate, but leave the bacon grease. Sprinkle the ribs with salt and pepper, turn the heat up to medium high, and brown the meat on all sides, working in batches of about three ribs. When they are browned, remove them to a plate. I deglazed the pot with a little bourbon as one of the comments suggested, but I’m not sure how successful an idea that was. It seemed to evaporate almost immediately.

Add the onions, shallots, and garlic to the pot, turn it down to medium and cover. Cook until they are soft, stirring every once in awhile (for about 8-10 minutes). Then add the coffee and broth, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan for all the tasty brown bits. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Then add the bacon and ribs, cover, and put into the oven for about 2 hours and 15 minutes.

This recipe is best made a day or two in advance. That way it really gets the flavors absorbed into the meat and it’s fall off the bone tender. You can eat it now if you want, it’s just totally worth it to wait. Let it cool uncovered until it’s cold, then cover and put in the fridge. When you are going to reheat it, make sure to take all the fat off the surface (this will be easy when it’s chilled). Take out the ribs and boil the sauce until it’s reduced to 2 cups, which should take about 5 minutes.

I chose to rewarm the ribs on the grill to get some nice caramelization. I made a “glaze” based on a commenter’s suggestion. He didn’t say what proportions he used but it was coffee, brown sugar, and chili sauce. My glaze was pretty watery even though I reduced it for a while. I would recommend maybe using about a half cup coffee, a fourth cup chili sauce and two tablespoons of brown sugar. Put this on the ribs as you grill them. Serve over mashed potatoes, using the sauce as a gravy. It’s very, very tasty. In your mouth.

(Click here for printable recipe)

Iron Chef Coffee: Beatty's Chocolate Cake

For some reason I really wanted to make a good impression on this particular Iron Chef. Maybe it had something to do with a local magazine called Richmond Magazine featuring us in a little article in one of their upcoming issues. Or, maybe it had something to do with coffee being our secret ingredient and knowing how well coffee can play up a dessert. Nah, it had to do with Richmond Magazine. So, I went searching for the best recipe. I tried many, but ultimately went with this cake which was featured on one of Barefoot Contessa's Food Network episodes. I actually requested this cake for my birthday back in March. So, I had a pretty good idea how it would taste and look. It's a pretty cake and it definitely tastes wonderful. In my opinion, you can taste the coffee in the chocolate icing and a tad in the cake. The cake itself is very moist and rich. I'm not sure who Beatty is, but this is a splendid cake!

Ingredients:
Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. The recipe indicates placing parchment paper into an 8 inch cake pan and butter and flour the parchment paper. First of all, I had a 9 inch cake pan and the parchment paper was driving me nuts. So, I dusted cocoa powder onto the cake pan after spraying the cake pan with cooking oil spray. I will say I had a bit of trouble getting the cake out of the pan after baking. So, using the parchment paper probably would have been a good idea.

I used a sifter and sifted the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of my electric mixer. I used a paddle attachment mixed on low speed the above ingredients. Next, in a separate bowl I combined the 2 eggs, the shaken buttermilk, the oil, and vanilla and stirred to incorporate. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry at low speed. Then, I slowly added the coffee stirring just to combine. Then I stopped the mixture and scraped together the ingredients with a spatula. I did use espresso instead of regular coffee because that’s what I had in my pantry and I think it turned out just fine. Pour the batter into your prepared cake pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I believed mine took about 30 minutes to bake. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes. Then place them on a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Place the one layer of cake flat side up on your cake plate and spread with your prepared frosting. Then, place the second layer of cake round side up and spread the frosting evenly on top of the cake and around the sides.

Frosting:
6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place in a sauce pan set over another sauce pan over simmering water. Stir until it is just melted and set aside to cool. I just used regular old semi-sweet baking chocolate from the grocery store. Next, I fitted my electric mixture with the paddle and beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy for about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and then the vanilla and continue your beating for 3 minutes. Then turn the mixture to low and gradually add in the sifted confectioner’s sugar beating at medium speed until smooth and creamy. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl with the spatula to get it all incorporated into the mix. Next, dissolve the instant coffee into 2 tsp of hot tap water. On low speed add the chocolate and coffee mixture, and I just let mine mix for a couple seconds. Then I took a spatula and finished mixing it all together.


