Adventures in Pumpkin

So today JB is home and wants Pumpkin Pie for dinner. I just bought a big can of pumpkin thinking that I would just make two whenever I made one. But since we're making one early, I had to figure out what to do with the rest. We're off to see family tomorrow so I decided to make the Libby's Pumpkin Roll from the inside of the label. Then I'm left with about 3/4 cup pumpkin, but I remembered seeing a recipe in a magazine for Pumpkin Muffins recently. So sure enough in Simple & Delicious there is a recipe for Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins that uses 3/4 cup pumpkin. It just doesn't get much better than that. So lots of baking today and JB has lots of dishes to do. That's what he gets for sending me out into the kitchen.

LIBBY'S® Famous Pumpkin Pie
Estimated Times:
Preparation - 15 min | Cooking - 55 min | Cooling Time - 2 hrs cooling | Yields - 8 servings

This is the traditional holiday pumpkin pie. This classic recipe has been on LIBBY'S® Pumpkin labels since 1950. This pie is easy to prepare and even easier to enjoy. Just mix, pour, bake for a delicious homemade tradition.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
• 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
• Whipped cream (optional)

Directions:
MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

NOTES:
1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin spice may be substituted for the cinnamon, ginger and cloves; however, the taste will be slightly different. Do not freeze, as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.

LIBBY'S® Pumpkin Roll
Estimated Times:
Preparation - 45 min | Cooking - 13 min | Cooling Time - 1 hrs refrigerating | Yields - 10

Dazzle family and friends with Libby's® Pumpkin Roll; moist and creamy, with a tantalizing aroma and beautiful presentation.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

Directions:
FOR CAKE:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

FOR FILLING:
BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

COOKING TIP:
Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins
“Here’s a recipe that your readers will love!” writes Jennifer Jackson of Charlottesville, Virginia. “It’s simple, yet filling and delicious.”
INGREDIENTS 2 cups all-purpose flour 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda Dash ground allspice 1 egg 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 3/4 cup canned pumpkin 2/3 cup milk 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips	SERVINGS 12 CATEGORY Breads METHOD Baked PREP 15 min. COOK 20 min. TOTAL 35 min.
DIRECTIONS In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Combine the egg, brown sugar, pumpkin, milk, butter and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 375° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 dozen.

Cheerio Cookies

Sorry, I'm a bad, bad blogger. Haven't been doing much cooking with recipes. It's been hectic and we've just been pulling things out of the freezer that we made before. Cook up some veggies and call it a meal. I could pretend I'll do better, but it's not likely. But for now here is a recipe for Cheerio Cookies from Cookie Madness. Some of the comments said they were crisp cookies. We tend to like a softer cookie, so I substituted 4 tbsp. shortening for half of the butter. I used a #40 disher to make just over 2 dozen cookies. The cookies turned off chewy with a bit of crunch from the Cheerios. I recommend them highly. So here it is with my modification.

Cheerio Cookies

4 tablespoons butter, room temp.
4 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 cups Cheerios
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (a little more if you like chocolate)

Cream the butter, shortening, and both sugars with an electric mixer. Stir in the peanut butter, egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together the baking powder, baking soda and salt, then add the flour mixture to the butter mixture; stir until incorporated. Add the oatmeal, cheerios and chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes.

Beef and Bean Burritos

Sorry, long time no post. Haven't been making much from recipes. Doing simple grilled fare and some meatloaves. Couldn't tell you exactly what I put in them. But they're good. The main thing is that I use bbq sauce instead of ketchup.

So to get to the burritos. We had a leftover grilled steak and some leftover rice from chinese takeout the other night. So I took the rice, added it to a pan with a can of refried beans. Added about 1/2 cup mild salsa, some chipolte powder (just a sprinkling), salt, pepper, and about 1/2 tsp. cumin. Then I diced the steak and added it to the pan and let it heat up fully. Then I put the mixture into tortilla wrappers with some shredded cheese. Add some more cheese on top and pop them in the oven at about 375 until the cheese melts. The cumin brought out the right Mexican flavor I was going for.

Taco Salad

Here's an easy one. I don't even need the recipe any more, but I'll post it so others can enjoy. We got this recipe from one of my aunts many moons ago. And we love it because it's salad with Doritoes. Who wouldn't like that. Okay, my boys don't like salad, but some day they'll change their tune. They're just too young to appreciate it.

Taco Salad

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 pkg. taco seasoning
2 heads lettuce, cored and torn or chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped (I like to seed them too)
1 lb colby cheese, cubed (the texture is nicer, but you can use a shredded cheese if you prefer)
1 bag Doritoes, crushed a bit (flavor of your choice, I use nacho cheese, but Ranch is good too)
1 bottle Catalina dressing

Brown ground beef with onion. Prepare with taco seasoning as directed. (I usually do this step a day ahead and leave the meat cold, but you could use it hot.) Just before serving toss together the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, taco meat, and Doritoes. Add as much dressing as you like and toss. (I like to make half of the taco salad at a time and put more together as needed. Soggy Doritoes are just not good.) Enjoy.

French Toast

I've gone and done it. I made Alton's French Toast for the first time in a good while. Found a loaf of Italian Bread for $.80 at the store and thought it would work. I have had trouble finding the challah or brioche in this area, but I usually get a loaf of French bread and use the whole thing with a double batch of the custard. I used a double batch of custard this morning with the Italian bread and had enough for all but one slice of bread. This is a fussy recipe so I don't make it much, but oh my is it good. We could really taste the honey in this batch. And the texture is unmatched. We like to serve this with maple syrup, but I think you could get by with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

French Toast
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2003

1 cup half-and-half
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 (1/2-inch) slices day-old or stale country loaf, brioche or challah bread
4 tablespoons butter

In medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, honey, and salt. You may do this the night before. When ready to cook, pour custard mixture into a pie pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dip bread into mixture, allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, and then remove to a cooling rack that is sitting in a sheet pan, and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes.

Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick saute pan. Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 8 slices. Serve immediately with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.

