Wheat Bread

Now that I am back I have been baking and cooking up a storm and my house just smells wonderful everyday.  My husband comes home and looks forward to the "next" great meal.  

The more I look at the way Americans eat the more I want to make things in my own kitchen over buying them; IE processed foods.  It only takes a bit of time and a bit of fore thought and you can know what you are eating.

Over the past few weeks I have been looking more & more at what my husband & I eat.  We shop mostly in the outer ring of the market (and if we do buy something in the aisles it is organic).  We have planted our first garden and cannot wait to reap the "fruits of our labor" in a few months.  But mostly I have been looking to making more things home-made and less store bought.

One thing we eat a lot of ... or a loaf of a week is bread.  So I thought to myself why not make bread and if I make enough of it, I can freeze it.  I love toast.  Yes it is a strange thing to love but it is one of my favorite things to eat, and since I eat toast everyday with breakfast, bread is a perfect thing to make home made in place of processes bread. There are so many recipes for bread on the web you can get very over-whelmed by them.  The one I used came from All Recipes and was very easy to make. 

This is what I did

Wheat Bread 
3 cups of warm water
2 packages of dry active yeast
1/3 cup of honey
5 cups of bread flour
3 tablespoons of melted butter
1/3 cup of honey
1 tablespoon of salt
3 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons melted butter

In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.

Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled. 

Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch. 

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not over bake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely and serve. 

Now that I have started to make my own bread I cannot go to the store and buy bread, it just is not the same.Yes it takes a bit of time and a bit of work but in the end it is so worth it to make your own bread.

YUM!!!

Shepard's Pie

Shepard's Pie is one of those dishes that I did not grow up as a child eating but fell in love with after I met my husband. He is that kind of guy who really likes comfort food as much as he likes to eat out at fine restaurants, makes for very eclectic meals. And believe it or not it was my husband who taught me how to make Shepard's Pie.

In the past I have blogged about Cottage Pie which is quite similar to Shepard's Pie but has more ingredients and takes more time to prepare. The nice thing about Shepard's Pie is there are really only three ingredients that make this delicious dish.

Here is what you do ...

Shapard's Pie
1 1/3-1 1/2 lbs of ground meat (ground turkey, ground beef or meatloaf mix will suffice)
salt n pepper (or your favorite seasonings)
1 can of cream corn
1 cup of frozen corn (frozen corn has more flavor than canned corn)
5-6 medium potatoes (boiled and mashed)

Cook the ground beef in a skillet till golden brown. Add the salt n pepper and favorite seasonings while cooking meat. I also sometimes add a sauteed onion and crushed garlic for more flavor.

When meat is finished drain all the grease and cover bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish.

Cover the meat with the can of cream corn and add a layer of the frozen corn.

Lastly cover top with mashed potatoes. You can also sprinkle some cheese and paprika over top for flavor.

Bake in over for 30-45 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

This is one of those dishes that gets better with age. We find that the second day is much better than the first.

So when you are in a bind for what to make for dinner, if you have corn, ground meat, and potatoes try this great Yummy dish.

YUM!!!

Pickity Place

This week my Mom & I decided to go on an adventure to Pickity Place in Mason, NH. I personally have never gone but my Mom was there once with her Garden Club, but it was so long ago she was excited to go again. After I read about it I knew this would be the perfect place.

We drove and drove to get there, and we drove mostly back roads, through the woods. And how funny that we drove through the woods since the house the restaurant is in, is the original House that the story Little Red Riding Hood was illustrated from. There is even this huge oak tree in front of the house that is in the book as well.


The house is so old there are really no level floors, low ceilings, narrow doorways, and three small rooms to eat it. The grounds and the samll cottage have such a New Hampshire feeling you cannot help but fall in love the minute you step out of your car. Over the past few years it looks like they have added a solarium to eat in that overlooks the gardens, which must be so beautiful in the summertime.

The nice thing about going here is they have a fixed 5 course menu that changes each month. Since we just went last week if you go between now and the end of December you can experience the same menu. This is what we had ...

Crackers with Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Spread

Golden Russet and Creamy Carrot Soup

Apple Pecan Slaw

Winter Solstice Fruit Bread with Cranberry Lemon Butter

Chicken & Eggplant Neapolitan

or

Winter Vegetable Cassoulet

Pickled Red Cabbage

Brandied Eggnog Pie

When you look at the menu they always have a Vegetarian dish on the menu (that was the one I had) and it was so good I forgot they was no meat or chicken. Every course is delivered to you, with some kind of herbs that came right from their garden, how awesome is that.