(Click here for printable recipe)

Mocha Silk Pie

The month of August was a busy one for me. I tried many recipes while trying to find the ultimate recipe for our Iron Chef Coffee event. I tried a mousse, a chocolate cake with whipped cream icing, chocolate chip cookie dough, etc. This particular recipe was the last one I tried before going with Beatty's Chocolate Cake. I was very tempted to use this recipe. It's a delicious pie; silky, smooth, with the crunch from the chopped pecans. It was very easy to make and I am still enjoying it. It's held up very well in my fridge for the past week. I made some modifications to this recipe. I did not have Kahlua, nor the money to buy it, so I substituted coffee for it. I think it still turned out great.

Crust
1 cup Pecans, Finely Chopped
1/2 cups Packed Brown Sugar
2 ounces, weight Semi Sweet Chocolate Grated
2 Tablespoons Kahlua
Dash Of Salt

Filling
2 sticks Butter (salted)
1-1/2 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Instant Coffee Granules
1 teaspoon Kahlua
3 ounces, weight Semi-sweet (or Bittersweet) Chocolate
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
4 whole Large Eggs

Crust:
To make the crust I first chopped my pecans into little bits. It probably would have been easier to buy pecan bits but I didn't have it in my pantry. I poured the pecans into a bowl along with the brown sugar, the grated chocolate, and the salt. A word about grating chocolate. I started to use a food processor but that caused the chocolate to break up into chunks and the chocolate was melting. So, I ended up just using my standing cheese grater. That worked just fine, and it didn't take as long as I thought it might. I poured in my cooled coffee in place of the Kahlua. Mixed together and then placed into a pie dish. I pressed the mixture firmly into the dish.

Filling:
First step is to melt 3 ounces of your semi-sweet chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for about 45 seconds. Do not melt for more than a minute. I did this and burnt my chocolate and my kitchen stunk cause of it. Set it aside and let it cool.

Next, in a standing mixer with the whisk attached (oops I used the paddle) beat the butter, 2 tsp instant coffee, sugar, and 1 tsp Kahula (again I used my coffee)until light and fluffy. It takes about a minute and a half. Scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary. Then drizzle the cooled chocolate into the mixture as it beats on medium speed. You may need to use a spatula to get all the chocolate out of the bowl into the sugar mixture. Then add 1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract. Beat until thoroughly combined. Again scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary. Next, on medium speed add the 4 eggs ONE AT A TIME for about 5 minutes for a total of 20 minutes. Scrape sides of the bowl halfway thru the process. Then pour the filling into the pie crust, smooth it out, and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. I let mine chill over night. Top with more grated chocolate and whipped cream if desired.


(Click here for printable recipe)

Whole Wheat Chicken Pot Pie

When I came home from college, there was always one recipe I requested. After my freshman year, it became the recipe that magically appeared on the table without my having to say a thing, a recipe that became synonymous with good home cooking. Who doesn’t love a really good chicken pot pie?

Now, the chicken pot pie and I have had our quarrels. It usually wins, the crust refusing to harden in anywhere close to the expected time or the filling boiling over within my oven creating a mess and a lovely burning smell that always gets my attention. Now, I refuse to give in. The chicken pot pie will not defeat me. I’m just a better person than that.

Where Bisquick has failed me in the past (or perhaps I have failed Bisquick), I tried a new crust this time.

Ingredients: 
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 Cup Milk
Frozen mixed veggies
2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup

Cook the chicken and cut into small pieces. In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup whole wheat flour and milk (I used 1%). This will be for the top of the pie. Mix frozen veggies (the amount varies to taste here, I use a lot, more than half of the bag), chicken soup, and chopped up chicken. Pour mixture into pie pan. Cover with the flour and milk mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Now, it was seven minutes shy of 45 minutes when I smelled something burning. The chicken pot pie and its trickery had gotten the best of me again! Luckily, it wasn’t the pie itself. It was the filling which had bubbled over onto the bottom of the oven. Now, those among you who are shaking your heads, saying, ‘wait, she just said this was a point of failure that had happened before,’ you may have a point. However, I had been extra sensitive this time about the height of my filling against my pie dish. I was convinced there was room for it to bubble without the mess. However, of course, my chicken pot pie had an urge to defy me.