Smoked Pork Chops

Another winner from Cook's Country. This may be my favorite cooking magazine, followed closely by Cook's Illustrated. We've made these pork chops twice now and really like the smoke flavor. The only issue is that the rub becomes a dry crust that is not great. So this time we spritzed some water on the chops during the last few minutes when they go over direct heat. But we're thinking apple cider or apple juice would be better. We had thick cut chops the first time, but they were boneless. They cooked up nicely though. This batch was a more standard cut chop, boneless also. And since I didn't have ground fennel I left it out. Really didn't miss it at all. They were done in about 30 minutes. They were nice and juicy and had a great smoke flavor.

Smoked Double-Thick Pork Chops on a Gas Grill
6/2007

Ground fennel can be found in the spice aisle of most supermarkets. We prefer blade chops, which have more fat to prevent drying out on the grill, but leaner loin chops will also work. These chops are huge and are best sliced off the bone before serving.

Serves 6 to 8

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground fennel seed
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4 bone-in blade-cut pork chops (20- to 24- ounces each), about 2 inches thick
2 cups wood chips, preferably hickory

1. Combine sugar, fennel, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt, and pepper and rub mixture all over pork chops. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

2. Soak wood chips in bowl of water to cover for 15 minutes, seal in foil packet (cutting vent holes in top), and place over primary burner. Turn all burners to high and close lid, keeping grill covered until wood chips begin to smoke heavily, about 15 minutes. Scrape cooking grate clean. Turn primary burner to medium and turn all other burners off, adjusting temperature of primary burner as needed to maintain average temperature of 275 degrees. Position chops over cooler part of grill, cover grill.

3. Arrange chops, bone side toward fire, on cooler side of grill. Cover, positioning lid vents directly over meat, and cook until chops register 145 degrees, 50 to 60 minutes (if your chops are less than 2 inches thick, start checking them for temperature after 30 minutes). Slide chops directly over fire and cook, uncovered, until well browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to platter and let rest 20 minutes. Serve.

Creme Brulee

So on Sunday we finally used the ramekins we got oh probably a year ago. We got them to try Alton Brown's Creme Brulee. The creme was wonderful, but we had problem with the brulee. The instructions said to get the dishes out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before caramelizing the sugar. Then we were to use 1/2 cup sugar over 6 ramekins, so 4 tsp. for each. The creme became thin because it was too warm and the caramel layer was too thick. We only used 4 on the first try, so on the remaining 2 we put on the sugar and poured off whatever didn't stick. And we caramelized it straight out of the fridge. Then the creme was cold and thick and the layer of sugar was thin and crisp. The only problem was that the creme layer seemed too thick for the amount of sugar. So next time we'll probably divide the creme into 8 cups so the creme to sugar ratio will be better. Either that or we need oval shaped ramekins.

Creme Brulee
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005

1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup vanilla sugar, divided
6 large egg yolks
2 quarts hot water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Andouille and Chicken Jambalaya

Over the weekend we had some friends over, so JB wanted to make "his" (Emeril's) signature Jambalaya. We found this recipe many years ago and make it every year for Superbowl. This may be the first time we've made it during the rest of the year. And it makes for great leftovers. In this area we do have trouble finding Andouille or Chorizo (the smoked variety), so we have made it with Kielbasa or the fresh ground chorizo that we are seeing more often in the stores. But we did find the Andouille at the World Market. I think the hardest part may be not stirring while the rice is cooking. I always want to mess with it.

Andouille and Chicken Jambalaya
Recipe Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped bell peppers
3 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne
1 pound andouille, chorizo, or other smoked sausage cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices
1 1/2 pounds boneless white and dark chicken meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 bay leaves
3 cups medium-grain white rice
6 cups water
1 cup chopped green onions

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, 2 teaspoons of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the cayenne. Stirring often, brown the vegetables for about 20 minutes, or until they are caramelized and dark brown in color. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pt to loosen any browned particles. Add the sausage and cook, stirring often for 10 to 15 minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen any browned particles. Season the chicken with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Add the chicken and the bay leaves to the pot. Brown the chicken for 8 to 10 minutes, scrapping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned particles. Add the rice and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to coat it evenly. Add the water, stir to combine, and cover. Cook over medium heat for 30 to 35 minutes, without stirring, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the green onions and serve.

Caramel Dumplings

So somehow we stumbled across the site for the Hillbilly Housewife. I looked around the recipe to see what as there and came across Caramel Dumplings. JB always talks about his aunt's dumplings so I thought I'd give these a try. I made them with butter instead of margarine, and the turned out really well. We served them with vanilla ice cream and enjoyed them thoroughly.

Caramel Dumplings

Syrup:

2 cups water
2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash salt

Dumplings:

1-1/4 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons shortening
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk

You will need a 3 quart saucepan with a good lid in which to cook this dessert. Begin by combining all of the items listed for the syrup inside the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. While it is heating, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Cut in the shortening, until the mixture resembles very coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the sugar over the flour mixture and blend briefly. Stir in the milk, making a soft dough. Pinch off marble sized pieces of the dough and drop them into the gently boiling brown sugar syrup. Fill the entire pan with these small dough balls. When you have used up all of the dough, place the lid on the pot. Simmer the mixture over medium-low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, without peaking. The dumplings will steam while they cook, and if you peak they will fall and you will wind up with soggy dumplings instead of fluffy ones. After cooking, serve the dumplings with a large dollop of their cooking syrup and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. These are very inexpensive and absolutely delicious to eat. I recommend serving them with a light supper in the summertime. Because they cook on the stove top instead of in the oven, the kitchen doesn't heat up quite as badly as with baked desserts. This recipe serves 6.

French Style Yogurt Cake with blueberries

So I had some blueberries that were left from the pancakes over the weekend. I though they would work well in the French Style Yogurt Cake. And it worked pretty well, although I should have backed off on the lemon. I think the zest in the cake was fine, but I should have used milk or water in the glaze instead of lemon juice. I also added a bit of vanilla to the cake and glaze. It was a nice addition. And poking the cake with a fork helped the glaze soak in.

I didn't want the cake to turn purple so I put about half the batter in, sprinkled in some blueberries (I had about 1 cup), poured on the rest of the batter and sprinkled on the remaining blueberries. I didn't need to be so fussy with the blueberries though. The all sank to the bottom of the cake. So note to self, just put the blueberries on top and they will find their way.