All I know id the menu for January looks like comfort food at its max I am looking for someone to go with me? Any takers ... I know you will live every morsel that you eat.

YUM!!!

Chicken Barley Soup

As you all know I love soup. I love making soup, eating soup and trying new soup recipes. Soup to me is the ultimate comfort food. I think if I had the choice I would eat soup everyday. The way I look at it you get protein and veggies all in one flavorful bite. And soup always has left-overs which taste better as they age and all the flavors marry together. Thinking of this is making me salivate.

I was reading Everyday Food Magazine and I found a new way to cook chicken soup. Yes, a new way. I love my recipe for soup (which has been handed down from my grandparents), but when another comes along I will be the first to try it and not hesitate one bit. This one is a bit unique in that it has spinach and barley added.

This is what I did ...
Chicken Barley Soup
1 tablespoon of olive oil
4 carrots sliced
4 celery stalks (if they have leaves on them I add the leaves too)
1 medium onion diced
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1/2" pieces
salt-n-pepper
6 cups of organic chicken broth/stock
2 teaspoons of dried thyme
1 cup of quick-cooking barley
5 cups of baby spinach (one bunch)

In a large dutch oven or stock pot heat the olive oil with the celery, carrots, onion cook until tender (about 8 minutes). Add the chciken and season with salt-n-pepper and cook till chicken is browned on edges.

Add the broth/stock and thyme and bring to a boil. Stir in the barley, cover and reduce heat and simmer till barley is tender and chicken is cooked (10-12 minutes).

Last add the spinach and cook until wilted (1 minute). Season with salt-n-pepper if needed.

The spinach made this dish more veggie/green like and the barley made it more filling without adding pasta. Barley lately seems to be my new go to for fillers in soups over pasta since it is better for you and gluten free.

Try this one ... super easy to make and can be made in less than 30 minutes if you have left over chicken or a rotisserie chicken from the market. So healthy and so yummy.

YUM!!!

Cornbread/Corn Muffins

Last week I made chili for the Pat's game viewing at our house. When I made the chili I made it two, maybe three alarm and needed to put the fire out on our palettes some how, and thought bread would be good. But really did not want just white bread. Then it came to me, cornbread!!!

I have never made cornbread before and really thought I was not really a cornbread fan. Think about it every time you stop by Boston Market to get a quick dinner they seem to give cornbread but most of ours seems to go in the trash. This month thought cornbread was one of the feature recipes in Everyday Food magazine. (Yes, I love Everyday Food magazine.) And for some reason the cornbread looked so good and looked so easy to make, so I thought why not make cornbread to put the "chili fire out."

The one thing I have to say is when I made my cornbread I wanted to make it "user friendly." Meaning I made corn muffins with the same recipe so everyone could take a bowl of chili and a muffin. Such a good idea when there is a crowd. And I could freeze all the ones we did not eat for the next time I make chili or want a corn muffin with butter for breakfast.

This is what I did ...

Cornbread

1/2 cup or 1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cup of yellow cornmeal
1 cup of leveled all purpose flour
6 tablespoons of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt (if you only have salted butter omit this salt)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup of buttermilk
3 large eggs

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Either butter an 8" baking pan or line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl; cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a second bowl mix the wet ingredients; melted butter, buttermilk & eggs. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir till combined, but do not over mix.

Transfer to pan or muffin cups and bake.

When making one bread bake for 20-25 minutes, when making muffins bake for 12-15 minutes. In both cases bake till toothpick when inserted in center comes out clean.

This cornbread recipe came out so good, not too sweet and not too savory, they were pretty much perfect. I think there are many ways this cornbread base can go from sweet to savory with other flavors added to it as well.

Try this even if you are not a fan of cornbread, you might be like me and like it after all.

YUM!!!

Daddy Dan's Famous Chili

This is my favorite time of year, for a couple of reasons; one is the the leaves are changing and the air is getting colder, and the other is football season is here. I cannot tell a lie I do love to watch the home team (New England Patriots), as well as all the other Sunday afternoon games. Football watching in our house is also a social thing to do and that means so much good food while watching the game.