The dinner was good, though I think I would have doubled the size of the crust. It was thin, and I like a really thick flaking crust. I also ended up peppering the final product, which I should have done in the earlier mixing.

A few more tweaks, and I’m almost there. The chicken pot pie will not beat me forever.

-KSP


(Click here for printable recipe)

Slow Burn Sticky Sweet Wings

Wings are one of the most intensely personal foods out there. I mean, it doesn’t get more personal than picking something up with your hands, tearing the flesh with your teeth, and licking your fingers when you’re done. It takes you back to the primal days of yore (YORE!) when we were all hunting and gathering our food, rather than having someone else bag it up and carry it to the car. (Sidenote: it drives me CRAZY that Kroger does that now. I’m able to load my own groceries, thank you! I appreciate the offer, but there’s no way I’m letting an 80-year-old man struggle to load twenty pounds of cat litter and boxes of wine into my trunk.) (Sidesidenote: That just made me sound like a crazy cat lady, didn’t it.)

Anyway. So, as I was saying, wings are personal. My point is, I like to eat them in the privacy of my own home where I can truly ravage them. Which is why I decided to try this recipe I found on the Good Mood Food Blog, via Saveur. (Although I renamed it. “Asian Chicken Wings” seemed pretty generic, and not all that accurate.) It’s one of those recipes that you like more the more you eat it. I think it might have helped to let them sit for five minutes before we began the feeding frenzy, but by the time they were done cooking it was 7:30 and we were famished.

Ingredients

Chicken Wings (the original recipe called for 12. I used 24 full wings and had plenty of sauce)

1 Cup of Sweet Chili Sauce (I found this in the specialty Asian section of Kroger)

The Juice Of One Lemon.

1 Tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce.

2 Cloves of Garlic Minced.

2 Tablespoons of Honey

1 Tsp Ground Ginger

1 Tsp of Chinese 5 Spice powder.

1 Tsp of Sesame Oil.

1 Tsp of Cornstarch

Don’t be like me and make sure to break down the chicken wings. It just makes them much easier to eat, and I think they will lay better in the pan as well. Mix all the ingredients (except the wings) in a bowl. When they are combined, add the wings and mix. If you want to continue the “personal” theme, mix with your hands. It really does make you feel like you are cooking. Get in there! You can either leave the wings in the bowl or spread them out in a roasting tray. Cover with saran wrap and put them in the fridge for at least a half hour. 

Preheat the oven to 400 and put the wings in the roasting pan on the top rack. Cook for 25 minutes, then stir them around, turning them over, and cook for another 25. They should get some good color on them by the end. Let them sit for 5 minutes or so if you can, so the sauce thickens up, then serve! They are sweet but you’ll notice after the first one or two that you are feeling a little burn in your lips. The next time I make them I might add a little Thai Garlic Chili sauce to up the heat factor, but that’s up to your tastebuds. Serve with plenty of napkins! And don't feel guilty about eating them alone where no one will see your savage side. 


(Click here for printable recipe)

Iron Chef Coffee: Coffee-Stout Bread

Iron Chef strikes again, and this was a big one. Richmond Magazine chose our secret ingredient – look for the article coming soon! This was Iron Chef: Coffee.

What would happen, we wondered, when all of that caffeine entered our systems, when every recipe utilized coffee beans? Would this be a giddy, twitchy Iron Chef? Would we be running in circles? Would we be falling up stairs? Maybe. But that just added to the excitement, right?

I couldn’t help but set the mood for myself in my corn meal. Can you see my coffee cup?