French Style Yogurt Cake

Last week we made the French Style Yogurt Cake from alpineberry. It turned out really well. It must have been good because there was none left. I did make it without the poppy seeds though. And I used closer to 1/2 cup powdered sugar in the glaze. It just seemed too thin. I'm thinking of trying a vanilla one and serving it with berries, but that's a task for another day.

French Style Yogurt Cake (with Lemon & Poppy Seeds)
(adapted from Orangette)

Cake
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1/3 cup canola oil

Glaze
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Line with a parchment circle and butter the paper.

In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, sugar, and lemon zest with a wooden spoon. Mix in eggs (all 3 at once is okay).

Add the flour, baking powder, and poppy seeds. Mix until flour is just incorporated.

Add the oil and mix well. The batter will look curdled at first but it will come together.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes, until your cake tester is clean and the cake springs back when lightly touched.

Allow cake to cool in pan on a rack for about 15 minutes.

Gently remove cake from the pan and set on a rack to cool completely.

Combine the lemon juice and powdered sugar and spoon it gently over the cake. The glaze will be thin and will soak in like a syrup.

Elvis Gooey Butter Cake

We tried this one out last week after the Chess Cake. It seemed like it should be a similar cake. It turned out really well, but I think I would have liked to have 2 eggs in the cake part instead of the one Paula uses. The cake layer was a bit dry. We enjoyed the moistness in the Chess Cake. But I would try this one again.

Elvis Gooey Butter Cake
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
Mint leaves, for garnish
Whipped cream, for garnish

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 whole banana
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter together and mix well. Pat into a lightly greased glass 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Prepare the filling.

Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla. Add the peanut butter; beat. Add the banana and butter and mix well. Add the powdered sugar and mix well. Spread over the cake mixture. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. You want the center to be a little gooey, so do not over bake. Top each cake slice with a mint leaf and dollop of whipped cream.

Beer Brats

So my husband decide to make brats the way a friend had done it. We simmered uncooked brats in beer with some onions for about 1 1/2 hrs. We wanted to make this on the grill so we didn't stink up the house with simmering beer. We we took a disposable foil pan, sliced up an onion into thick slices, laid the brats over the onion, covered with beer, and cooked on a grill on medium low for 1 to 1 1/2 hrs. They cooked up nicely. We thought about putting them directly on the grill for a few minutes to give them some nice marks, but skipped that part. They were very good straight out of the beer bath. And they had a pink hue similar to the ring you would see when smoking meats.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

This is an outstanding cheesecake. Not overly rich, but very good. And the sauce over the top is so indulgent. I pretty much followed the recipe on Taste and Tell. But I cooked it in a water bath, as per my usual cheesecake procedure, then let it stand in the oven, turned off, with a wooden spoon handle in the door to keep it open and let it finish setting up for an hour before removing to cool. I tried to make the Dulce de Leche using the procedure I saw on Slashfood. It seemed simple enough, simmer 3 cans sweetened condensed milk for 3 hours. It didn't work as well as I would have liked. Maybe I didn't have the water hot enough, but it simmered for at least 3 hours and didn't look much different than sweetened condensed milk. So I did the microwave method below. It worked pretty well. But I think next time I'll try Alton's method that we just saw on Good Eats.


Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 c crushed vanilla wafers
4 T melted butter

Filling:
24 oz cream cheese
1 c sugar
2 T all purpose flour
2 t vanilla
3 eggs
1/3 c milk
1/2 c Dulce de Leche (see recipe below)

For Serving:
Extra Dulce de Leche

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Mix crust ingredients together, and press into the bottom of a lightly buttered 9-inch springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for 4 to 6 minutes, until it is lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
3. Reset oven temperature to 325°F.
4. With an electric mixer beat cream cheese, sugar and flour together until well mixed and smooth. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until smooth. Add milk and mix until well blended.
5. Measure 1/2 cup of the cheesecake batter and pour into a small bowl. Add Dulce de Leche sauce and stir until well combined.
6. Pour plain batter over crust. Top with Dulce de leche batter by placing rounded spoonfuls over the cheesecake batter and gently swirl into plain batter with the tip of knife or spatula.
7. Bake in preheated 325°F (160°C) oven for 45-55 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven and gently run metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cheesecake (this helps prevent cracking). Let cool 20-25 minutes before covering and placing in the refrigerator. Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours or overnight before serving. If desired, serve each slice drizzled with a little bit of dulce de leche sauce, or pass around a bowl of dulce de leche sauce for guest's to help themselves. Makes 16 servings.

Dulce de Leche

1 can sweetened condensed milk

There are several ways you can do this. I removed the label, poked a couple of holes in the top of the can and put the can in boiling water for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Next time, I would open the can and cook in a double boiler. Mine cooked more at the bottom and not enough at the top, so I ended up microwaving it to get it to the right consistency. With the double boiler, you would be able to stir it, and I think the consistency would be much better. You could also just microwave it from the beginning, cooking on 50% power and stirring every minute or so. You can tell it is ready when it thickens and becomes a tan or light brown color.

About us

So is probably time to fill you all in on our little family here. Jollyboy and I have been married 11 years. I am a stay-at-home Mom to 4 boys. Bubba is 6 and just finishing Kindergarten. Buster is 4 and stretching his boundaries. Kodo and Podo are 7 months and rolling all around. Twins were definitely a new wrinkle to the family, but we're working it out. Finding the new normal, because nothing will ever be normal again. And if it was, we would be bored anyway. And to round out the group, Kyra (Chocolate Lab) is 8.

It's no secret that we like to eat around here. And we like trying new recipes. I subscribe to too many cooking magazines but just when I think about canceling one there is a stellar recipe in it. So I keep them all. (See the link on the side for the magazines I subscribe to.) I really do enjoy cooking, I just wish those pesky dish fairies would come during the night to do their jobs and clean up. But no, it's left for me. I would cook even more if I didn't have to clean up the mess. But I guess it's part of the job.

Penne a la Carbonara

Last night I made Penne a la Carbonara, from Everyday Italian with Giada De Laurentiis. I really wasn't expecting the boys to like it at all. They don't think they like eggs and are not really big fans of pasta. I know kids who don't like pasta, weird but true. Anyway, Bubba, the six year old, was through his portion before I had gotten a couple bites myself. He wanted seconds. And he is adamant that he doesn't like eggs. Even after I told him about the eggs he was still digging in. So this one is definitely a keeper.