This weekend the Pat's are away so there will be be some friends here to watch the game. What to make is the big question? Chili!!!

About 20 years ago my Dad was in a Chili cook-off, and his was one of the top 5. His recipe is one that can be hot or can be not so hot. But one thing for sure it is so yummy and a crowd pleaser. It has heat when you eat it, then the flavors of the chili and then after heat that makes you go back for more.

This is what do ...
Daddy Dan's Famous Chili
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (omit if you do not like you chili hot)
2 lb. of beef tips, cut into one in cubes
1 bottle of beer (no stout), I used New Castle Brown Ale
1 cup of water
2 can of diced tomatoes
2 can of dark red kidney beans, drained
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 table spoon chili power

In a large stock pot saute the garlic, onions and jalapeno with a pinch of salt till onions are browned. Add the beef and the spices/aromatics. Simmer till beef is browned on all sides (5-8 minutes).

Add the tomatoes, water and beer, bring to a boil and simmer for 2 1/2-3 hours.

After 3 hours remove the beef and pull apart like pulled pork.

Add the beans and stir for 10 minutes and serve, or allow to fully cool before setting aside in the fridge for the next day.



I shoul tell you that when I made this I made a smaller batch and cut the tomatoes, beans, and meat in half to make a smaller pot. But I did keep all the aromatics in the same quantity for intense flavor.

Keep in mind that this is a dish that need to be made the day before. All the flavors of Chili need to marry together and settle before you can really enjoy how good it is, and watch some of the game while it is heating up on the stove for a half time meal.

As you can see we added some fresh avacado and diced sweet white onions, and fresh cilantro to our chili and served it with corn bread (to help pt out the "fire", recipe to come this week). You can also add cheese, but since we are lactose intollerant we can do without the cheese and still love every bite.

If you try this recipe let me know and I will tell Dad, he loves to hear who I pass this recipe on to and what they think of it.

YUM!!!!

Chicken Supreme

I am always on a quest to find new things to cook for my husband and I. Cooking the same thing every week gets really really boring in my opinion so I am constantly looking all the time for new recipes. Let me start by saying I subscribe to Daily Candy, an on-line site that sends you a Daily message about "eye" candy that is sometimes useful but mostly is stuff I dream about. Every day I look forward to the Candy no matter what it is. Last week Daily Candy sent me a email Titled "What's for Dinner?" This really intrigued me, I had to find out more about it.


It was all about an on-line web site dedicated to helping you find what you want to eat for dinner based on what you tell, such as meat, veggie, etc. The site is called Gojee, and I suggest you all get a Gojee account. I love it, and I have only used it once. Gojee is all about other recipe blogs and how to find the perfect meal to make for dinner. You see when you find a recipe you like Gojee links you to the blog that the recipe is on so you can view it, print it, etc. The nice thing is you can save your recipes on the Gojee site for later reference and not worry about where you were linked to.


I got very excited about this and set up an account right away, and started searching for new recipes to create. We seem to always have chicken thighs on hand so I thought lets look for a new recipe using thighs. There are so many it was very hard to choose what would be my first one. But there was one that sounded really good that I had to try it ... Chicken Supreme, which was originally from Taste and Tell (blog).

This is how to make Chicken Supreme
5-6 boneless & skinless chicken thighs
3/4 teaspoon of seasoned salt (I used Pappy's Choice)
pinch of paprika
1 cup chicken stock/broth
1/4 cup white wine (I used white cooking wine you can purchase at the grocery store)
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
pinch of fresh cracked pepper
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cold water
1 cup sliced mushrooms (10 sliced button mushrooms)
olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle thighs with seasoned salt and paprika. Place chicken in a 9x13 baking dish.

In a small bowl combine chicken broth, wine, onions, curry powder and pepper. Pour over chicken. cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for 45 minutes, or until chicken is done.

While the chicken is in the oven, heat a small amount of oil in a skillet and saute the mushrooms till tender. set them aside.

When chicken is done remove from oven. Take the chicken out of pan and cover to keep warm. Strain the pan juices and reserve for the sauce.

In a small sauce pan whisk the flour and water, slowly whisk in the pan juices. Cook on low heat and whisk until sauce get thicker. Boil for 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the sauce.

Serve chicken with the sauce.

As you can see we also had some sauteed asparagus with it. It was so yummy!!! we both used the bread to sop up all the sauce left behind on our plates.