Ingredients:
1/2 cup hot strong brewed coffee (100° to 110°)
1/2 cup hot Guinness Stout (100° to 110°)
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/8 teaspoons salt
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon cornmeal

Make coffee, and heat stout on the stovetop. When both are hot, combine both ingredients in a large bowl. Add yeast into coffee mixture, stir, and allow 5 minutes to stand and dissolve. Add whole wheat flour and wheat germ to coffee mixture. Stir well, and then cover and let stand at room temperature for thirty minutes.

After mixture has become slightly bubbly (the original recipe called this sponge-like), lightly add 1 ¼ cups bread flour and salt. Add the bread flour a little bit at a time, while stirring until a soft dough forms. Bring dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (roughly 8 minutes). Add remaining bread flour 1 tablespoon at a time as dough becomes sticky. After kneading, place dough in a bowl coated with cooking spray. Turn to coat. Cover, and let rise a second time in a warm place for one hour.

Punch down dough. Cover and let rise again in a warm place for another hour. Punch down dough, and let rest for five minutes. Shape dough into an 8-inch (roughly) oval, and place on a baking stone sprinkled with 1 tablespoon cornmeal (see pic above). Lightly coat the surface of dough with cooking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place one last time for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut a quarter inch slash down the center. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes until it sounds hollow when tapped.

Personally, I can say my house smelled amazingly, as did my car en route to the Iron Chef party. Though it wasn’t a winner for the night, this is definitely a recipe I’ll try again.

Happy cooking!

-KSP

(Click here for printable recipe)

Chicken Cordon Bleu

My mom has a collection of cookbooks that rivals some bookstores and I used to secretly (and silently) snicker when she would sit for hours and “read” them. But recently I picked up a cookbook and went through it page by page…imagine my surprise that you can read a cookbook! Maybe the Iron Chef competitions have brought out the chef in me (who am I kidding) or maybe I’m just bored with the usual fare. Before you get too excited about the recipe, keep in mind that it’s from a cookbook called Calico Cupboards. It’s no culinary masterpiece, but it’s good, old-fashioned, simple cooking. While this is in the oven, grab a cookbook and start reading!


6 chicken breasts
6 slices of ham, thinly sliced
6 slices of swiss cheese
1 stick of melted butter
1 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika


I recommend that you cut the chicken breasts in half (lengthwise) so they’re easier to manipulate. Mix the bread crumbs (I used Italian bread crumbs) and the other spices in a dish. I didn’t have paprika so I threw in a few things from my pantry – thyme and even Montreal chicken seasoning – a bit odd, but it gave it a nice, spicy kick. Melt the butter in a baking dish. Fold the ham and cheese together and then fold the chicken in half, around them. Try to keep the cheese as tucked in as possible or it will melt all over the place. Carefully hold it all together to dip the outside of the chicken in the butter and then the bread crumb mixture. Secure with toothpicks. Make sure you count your toothpicks so you can get them all out once it’s baked. The recipe said to refrigerate the chicken for several hours or overnight…of course, I didn’t read far enough ahead to do that, so I just threw it into the oven right away. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.
(Photographic note: I didn’t think to take a picture of the dish right after I cooked it, but I had some in the freezer that I ate last night. The cheese didn’t freeze well, so the picture isn’t the best. Despite the look of it, it’s worth fixing again.)


(Click here for printable recipe)

Nutella Caramel Hazelnut Brownies

Oh. My. God. What did I do? I'll tell you what I did; it'll be our little secret. I bought Nutella. I can't believe in all of my 32 years I've never tried Nutella. Boy, have I been missing out. I could eat this all by its lonesome self. My diet is seriously in jeopardy. But, I had to make something with this stuff. And, I found it. This recipe is...to...die...for!!! If you like chocolate, caramel, and hazelnut you won't be disappointed.