I do have a problem with this recipe though. I just can't find pancetta at any of the local grocery stores. But probably 10 years ago when we first learned about Spaghetti Carbonara, there was a hint from Biba (sorry I don't remember the last name but she had a cooking show back then) to use regular bacon and blanch it in water to remove some of the smoke flavor of the bacon. And it really works. Although if given the choice, it is probably preferable to use thick cut bacon. But I just used what I had on hand and sliced it 1/2 to 3/4 inch before separating it and blanching. Then I drained it and put it back in the skillet to brown. That's really the only change I made to the recipe and it turned out really well. I was going to use wheat pasta this time but was afraid that the sauce would be to delicate to handle it. But I think next time I'll try it with wheat pasta. The sauce is hearty enough to handle it.


(I made this again today and have a couple edits.  I used evaporated milk today instead of heavy cream and it worked flawlessly.  I also simmer the sauce at the end before serving.  The eggs don't seem to be cooked enough otherwise.  I added a bit of the pasta water while it simmered so the eggs didn't curdle.  Oh, I didn't have fresh parsley so I just left it out.  No one noticed.  11/25/12)

Penne a la Carbonara
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

1 pound pancetta, diced into 1-inch cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 pound dried penne
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Heat a large saute pan, until hot. Add pancetta and saute until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Season with black pepper and remove pan from heat.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan, reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish.
In a large pot, boil 6 quarts of salted boiling water. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse with water; you want to retain the pasta's natural starches so that the sauce will stick. While the pasta is still hot, return it back to the pot. Add the browned pancetta and mix well. Add the cream mixture and coat the pasta completely. It's important to work quickly while the pasta is still warm so that the cream mixture will cook, but not curdle. Add remaining Parmesan and chopped parsley.

Fool-Proof Classic BBQ Chicken

For my inaugural post, I though I should mention that all of the grilling I do is on a gas grill. I do not have any real experience in cooking over Charcoal, but may give it a go when my current gas grill dies. All of the recipes I post will thus be based upon a gas grill, but are easily adapted to charcoal.

Last night, I made my BBQ chicken. This recipe is really a conglomeration of several different recipes and procedures, but it turns out really well. The only place where this recipe can really go wrong is if you are over-zealous with the heat when trying to get the chicken completely cooked through, so be careful and your patience will be rewarded.

Fool-Proof Classic BBQ Chicken

1 Whole cut-up chicken (8 pcs.)

Rub:
1 1/2 t. Sweet Paprika
1 1/2 t. Kosher salt
1 1/2 t. Brown Sugar
1 t. Black Pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion powder
1/4 t. celery seed.

2 C Wood chips or chunks

1 1/2 C. BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's)

1. Dry the chicken and apply the rub, reserving 1T of the rub. Let set in the fridge for an hour.
   
2. Soak wood chips (I prefer Hickory for chicken) for 30 minutes
3. Use a smoke box, or a beggar's purse made out of aluminum foil and put the soaked wood chips in. Put this on one side of the grill and turn all burners of the grill on high, until smoke starts.
4. Turn off one side of the grill.
5. Clean and oil the grill grates
   
6. Place chicken on the cool side of the grill, away from the heat. Cook for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken begins to brown.
7. Mix the reserved rub into the BBQ sauce.
8. Move the chicken as close to the hot side of the grill as possible, without actually being on the hot side of the grill. Slather the Chicken pieces with the BBQ sauce every 5 minutes for 20 minutes.
9. Move the chicken over the hot part of the grill (I just turn the cold burner back on to Medium-Low) and continue slathering with BBQ sauce every 5 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches required temperature (White Meat ~160, Dark Meat ~170)
10. Remove chicken from the heat and tent with foil for 10 minutes before serving.

Our six year old greets nearly every meal, whether we have had it or not, with a rousing "I don't like that." Last night, he could barely contain himself and did not say a word, except asking for napkins, until the thigh he was eating had been completely disassembled. He really loves this chicken.

Brined Pork Chops

Last night we had Brined Pork Chops. I used Alton's Stuffed Grilled Pork Chop brine, but didn't stuff the chops. These always turn out well. I use whatever chops I have on hand. Last night it was butterflied chops. I used the brine as instructed and grilled about 7 minutes on a side. They turned out really well.

Brined Pork Chops

4 double thick bone-in loin end pork chops
1 cup salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon mustard powder
2 cups cider vinegar, heated
1 pound ice cubes

In a plastic container put the salt, sugar, peppercorns, and mustard powder. Add the hot vinegar and swirl to dissolve. Let mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes to develop flavor. Add ice cubes and shake to melt most of the ice. Add chops and cover with brine. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Remove chops from container and rinse. Grill 6-7 minutes on a side. Let rest a few minutes and enjoy.

Chess Cake

We tried a Chess Pie over the weekend. It was good, very lemony and not really what we were after. My husband remembered something from when he was young in Louisville, Ky. So I looked up a Chess Cake and found several recipes to try. I settled on one from Allrecipes. This cake seems very much like Paula Dean's Gooey Butter Cake, although I've never made one. This recipe uses 2 eggs in the crust layer, many only use 1; and 4 cups powdered sugar in the filling, most use 1 lb. (approx. 4 3/4 cups) powdered sugar. So this is probably one of the more gooey Chess Cakes. I also added about 1 tsp. vanilla to the filling. It was really good. Our 4 year old thought we should make it again, so I guess it's a winner.

Chess Cake

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9 x 13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, 2 eggs, and 1/2 cup melted butter. Put into prepared pan.
3. In another bowl, Beat cream cheese until smooth. Blend in 1/2 cup melted butter, vanilla, and 2 eggs. Gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar. Pour over the crust mixture already in the pan.
4. Bake for 1 hour. Cool.

Blackened Chicken

Tonight we had Blackened Chicken. This is a summertime go to recipe from Quick Cooking (now Simple & Delicious). I make at least a double batch of the rub and keep it in a spice jar in the cupboard. I even printed out the ingredient list on a sticker on the side of the bottle so it's easy to mix up some more. The mayonnaise sauce is really tasty and goes well instead of sour cream on potatoes. I keep some on hand in the refrigerator. I usually only start with about 1/2 cup of the sauce for basting. We usually have some grilled potato wedges (quartered length-wise, oiled, seasoned with salt and pepper; grill, covered 9-12 minutes; turn twice).