YUM!!!

Creamless Corn Chowder

This is one of those recipes that we have been looking for, for such a long time. As you already know my husband is lactose intolerant and seems to like to eat everything that has cream, milk and cheese in it, and regrets eating all those things a few hours later. So every time I find a recipe that usually has dairy in it but can be made without it I jump to make it. For a couple of reasons; (1) to see how good it is without diary and (2) to see if my husband would love it as much as the original.


Sunday morning I was drinking tea & eating toast flipping through the ads in the Sunday paper and came across this recipe in the USA Weekend magazine. For some reason every Sunday I flip through the USA Weekend for celebrity birthdays and the occasional feel good story, and this week for the awesome recipe I found. Since my husband and I both love corn chowder but just cannot eat it because it has too much dairy, this is such a refreshing change to a great chowder. I knew I had to try this recipe and see how yummy it is without cream.

This is what I did ...

Creamless Corn Chowder
2 cups of frozen corn
2 cups of cream of corn (I used one can of cream of corn)
1 large onion, medium dice
1/2 red pepper medium dice
2 large potatoes (I used two large Yukon Gold potatoes) medium dice
salt n pepper
4 slices of bacon (chopped)
1 teaspoon if dried thyme
1 quart of chicken broth/stock
2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro

Slice the bacon into small pieces and put in a large stock pot and fry over medium-high heat until crisp (5-7 minutes). Chop the onion and the pepper and season with salt and pepper. Add the onion & pepper to the bacon and saute. After the onions start to sweat add the cream corn and thyme. Stir to combine. Add the frozen corn, potatoes and chicken broth. Let simmer for 30 minutes.

Serve with a sprig of fresh cilantro.

This was such a yummy dish, even my husband loved it. He is now waiting for the cold to come so we can eat chowder by the fireplace on a cold winter day.

If you or anyone in your home is lactose intolerant this is a recipe for you, there is so much flavor you will not even miss the dairy.

YUM!!!

Succotash

Let's talk about Succotash today. This is one side dish I really had no idea what it was, not thought I would ever be so much in love with Succotash that I would make it so often. It all started a few months ago I went to all places The Cheesecake Factory for lunch with some family. They had this great BBQ Salmon dish with mashed potatoes and corn with veggies in it. I knew after I ate it I had to replicate it for my husband, because I knew he would love it.

The big question is what is a Succotash ... The definition of Succotash is "boiled corn kernels" in a dish primarily of corn and/or Lima beans/shelled beans, other ingredients can be added to it such as tomatoes, and green or red bell peppers. Because of the relatively inexpensive and more readily available ingredients, the dish was popular during the during the Great Depression, and with today's market going up & down why not try a cheep side dish for your family.

The fact that Succotash is so easy to make, makes it a perfect side dish in our house... and have I mentioned that my husband loves corn.

My Succotash is made this way
1 -1 1/2 cups of frozen corn
half red bell pepper diced
half zucchini diced
1 tablespoon organic butter
salt-n-pepper to taste

Mix the ingredients in a small sauce pan. Put on stove top on high, and stir constantly till butter is melted. When butter is melted cover and turn off heat. The steam from the corn will keep the veggies warm till you eat them.



The nice thing about Succotash is all you need is corn and diced veggies and you can make it your own. when you make your own ... share it with me, I am always looking for new veggies to add to my corn.

YUM!!!

Roasted Beef, Mushrooms and Barley Soup

It is the middle of of one of the hottest summers on record and for some reason the other day I was craving hot soup. Sometimes when I crave soup I just open a can and heat it up over the stove and slurp away. This week was different than other summer days ... I wanted real home made soup, that was quick and hearty. (I was also just at a family party and everyone was talking about my cooking and why have I not posted anything in a while. It in a way inspired me to make this soup also.) But I digress ... back to the original recipe.

This was a soup that I originally found in Everyday Food Magazine and it looked so easy and so yummy I had to give it a whirl. It only has 5 real ingredients!!! Funny how I sound like a TV show on Food Network all of a sudden. But it is is true. It seriously only has 5 ingredients that make this one of the easiest, hearty and flavorful soups you will ever eat, in my opinion.