Ingredients
1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
1/3 cups Cocoa Powder
1/4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 pinch Salt
1 cup Sugar
1/2 sticks Unsalted Butter (room temp)
2 whole Eggs
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1/4 cups Nutella - Melted (more If Desired)
1/4 cups Caramel Sauce - Melted
1 bag (8 Oz.) Small Bag Of Hazelnuts, Or More If Desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
First step is to incorporate in a small bowl the following ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Next, in a standing mixer; mix the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time. Then add the vanilla. Lastly, Gradually add the flour mixture. If you don't gradually add it cocoa powder will fly up in your face. Now, take an 8x8 baking pan and spray it with cooking spray. Add enough parchment paper so it creates little handles. Spread Half the brownie batter onto the paper. Add the caramel sauce (I just used caramel syrup that I had on hand) and spread over the batter. Add the remaining brownie batter and spread. At this point I added a little more caramel and a little of the Nutella. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the sides are firm and the middle is no longer jiggly. Take out of the oven and let cool. Press your finger tip gently on the brownie and add the melted Nutella and the hazelnuts (if desired). Feel free to add some caramel while you are at it. I didn't use hazelnuts because I didn't have any. I'm sure you could substitute walnuts or pecans and it would turn out just fine. Also, since I'm prepping for our big iron chef next Saturday, I incorporated a tsp of instant coffee granules into the flour mix. Not sure if it helped but I've heard coffee makes chocolate better!

(Click here for printable recipe)

Pulled Chicken Barbecue & Sweet Potato Fries

Do you ever have a plan that you talk about that never seems to happen? I’m not talking about redesigning the kitchen or starting an organic herb garden. I’m thinking of much simpler plans: scrapbooking those photos, exchanging those Euros back to American dollars, writing a blog entry…

For about a year now, I have had a plan to make barbecue in my slow cooker. In the summer, I plotted; in the fall-time, I mused, but the seasons turned; I was distracted by hearty casseroles, then spring salads, then a new, Warsaw-inspired plan for making pirogues! (Yes, watch out. This is coming soon!)

Today, I finally did it, though, and I feel absolutely silly. This was easy! This was fabulous! My entire home smelled delicious for hours! To redeem myself, I added homemade sweet potato fries.

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups ketchup
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons red hot pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix all ingredients (minus the chicken) together in crock pot (before it’s turned on). When mixed well, add chicken and coat thoroughly. Cook for 7-8 hours on a low setting or 3-4 hours on a high setting. After the time has passed, pull chicken apart with two forks. It tears apart easily in juicy, luscious pieces.

Sweet Potato Fries. (enough for 2 people)

(This one was a total experiment, but I’m calling it a huge success. If my oven only cooked evenly, it would have been perfect).

Ingredients:

1 Large Sweet potato (yes, this really is enough for two people)

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Peel the sweet potato and then chop it into French fry-like strips. Put on a baking tray; drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Happy cooking!

-KSP


(Click here for printable recipe)

Peach and Prosciutto Pizza

I have recently acquired a lot of free time, so much free time that I decided I would dabble a little in the kitchen. I visited the beautiful Carter's Mountain over the weekend which means I picked TOO many peaches. I thought if I picked my own ingredients it would make the whole cooking thing a little more interesting.


Better Homes and Gardens' August issue had an article titled "50 Ways to Eat a Peach". I started the cooking lesson by making peach mojitos since everyone knows cooking is a little easier with a tasty drink. The mojitos were a disappointment, they were just way too bland. Next I tried my luck making peach salsa and it was way too hot (maybe I shouldn't have used two jalapenos...hey, I'm learning). After feeling like Goldilocks looking for the perfect porridge, I began my final attempt with peaches and worked on a pizza.


The ingredients:
Store bought pizza crust
Peaches
Mozzarella
Prosciutto
Garlic
Oil
Balsamic Vinegar


BHG had this idea in their magazine, but I couldn't find the cheese they listed or fresh arugula, so I went with my own ingredients and still followed their general idea. You can read all about eating peaches at this link: www.bhg.com


Follow cooking directions on pizza crust for baking temperatures. Roll out the pizza crust and cover with olive oil. I also spread some garlic on the crust because pizza isn't pizza without garlic. Place thin slices of peaches on the crust. I used only one peach. Cover with cheese. Lay thin pieces of prosciutto on top of cheese and then cover with more cheese. Bake in oven until cheese is crispy.