Blackened Chicken

This spicy standout from Stephanie Kenney packs a one-two punch of flavor. The grilled chicken is basted with a peppery white sauce. "Plus there's plenty of extra sauce left over for dipping," writes the Falkville, Alabama reader.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon paprika
  
• 4 teaspoons sugar, divided
  
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  
• 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
  
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• 1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons pepper, divided
  
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
  
• 1-1/3 cups mayonnaise
  
• 2 tablespoons water
  
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  
  DIRECTIONS
  
  In a small bowl, combine paprika, I teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, thyme, lemon-pepper, cayenne and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper; sprinkle over both sides of chicken. Set aside. In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, water, vinegar and remaining sugar, salt and pepper; cover and chill 1 cup for serving. Save remaining sauce for basting. Grill chicken, covered, over indirect medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until juices run clear, basting frequently with remaining sauce. Serve with reserved sauce. Yield: 4 servings.
  
  

Maple-Glazed Pork Roast with Smoked Paprika

On Sunday, for Mother's Day, we made the Maple-Glazed Pork Roast from Cook's Illustrated (3/2003). It turned out really good. No real surprise from Cook's Illustrated. We had made this one once before, so I had some idea what I was doing. The only problem I had was at the end when you reduce the sauce. I got away from the pot for a minute and it started to burn. I did the same thing and had to make more sauce the first time I made it. This time I was able to salvage enough sauce for the meal. And I took the smoking pan right outside so the house wouldn't be filled with smoke. So, note to self, stay with the pan while the sauce reduces. But this is a really good recipe.

Maple-Glazed Pork Roast with Smoked Paprika
3/2003

A nonstick oven-proof skillet will be much easier to clean than a traditional one. Whichever you use, remember that the handle will be blistering hot when you take it out of the oven, so be sure to use a pot holder or oven mitt. Note that you should not trim the pork of its thin layer of fat. The flavor of grade B maple syrup (sometimes called "cooking maple") is stronger and richer than grade A, but grade A syrup will work well, too. This dish is unapologetically sweet, so we recommend side dishes that take well to the sweetness. Garlicky sauteed greens, braised cabbage, and soft polenta are good choices.

Serves 4 to 6

1/2	cup maple syrup , preferably grade B
1/8	teaspoon ground cinnamon
2	teaspoons smoked paprika (hot)
	pinch ground cloves
	pinch cayenne pepper
1	boneless pork loin roast , preferably blade-end, (about 2 1/2 pounds), tied at even intervals along length with 5 pieces butcher's twine
3/4	teaspoon table salt
1/2	teaspoon ground black pepper
2	teaspoons vegetable oil

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 325 degrees. Stir maple syrup, cinnamon, cloves, smoked paprika, and cayenne together in measuring cup or small bowl; set aside. Pat roast dry with paper towels, then sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed oven-proof 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke, about 3 minutes. Place roast fat-side down in skillet and cook until well browned, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, rotate roast one-quarter turn and cook until well browned, about 2 1/2 minutes; repeat until roast is well browned on all sides. Transfer roast to large plate. Reduce heat to medium and pour off fat from skillet; add maple syrup mixture and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds (syrup will bubble immediately). Off heat, return roast to skillet; using tongs, roll to coat roast with glaze on all sides. Place skillet in oven and roast until center of roast registers about 135 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 35 to 45 minutes, using tongs to roll and spin roast to coat with glaze twice during roasting time. Transfer roast to carving board; set skillet aside to cool slightly to thicken glaze, about 5 minutes. Pour glaze over roast and let rest 15 minutes longer (center of loin should register about 150 degrees on instant-read thermometer). Snip twine off roast, cut into 1/4-inch slices, and serve immediately.

Lisa's Decadent and Ohhh So Evil Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Caramel Ripple Cheesecake

Oh my goodness gracious. I made Lisa's Decadent and Ohhh So Evil Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Caramel Ripple Cheesecake from La Mia Cucina. This was oh so over the top wonderful. It's rich, moist, yummy... The words just escape me. Thank you Lisa. If you enjoy an over the top, fabulous cheesecake, this is one to try. Please check out Lisa's post for her comments and pictures.


Lisa's Decadent and Ohhh So Evil Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Caramel Ripple Cheesecake - or LDOSEPBDCCRC.

For the crust:
2-3 c. chocolate wafer cookies, crushed finely (I used chocolate graham crackers, 2 pks.)
1/2 c. salted butter, melted + butter for greasing pan

For the cheesecake:
2 lbs. cream cheese, softened
1 1/3 c. white granulated sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 c. sour cream
1/3 c. whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. peanut butter
10 mini Butterfingers, crushed in food processor
1/2 jar of store bought butterscotch-caramel ice cream topping
1/3 semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

For the peanut butter sauce:
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1/3 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

Crush the wafer cookies in a food processor. Set aside. Repeat process with the mini Butterfinger bars, crushing them as finely as you'd like.

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Grease 11" springform pan with butter. Double layer foil wrap the bottom of the pan.

Mix the crushed wafer cookies with the melted butter and press into the bottom and up the sides of your springform pan. Set aside.

Blend the cream cheese until it's creamy. Gradually add the sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, and only blend until each egg is incorporated. Add the sour cream, whipping cream and vanilla. Remove 1 1/2 c. of the cream cheese mixture and set aside in a bowl. Add the peanut butter to the original mixture and blend until incorporated. Add the crushed Butterfinger bites.

Blend the melted chocolate into the reserved 1 1/2 c. batter and then spread evenly over the cookie crust. Pour the peanut butter batter over the chocolate layer and spread evenly. Dollop the butterscotch-caramel sauce over the top and then using a toothpick or the tip of a thin knife, swirl the sauce into the batter.

Place the springform pan into roasting pan then fill the roasting pan with 1 1/2 - 2 inches of hot water. Carefully place roasting pan onto middle rack and bake for 1 hour, 5 minutes or until the cake is set. Be careful to not over bake. Cool the cake at room temperature for about an hour, then using a very thin knife, run along the edges of cake to loosen it from the springform pan. Remove the ring of the springform and place cake on dish or serving platter and chill over night.