Beef, Mushroom & Barley Soup
1 lb. of beef chuck cut into 1" cubes
1 lb. of button mushrooms (steamed and cut in half)
1 cup of chopped onions (can be anything shallots, red, vadalia, pearl or white)
salt n pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 cups of beef broth
1/2 cup of quick cooking barley

On a cookie sheet spread out the onions, mushrooms, and beef to make one layer. Drizzle the olive oil over it and season with salt n pepper, in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes to brown .

Remove form the oven and transfer to a dutch oven or stock pot. Add the barley and the beef broth. Bring to a boil and simmer till barley is soft, approximately 12 minutes.

I have made this soup for many family & friends and they have all been very happy with the dish. This is one of those dishes that is so much better the next day and the day after.

Try this one ... it takes less than an hour and is so easy.

YUM!!!

Stuffed Turkey Breast

One thing everyone should know about me is I love to shop at Costco for crazy things like toilet paper, paper towels, and poultry. Yes poultry!!! I find that Costco has great chicken and turkey, and at such good prices it is sometimes hard for me not to purchase it when I am shopping.

A few weeks ago I was having coffee with some friends, and we were talking about all the ways we make turkey, from stuffed, to glazes, to fixings with it. Then the turkey breast came up in conversation. I had never thought to make just a breast before. The brain started working. The idea I had was what if I butterflied the turkey breast and stuffed it with stuffing and wrapped it in bacon, and bake it. You know anything in bacon tastes good.

That is exactly what I did. My husband helped me with the butterflying of the meat. When my husband was in high school he was a part time butcher at a small grocery store, where he learned how to cut meat like a pro. After the turkey was cut I pounded it a bit to tenderize it and make it flat. Next the stuffing was added (I used mt own recipe for homemade stuffing with pecans & dried cranberries). This is when it gets tough ... the stuffing must be placed in a log like shape at one end of the breast. Then roll the stuffing inside the turkey.

This was really starting to look good but it needed something to make it really juicy. That would be bacon. I used a half a pound of maple cured bacon to wrap the complete exterior of the rolled breast. We also used skews to hold the roll in place while cooking. A 1 - 1 1/2 cup of chicken stock was added to bottom of the pan for some liquid on the bottom of the pan, and a medium onion diced and added to the bbroth for flavor.

This is what it looked like when it came out of the oven. We let it rest for a few before cutting it so the juices would stay in the meat.

When the turkey was cut it was a perfect pinwheel. The maple flavor of the bacon and the tart dried cranberries in the stuffing give each bit of this pleasing to the palette.

This was the first time I made this dish and was a bit nervous, because I was having a few friends over for dinner that night and was hoping it would be good. As it turns out it was great and one of our guests said "this is something I would have expected to get at a restaurant." that made me feel so good.

Note to Self: Get another turkey breast on my next trip to Costco.

One last thing to mention is that when the turkey came out of the pan and they was "juice" left behind I strained and de-fatted the liquid put it in a small sauce pan, added 2-3 tablespoons of unsalted butter and a tablespoon of flour and whisked to make gravy. The gravy helped to tie the entire dish together.

YUM!!!

Aprile's European Resturant

I know I have not blogged in a while about my cooking, baking or eating out. Lots has been going on in my life that took precedence over blogging. I also became very disillusioned by some about my blogging that a needed break was good for the soul to get myself back on track. Now that I am back my blog will be including more "Eating Out" places. Eating out is such a huge part of our life that it should show more here in my blog. I will still be posting recipes of yummy things that I make but also talking about all those good chefs out there that sometimes don't get the recognition they deserve. Hope you enjoy ... The other day my husband was asking me where I wanted to have dinner that night. To be totally honest I love to cook but the days I work I really have no desire to rush home, make dinner, and clean up. When I could have someone else do all the work and totally enjoy myself.

It was a Friday night, Date Night to be exact and a new restaurant opened a few months ago in my town. And since I am very into eating local, even if that means keeping the business in town I am all for it. The place is called Aprile's European Restaurant and it is located in an old mill building right on the train tracks, with a river running right next to it. Very lovely setting.

This location has been a restaurant for a long time but all the other ones seemed to have failed after a couple of years. Many times I tried to eat there when it was something else again and again but it just was not good. From the moment we walked into the new Restaurant there was a good feeling. Many folks dining in the open dining room, the wait staff bustling around delivering food and drinks to all those eating. We knew this time this was going to be a good place to eat. We found two seats at the bar and settled in for our experience.