Finally- something delicious! I thought the pizza was the perfect balance of sweet and salty without one flavor being overwhelmed by the other. The best part is that this dish is such a simple, easy, and quick recipe to finish. I am a beginner and I was able to complete all of the steps without a problem.
If you are trying to teach a 12 year old how to cook or playing in the kitchen with your four year old this is perfect. If you are an adult cooking, this would be a great appetizer for a summer cookout.


(Click here for printable recipe)

Bacon and Spinach Risotto

Healthy recipes are something that I always keep an eye out for, and ergo, CookingLight.com has always been a resource I’ve utilized. When I found a risotto there for 405 calories, with spinach, wine, onions, and Asiago cheese, I was intrigued. Not only did this sound awesome, but my husband would eat it. Why? Another main ingredient was bacon.

The original recipe and the one that I created differed slightly. I learned that Madiera can be substituted for Marsala, but unfortunately neither was in my wine cabinet. I found out other substitutions were sherry (again, not on hand), and a grape juice/brandy combination (creative, but again, not in the house). My version used a dry cabernet sauvignon. I also substituted a yellow onion for the shallots.

Ingredients:

· 4 cups Chicken Stock

· 6 bacon slices, chopped

· 1 cup chopped shallots (I used a yellow onion)

· 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

· 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

· 4 garlic cloves, minced (I used garlic powder)

· 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice

· 1/3 cup Madeira wine (see above)

· 4 cups baby spinach

· 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Asiago cheese

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Like a good cook, you should be thoroughly familiar with your ingredients before you get started. This is a great time to nibble on some Asiago cheese and taste test your wine, just to make sure all is up to par. After necessary ingredients have been proven acceptable, bring the chicken stock to a simmer (not a boil). This should be kept hot (not boiling) through the rest of the cooking time. While the chicken stick is warming, cook bacon until crisp. When finished, remove bacon from the pan but leave the juices (Yes, this is a Cooking Light instruction! Should we be wary?). Add onions, olive oil, garlic powder, and thyme (if it’s in your spice cabinet. I thought it was in mine, but apparently was out) until onions are tender. Add rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, stirring constantly until the liquid is nearly absorbed (about 1 minute). Add in 1 cup of simmering stock, stirring until liquid is nearly absorbed (about 4 minutes). Add in remaining stock (a half cup at a time), stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed before adding more of the stock. Stir in spinach when almost all of the liquid is absorbed by the rice, and cook for one minute. Remove from heat. Sprinkle bacon, cheese, salt, and pepper.

This recipe was really good, and we'll be having it again. I'll fully admit though that I'm not going to do it in the bacon grease again. Every bite was baconly delicious, but I felt my arteries clogging by the last bite. Cooking Light, I don't believe you on this one.

Happy cooking!

-KSP


(Click here for printable recipe)

Butter Chicken aka Chicken Makhani

I don’t normally cook (or eat, for that matter) Indian food. It’s not that I have anything against it. I think it’s more that most of the recipes seem to have a bunch of ingredients that aren’t already in my cupboard. And since my cup(board) runneth over with ingredients as it is, I don’t want to add to the problem. But this recipe, from Tasty Kitchen caught my eye because I already had most of it on hand and they all seem like pretty normal ingredients. So I thought I’d give it a try.

And OMG.

You guys, this was excellent. So flavorful. So intriguing. So lick-the-plate worthy. The sauce was so delicious I was literally eating it with a spoon (I actually think I might try making this as a soup sometime.) I suggest you make it immediately.

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

5 cloves Garlic, Minced

1 teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoons Black Pepper

½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper

¼ teaspoons Ground Coriander

¼ teaspoons Cumin

¼ teaspoons Cardamom

1 whole Lime, Juiced

1 whole Onion, Diced

¼ cups Butter

1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Tomato Sauce

1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Petite Diced Tomatoes

1 ½ cups Whipping Cream

1 bunch Chopped Cilantro, to taste

Rice

Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and combine with garlic, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, cardamom and lime juice. I actually didn’t have any cardamom, and I’ve heard it can be expensive. However, they say it’s a taste that cannot be replaced by any other spice, so I think I’m going to get some for the next time I make this. This time, I used about 1/8^th of a teaspoon of ginger as a substitute. Marinate this mixture overnight. Or make it in the morning for an evening meal, as I did.