To make the sauce:
Cook the milk and peanut butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring often until thickened (less than 3 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and cinnamon. Drizzle over slices of cheesecake. Leftover sauce can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 weeks in an airtight container.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Last night was a simple meal of brats, dogs, leftover Baked Beans and Alton Brown's Baked Macaroni and Cheese. This was a new recipe for us. It took a little longer to get together than I thought, but only by a few minutes. It was really nice to have macaroni and cheese that really tastes like something. I enjoyed it. Now if only my boys would eat it. I think they had a problem with the onion, so next time I may leave that out. There was a good bit of onion flavor, but in a good way. I'm not a huge onion fan either. I like them cooked in foods, but generally not as a major flavor component. But this was really good.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe courtesy Alton Brown Show: Good Eats Episode: For Whom the Cheese Melts 2

1/2 pound elbow macaroni 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 1 tablespoon powdered mustard 3 cups milk 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced 1 bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1 large egg 12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded 1 teaspoon kosher salt Fresh black pepper Topping: 3 tablespoons butter 1 cup panko bread crumbs Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente. While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf. Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving. Remember to save leftovers for fried Macaroni and Cheese.

Baked Beans

With the BBQ chicken, we had Alton Brown's Once and Future Beans. This was our second try at this recipe. I'm just not a big bean fan. But these were really good. The first time we made them the cast iron pan was pretty new and the beans picked up a metallic taste. A couple years and lots of cooking later, the beans turned out really good and did not have any metallic taste. I would strongly recommend getting preseasoned cast iron. They cost more, but you don't have as much problem with foods coming out tasting of iron. Although I seem to be more sensitive to the taste than anyone else at our house. As far as the recipe goes, we followed it more or less. I covered the beans to soak them and added more water a couple hours later so they were still covered. And it seems that 6 hours was plenty of time for cooking. At closer to 8 hours, the beans were starting to break up.

The Once and Future Beans Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

1 pound dried Great Northern beans 1 pound bacon, chopped 1 onion, chopped 2 jalapenos, chopped 1/4 cup tomato paste 1/4 cup dark brown sugar 1/4 cup molasses Vegetable broth 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon black pepper 2 teaspoons kosher salt Heat oven to 250 degrees F. Soak beans in a plastic container overnight in just enough cold water to submerge them completely. Place a cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat and stir in the bacon, onion, and jalapenos until enough fat has rendered from the bacon to soften the onions, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, dark brown sugar, and molasses. Drain the beans and reserve the soaking liquid. Add the drained beans to the Dutch oven. Place the soaking liquid in a measuring cup and add enough vegetable broth to equal 4 cups of liquid. Add the liquid to the Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat. Add in cayenne, black pepper and salt. Give them a stir and cover with the lid. Place the Dutch oven in the oven for 6 to 8 hours, or until the beans are tender.

Foolproof Barbecued Chicken

Last Sunday we made one of our summer favorites, Foolproof Barbecued Chicken from Steven Raichlen's BBQ USA. We pretty much follow the recipe, but we use cut up chicken instead of cutting down the bird ourselves and we use Sweet Baby Ray's regular sauce instead of the optional Dr. Pepper Barbecue Sauce. This chicken is far better than any roadside cooker you'll find.

Foolproof Barbecued Chicken

Method:
Indirect grilling

Advance Preparation:
1 to 2 hrs for curing the chicken

For the Chicken and Rub:
3 - 4 lbs. cut up chicken
1 1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. celery seed

For the Mop Sauce:
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. rub reserved from above

2 cups prepared barbecue sauce

You'll also need:
2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferable hickory), soaked for 1 hour in water to cover, then drained

1. Blot dry the chicken pieces with paper towels.
2. Make the rub: Combine the salt, paprika, brown sugar, pepper, onion and garlic powders, and celery seed in a small bowl and stir to mix. Set aside 1 tbsp. of the rub for the mop sauce. Sprinkle the remaining rub over the chicken on both sides, patting ti into the meat with your fingertips. Let the chicken cure in the refrigerator, covered, for 1 to 2 hours.
3. Make the mop sauce: Combine the vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and remaining 1 tbsp. of rub with 1/2 cup water in a nonreactive mixing bowl and stir until the salt and brown sugar dissolve.
4. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. (Gas grill)Place the wood chips or chunks in a smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.
5. When ready to cook, place the chicken halves in the center of the hot grate, skin side up, away from the heat. Cover and grill until cooked through, 40 to 60 minutes. The dark meat should read 180 degrees. After the first 20 minutes of grilling, baste the chicken with the mop sauce every 10 minutes while it cooks. Be sure to baste both sides of the chicken.
6. During the last 3 minutes brush the chicken with 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce. Move the chicken pieces directly over the fire to sizzle and brown the sauce on both sides.
7. Transfer the chicken to a platter and let rest 3 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce.
   

Chicken Salad and Chicken Mole Enchiladas

Saturday we tried the Chicken Mole Enchiladas from Kirsten's Home Cooking Adventures. They were pretty good. I think they might need a bit of salt but otherwise a good recipe. I think we could have used 2 cups of chicken and made closer to 12 enchiladas. I got 9 out of it and they were well filled. There was plenty of sauce for more enchiladas.

I had some extra chicken left over from the enchiladas so I decided to make some chicken salad for lunch the next day. I didn't actually measure anything for the chicken salad, but this should be about what I did:

Chicken Salad

1 cup cooked chicken
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo
1 1/2 tsp. mustard
1 stalk celery, diced
salt & pepper to taste

Mix together and serve on bread of your choice. If it's too dry, add some more mayo.

We sometimes add a chopped hard boiled egg too.

Banana Pecan Buttermilk Pancakes

I've been using this recipe of about 6 years now. It came from Food TV's Cooking Live with Sara Moulton. I did enjoy her show. The only problem I've had is that it's just too thick so I end up using some extra buttermilk to get it to the consistency I want. And then I still usually spread them out with the back of the scoop. We usually just use maple syrup for serving, but the recipe came with Berry/Maple Syrup. I've never tried to make that though.