The Restaurant is very Italian so it was going to be a red wine night, we chose the Cigar Box Malbec and it was very good choice. We then moved on to the stuffed mushrooms (they were stuffed with spinach and cheese). There was not one left when we were ready for our main course.

I got the Chianti Braised Short Ribs with Cipollini Onions, Asparagus Tips, Red Bliss Mashed, Braising Jus. I have this theory that anything braised (ie cooked low and slow) has to be yummy since much care has to be put into it since it takes so long too cook. The meat was so tender and the veggies were like candy. Even the lady who sat next to me got the same thing after seeing mine. We both could not figure out why we had a knife on our plate since it was not necessary to cut the meat with, so I dubbed it "plate decoration."

My husband got the Parmigiana Eggplant Breaded and Baked with Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella Cheese Accompanied with Linguine. Which is what he gets when we eat out since i do not like Eggplant but he does.

We also decided to share dessert. This is very much out of the norm for us, my husband does not like chocolate or sweets for that matter. The funny thing is I can get him to eat Tiramisu. That is exactly what we got. It was such a good ending to a very good meal, we left none behind.

Dinner was so yummy from start to finish I had to talk about it more than a Yelp post or a Tweet. If anyone is in the Merrimack Valley/Chelmsford MA area and is looking for Italian food try Aprile's European hopefully you will love it as much as we did.

Phyllo-Wrapped Brie

This time of year so many of us are entertaining and going to parties. And when the hostess says can you bring something to share? You have no idea what to take or what will others like.

A few years ago I was hosting a dinner party and I wanted to make something different, but was totally had no idea what to make. After much Internet searching I found the perfect appetizer ... Phyllo-Wrapped Brie. I found it on Better Homes & Garden website, a place I would not normally look at, but it looked so good in the picture I had to try it.

This is what I did ...

3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
4 medium onions, cut into thin wedges (about 2 cups)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup crushed pecans
8 sheets (17x12 inches) frozen phyllo dough, thawed
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
1 round of Brie
4 tablespoons of apricot spreadable fruit

Melt the 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large saucepan. Add onion. Cover and cook over medium-low heat about 10 minutes or until onion is tender and golden, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle sugar over onion. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes more or until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in pecans & set aside.

Work with one sheet of phyllo at a time, keeping remaining sheets covered with plastic wrap until needed. Lightly brush one sheet of phyllo dough with some melted unsalted butter. Place another sheet of phyllo dough on top of the first sheet, and brush with unsalted butter. Repeat with two more sheets of phyllo, brushing with unsalted butter.

Slice round of Brie in half horizontally, keeping it in its "wheel" form. Place bottom half in center of phyllo stack. Spread with 2 tablespoon of the apricot spreadable fruit; top with one-half of the caramelized onion-pecan mixture. Top with other half of Brie, 2 tablespoon spreadable fruit, and another one-half of onion-pecan mixture. Wrap phyllo up and over filling, pleating phyllo as needed to cover and slightly twisting phyllo on top. Brush phyllo with unsalted butter.

Place one wrapped Brie round 13x9x2-inch baking pan/cookie sheet. Cover and chill up to 24 hours. Bake in a 400 degree F oven about 20 minutes or until golden. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with Melba thins. Makes 12 servings.

This has been a hit every time I make this dish. I would love to have taken my own picture of this, but it is eaten up so fast. A close friend of mine calls this "heaven on a plate." That is how good this is.

There are a few variations you can do to this recipe. Such as you can use any shape Brie you can find, they all come out yummy. Also if you do not like pecans you can also use hazelnuts or walnuts. (We love pecans so where ever we can use them, we do.) Another thing you can do is serve it with sliced apples, sliced pears and bread, but I have found that the Melba thins work the best because they are so hard they hold the brie and yummy goodness much better.

You may think that this looks hard to make but there is so much room for not perfect when it comes to the phyllo dough. Please try this you and your guests will love this.

YUM!!!

Cottage Pie

I would like to start by saying for the past few weeks I have been looking for a mandolin slicer. But I have not been able to find one, or maybe find one I like. So the other day my Mom & Dad came over to visit and they gave me a mandolin slicer they found while they were out shopping. How sweet of them to find a tool I have been looking for. Now no more looking and lets get slicing.

Last months issue of Everyday Food Magazine had a Cottage Pie on the cover. This very beautiful Pie in a casserole dish with thinly sliced potatoes as the "top crust." All I wanted to do was make this beautiful dish. After receiving the mandolin slicer I knew this was the first dish I was going to make with this new kitchen tool.