Melt butter in a saucepan and sauté the onion until it’s soft. Add the chicken and cook about ten minutes, then add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Steve and I don’t even like tomatoes, but they were really good in this recipe, so if you aren’t a fan, just bite the bullet and add them! Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, keeping the lid on (and keeping tomato splashes off your stovetop!) Remove from heat and add the cream and cilantro. Serve over rice.

This was somewhat spicy (like everything I make) but you can dial back the cayenne if you like. And the original recipe called for a full pint of cream, but I put in less and it was fine. After trying this, I think I may attempt more Indian recipes. And if they are all this good, I’m probably going to move to India. Just saying.

(Click here for printable recipe)

Chicken Parmesan

One of my favorite go-to dishes when I was little, and visiting an Italian restaurant, was Chicken Parmesan. Perhaps because it's fried or perhaps because it's smothered in tomato sauce and cheese. Either way it's so yummy and comforting. To this day it's still one of my go-to dishes when visiting Olive Garden or Carrabas. One day, I thought I would try making it myself. However, I went with a cooking light version that while is very good it isn't the make-your-mouth-water because you know you are eating something so very bad for you. So, off I went in the vast expanse of the internet searching for that so-not-good-for-you Chicken Parmesan recipe. I found it on where else but the Food Network's website. It's really rather simple to make and boy is it good. I think I even prefer this version to most restaurant's. Seriously, give it a go and you won't be disappointed.


A couple notes:
I don't believe I've tried the Quick Marinara but I'm sure it's tasty. I just use one of my favorite jars of spaghetti sauce. I cut the recipe in half since I usually only cook for myself these days. Also, I use Italian Bread crumbs but I still add the thyme and oregano. I don't use fresh mozzarella but just the shredded packaged version. And, I serve mine with spagetti.

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 cups bread crumbs
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons whole milk
Vegetable oil, for frying
Olive oil, as needed
7 cups Quick Marinara Sauce, recipe follows
2/3 cup grated Parmesan, divided
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced


Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Pour about a half cup of your tomato sauce into a baking dish and spread around. First thing you do is place each chicken in plastic wrap and pound them until they're thin...about 1/3 inch. In a large bowl, I stir together the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, bread crumbs, oregano, thyme, and dash of black pepper.

Next, I placed the flour on a large plate. And, in another bowl, I whisk the egg and milk together. Place some oil in a skillet (enough to coat the chicken but not cover the chicken in oil...about a 1/3 of an inch of oil) turn to about medium-high heat. Normally, I put a little bit of water on my fingers and fling it into the oil pan to see if it sizzles. Perhaps not the best way to test the oil but it works for me. Otherwise if you have a thermometer make sure it's around 400 degrees.

Next, dredge a chicken breast in the flour and shake off excess. Then I dipped it into the egg mixture and finally dredge in the seasoned breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and then I placed it in the skillet pan. I fry until it's a nice golden brown color and then place the chicken on a paper towel. I repeat the above steps with the next chicken. Once I complete the frying process I place both pieces of chicken in the prepared baking dish and pour spaghetti sauce over the chicken and then the cheese. Place in the 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until cheese is completely melted. While the chicken is cooking, this would be a good time to start boiling your spaghetti noodles.


Quick Marinara Sauce:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
7 cups whole, peeled, canned tomatoes in puree (about 2 (28-ounce cans), roughly chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

First you heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Next saute the onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Stir until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Then you add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes.

Stir in the salt and season with pepper, to taste. At this point feel free to add any fresh herbs you may have growing in your garden; basil, mint, etc. Pour into the baking dish or store in a tight container.

You can get the recipe here.


(Click here for printable recipe)