Banana Pecan Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe courtesy of Georgia Downard

2 cups flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 2 large eggs 6 tablespoons butter, melted 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, or to taste 2 very ripe medium bananas (about 12 to 14 ounces) 2/3 cups pecans, toasted lightly and chopped Softened butter or vegetable oil, for cooking the pancakes In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. In another bowl whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, butter and vanilla. Whisk the dry ingredients into the liquid until combined well. Chop fine the banana and add it to the batter along with the pecans. Heat a griddle over moderate heat until hot enough to make a drop of water scatter over surface and brush with butter or oil. Working in batches, drop 1/4 cup measures of batter onto griddle to form pancakes and cook until bubbles appear on surface and undersides are golden brown, about 1 minute. Flip pancakes with a metal spatula and cook until undersides are golden brown and pancakes are cooked through, about 1 minute. Serve with Berry-Maple Syrup, recipe follows. BERRY/MAPLE SYRUP Recipe courtesy of Georgia Downard 1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup 1 cinnamon stick 1 cup picked over berries, such as blackberries or strawberries, stemmed and halved or raspberries or blueberries In a saucepan set over moderate heat combine the syrup with the cinnamon stick and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Add the berries and simmer for 1 minute. Remove and discard cinnamon stick. Yield: about 2 1/2 cups

Milk Chocolate Strawberry Banana Muffins

So I looked in the fridge and there were strawberries well past their prime for eating uncooked and bananas that were calling out to make banana bread or muffins. I had 1 lb. strawberries and 4 bananas so I modified the recipe for a double batch of Banana Nut Bread. I thought I might have to add extra flour to make up for the liquid in the strawberries, but the texture was fine without any adjustment. Here's what I did:

Milk Chocolate Strawberry Banana Muffins
makes 3 dozen muffins

2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening (I like butter flavored Crisco)
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 lb. strawberries, hulled and mashed
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
4 cups flour
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, bananas and dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips; stir in lightly. Do not overbeat. Spoon into greased regular or mini muffin cups. (I use a #20 scoop for regular muffins and a #60 scoop for mini muffins.) Bake for about 30 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick. I usually smell them when they're about done. Cool in the pan about 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to finish cooling.

Yeasted Waffles

My guys love these waffles. I tried making chocolate waffles as a treat, and the oldest one told me, "Next time make the regular waffles." I was shocked. He likes these over chocolate. Once again, we're using a Cook's Illustrated recipe (March 2004). The ingredients are on the mark, but the original procedure was a nightmare. You had to heat the butter and milk until the butter melted then let it cool to about 110 degrees. So I'd get it heated up, then let it cool, forget about it, heat it up, let it cool. You get the idea. So I didn't make them very often. Until I messed with the procedure. It's a great help in the morning to have the batter already made and this recipe is great for that. It needs to sit in the refrigerator over night to let the yeast do it's thing.

Yeasted Waffles

Seven 7-inch round or four 9-inch square waffles

1 3/4	cups whole milk , or low-fat milk, or skim milk
8	tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 8 pieces
2	cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
1	tablespoon granulated sugar
1	teaspoon table salt
1 1/2	teaspoons instant yeast
2	large eggs
1	teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Melt butter in the microwave in a two cup measure. In small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla until combined. Pour the melted butter into the eggs while whisking to combine. Heat the milk in the two cup measure in the microwave for about 1 minute, so it's just warm to the touch. Add to butter and eggs. Meanwhile, whisk flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in large bowl to combine. Gradually whisk warm milk/butter mixture into flour mixture; continue to whisk until batter is smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 12 and up to 24 hours.

2. Following manufacturer’s instructions, heat waffle iron; remove waffle batter from refrigerator when waffle iron is hot (batter will be foamy and doubled in size). Whisk batter to recombine (batter will deflate). Bake waffles according to manufacturer’s instructions (use about ½ cup for 7-inch round iron and about 1 cup for 9-inch square iron). Serve waffles immediately or hold in low temperature oven.

General Tso's Chicken

The first Chinese dish I actually had that I liked was General Tso's Chicken. When we were first married, we used to get some from a now closed place in Muncie, Ind. We found a recipe online probably 10 years ago and tweaked it until it suited our liking. Then Cook's Illustrated put out the recipe for Orange-Flavored Chicken (see prior post) and we used that procedure and modified the sauce/marinade to make General Tso's Chicken.

General Tso's Chicken
Serves 4

Marinade and Sauce
1 1/2	pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed and cut in 1-inch pieces
3/4	cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4	cup pineapple juice
6	tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/4 1/4	cup soy sauce chili sauce, from the Asian foods isle, not the ketchup isle
1/2	cup packed dark brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1	piece fresh ginger (about 1 inch), grated (1 tablespoon)
1/2	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1	tablespoon cornstarch , plus 2 teaspoons
2	tablespoons water (cold)
8	small whole dried red chiles (optional)
Coating and Frying Medium
3	large egg whites
1 1/2	cup cornstarch
1/4	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
3 1	cups peanut oil bunch broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces, steamed

1. FOR THE MARINADE AND SAUCE: Place chicken in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag; set aside. Combine chicken broth, pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, chili sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne in large saucepan (with at least 3-quart capacity); whisk until sugar is fully dissolved. Measure out 3/4 cup mixture and pour into bag with chicken; press out as much air as possible and seal bag, making sure that all pieces are coated with marinade. Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes, but no longer.

2. Bring remaining mixture in saucepan to boil over high heat. In small bowl, stir together cornstarch and cold water; whisk cornstarch mixture into sauce. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thick and translucent, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in chiles (sauce should measure 1 1/2 cups); set sauce aside.

3. FOR THE COATING: Place egg whites in pie plate; using fork, beat until frothy. In second pie plate, whisk cornstarch, cayenne, and baking soda until combined. Drain chicken in colander or large mesh strainer; thoroughly pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place half of chicken pieces in egg whites and turn to coat; transfer pieces to cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly. Place dredged chicken pieces on wire rack set over baking sheet; repeat with remaining chicken.

4. TO FRY THE CHICKEN: Heat oil in 11- to 12-inch Dutch oven or straight-sided sauté pan with at least 3-quart capacity over high heat until oil registers 350 degrees on instant-read or deep-fry thermometer. Carefully place half of chicken in oil one piece at a time; fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning each piece with tongs halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to large plate lined with paper towels. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken.

5. TO SERVE: Reheat sauce over medium heat until simmering, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and gently toss until evenly coated and heated through. Add steamed broccoli. Serve immediately.

Not-Fried Rice

So when we go out for Chinese I always like to get the fried rice. I just like the extra veggies and bit of seasoning over the plain white rice. I don't usually have cooked rice left over to make fried rice so here's what I make instead.

Not-Fried Rice

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups liquid (If I have leftover chicken broth, I use that and add water to make up the rest.)
1/2 cup diced veggies, (I usually use carrots and frozen peas, but last time I added peeled, diced broccoli stems too)
1 tbsp. soy sauce

In a sauce pan, add oil and rice. Saute until translucent. Add liquid, veggies and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Orange-Flavored Chicken

So the other night we made Orange-Flavored Chicken. This recipe was taken from Cook's Illustrated (May 2005). We made slight modifications in cutting the chicken smaller and increasing the cornstarch for coating the chicken and adding steamed broccoli at the end. (I like to steam the broccoli in the microwave with a couple tablespoons of water. Cook on high for 4 minutes.) This is a fussy recipe, but it's well worth the effort. To save some time, I cut up the chicken when I get it home from the store before freezing. Then when I want to make this dish (or General Tso's Chicken) I just pull out a bag the night before to thaw. It doesn't seem like much, but with all that is going on it helps a lot. I like to serve this with Not-Fried Rice. It has veggies like fried rice, but it's not fried.



Orange-Flavored Chicken
Serves 4

Marinade and Sauce
1 1/2	pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed and cut in 1-inch pieces
3/4	cup low-sodium chicken broth
3/4	cup orange juice , plus 1 1/2 teaspoons grated zest, and 8 strips orange peel (each about 2 inches long by 1/2 inch wide) from 2 oranges
6	tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/4	cup soy sauce
1/2	cup packed dark brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1	piece fresh ginger (about 1 inch), grated (1 tablespoon)
1/4	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1	tablespoon cornstarch , plus 2 teaspoons
2	tablespoons water (cold)
8	small whole dried red chiles (optional)
Coating and Frying Medium
3	large egg whites
1 1/2	cup cornstarch
1/4	teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
3 1	cups peanut oil bunch broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces, steamed

1. FOR THE MARINADE AND SAUCE: Place chicken in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag; set aside. Combine chicken broth, orange juice, grated zest, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne in large saucepan (with at least 3-quart capacity); whisk until sugar is fully dissolved. Measure out 3/4 cup mixture and pour into bag with chicken; press out as much air as possible and seal bag, making sure that all pieces are coated with marinade. Refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes, but no longer.

2. Bring remaining mixture in saucepan to boil over high heat. In small bowl, stir together cornstarch and cold water; whisk cornstarch mixture into sauce. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thick and translucent, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in orange peel and chiles (sauce should measure 1 1/2 cups); set sauce aside.

3. FOR THE COATING: Place egg whites in pie plate; using fork, beat until frothy. In second pie plate, whisk cornstarch, cayenne, and baking soda until combined. Drain chicken in colander or large mesh strainer; thoroughly pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place half of chicken pieces in egg whites and turn to coat; transfer pieces to cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly. Place dredged chicken pieces on wire rack set over baking sheet; repeat with remaining chicken.

4. TO FRY THE CHICKEN: Heat oil in 11- to 12-inch Dutch oven or straight-sided sauté pan with at least 3-quart capacity over high heat until oil registers 350 degrees on instant-read or deep-fry thermometer. Carefully place half of chicken in oil one piece at a time; fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning each piece with tongs halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to large plate lined with paper towels. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining chicken.

5. TO SERVE: Reheat sauce over medium heat until simmering, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and gently toss until evenly coated and heated through. Add steamed broccoli. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins

So I took my mom's Banana Nut Bread recipe, added chocolate chips, and portioned it out into muffins. I usually end up making a double batch and freezing the extras. The last double batch I made yielded 3 dozen muffins plus a couple extra made in oven proof custard cups (because I can't stand to waste the extra batter that wouldn't fit).

Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Muffins

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening (I like butter flavored Crisco)
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts (Mom uses walnuts, but I prefer pecans)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, bananas and dry ingredients. Add nuts and chocolate chips; stir in lightly. Do not overbeat. Spoon into greased regular or mini muffin cups. (I use a #20 scoop for regular muffins and a #60 scoop for mini muffins.) Bake for about 30 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick. I usually smell them when they're about done. Cool in the pan about 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to finish cooling.

Banana Nut Bread

So my mom has been making this Banana Nut Bread for as long as I can remember. I don't know which book she got the recipe out of, maybe the old faithful Better Homes and Gardens book. But it works out well every time.

Banana Nut Bread

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening (I like butter flavored Crisco)
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts (Mom uses walnuts, but I prefer pecans)

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, bananas and dry ingredients. Add nuts; stir in lightly. Do not overbeat. Pour into 2 greased 4" x 9" loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until they test done with a toothpick. Makes 2 loaves.

Pulled Pork

So this is a great recipe to put in the freezer for quick meals. And it's actually better once it's been sauced and frozen or refrigerated. Although it's really good when freshly made. Once we started making this pulled pork, we rarely find ourselves without a package in the freezer. We've modified the procedure but use the ingredients as written in Cuisine at Home, June 2003, pgs. 18-21. We usually make at least a double batch of the rub so that it's ready for the next batch.

Pulled Pork
Combine:
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. cayenne
Coat:
1 8 lb pork shoulder (Boston Butt)

Soak wood chips for 30 minutes. Set up smoker. Coat shoulder with rub. Once the smoking begins, place the shoulder in the smoker. Smoke fat side up at about 200 degrees for 7-8 hrs. Let rest 30 minutes, or until cool enough to shred.

While the pork is smoking, make the sauce:

Root Beer BBQ Sauce
Reduce:
1 2-liter bottle root beer
Add and Simmer:
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup yellow mustard
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. Tabasco
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Finish with:
2 tbsp. butter

Reduce root beer to 1 cup over medium heat in a deep skillet (it takes about 1 hour).
Add vinegar, ketchup, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine. Simmer 20 minutes.
Finish with butter to give the sauce extra body and flavor.

Finishing up the pork:
Shred the pork by hand or with forks (pieces that are difficult to shred can be pulsed in a food processor). Mix in sauce. Serve on bread or as is. Enjoy!