I am such a fan of comfort food and things that make you feel good inside and out. They make the house smell wonderful in the winter and warm the soul of all those who pop in for a visit unexpectedly during the winter.

This dish has other advantages in that you can use what you have in your fridge to make it. Most of these ingredients can be exchanged for something different and it can still be considered a Cottage Pie. The original way to make Cottage Pie is to use Lamb but since Turkey day was just upon us I substituted Turkey for the Lamb and it was such a yummy idea.

This is what I did ...

3 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 large onion, diced

2 large carrots, sliced

coarse salt & pepper

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

2 1/2 cups of minced turkey (both dark and white meat)

2 teaspoons of dried thyme

1 cup larger beer

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 cup frozen peas

2 Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high. Add onion and carrots and cook, stirring often, until onion is soft, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in tomato paste. Add meat and cook, until almost cooked through, 3 minutes. Add thyme and beer and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until slightly reduced, 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir to combine. Add 1 cup water and cook until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in peas and season with salt and pepper.

Transfer mixture to a casserole like baking dish. Top with sliced potatoes, overlapping slices. Season potatoes with salt and pepper and drizzle with 2 tablespoons butter. Bake until potatoes are browned around edges and tender when pierced with a knife, 40 to 45 minutes. Then put in broiler for 5-10 minutes to crisp up the edges of the potatoes.

Let sit for 10 minutes to "settle and rest" before serving.

My husband thought this dish was so yummy he cannot wait for me to make it again. We although thought the next time we make it was are going to add 3/4 cup of frozen corn to add another level of sweetness.

As you can see there is so much you can do with this recipe from different meats you can use to veggies that can go in it makes it a frugal find, for what you have in your fridge you can use and it will come out just as yummy. It is so easy and looks so nice when finished it can even make a great casual dinner for you and another couple for a weeknight dinner

YUM!!!

Jerk Chicken

This is a crazy time of year to be talking about Jerk Chicken, and Jerk Chicken that needs to be cooked on a grille, with fire, outside your house. Since I am blogging from outside Boston and today it is 39 degrees, and not many brave souls have the stamina to stay outside and cook chicken on their gas grille. But my Husband does!!!

You see he asked me two days ago to marinade chicken for him and he requested Jerk Chicken to take to the Patriots vs. Colts game at Gillette Stadium. He loves to go to the games but I think he loves tailgating more than the game itself. Even though we are in a cold weather land please do not mess with the boys who tailgate for they mean business when it comes to the food they make in the parking lot of Gillette. Mike's group of buddies usually plans on two meals while in the parking lot. One before the game and one post game. What they are varies because of the time of the game. Sometimes it is breakfast & lunch and other times it is lunch & dinner. This week was a lunch & dinner week, I made lunch, Jerk Chicken.

This is what I did ...

6 scallions sliced (green only)

2 large shallots, diced

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

2 hot peppers, minced with seeds (if you do not like it hot omit the seeds)

1 tablespoon of ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

Mix all the ingredients together, and marinate the chicken overnight.

Best if grilled either on charcoals or gas grille.

This time I used thighs and drums. We usually de-skin the chicken and let it set overnight in a zip-lock bag in a cold place.

This is Mike my husband grilling the Jerk Chicken today before the game. The picture was sent with a message ... "these were over the top, all the guys loved them, thanks."

YUM!!!

Corn on the Cob

Corn on the Cob in New England is a HUGE summertime side dish. At most BBQ's you find someone shucking, boiling and eating Corn on the Cob. It is quite primitive food but when harvested at the right time and cooked the right way this can be the BEST part of the meal.


To begin the process of making corn on the cob don't buy corn in the grocery store. Look for a farm stand, a neighbor or a local farmers market. The best corn is the corn that has not traveled at all and is still in its husks. A local farmer once told me that as soon as you shuck your corn it starts to age. So the best thing for corn is to wait till the very last minute before it goes in the pot to shuck your corn.

The way we cook corn is a tad different than others ... or at least it seemed

You see after the corn had been shucked it goes in a large stock pot of water, just high enough to cover the corn. Then add 2-3 tablespoons of butter and about a 1/2 cup of milk to the water. put on high and allow to boil for about 10 minutes. Good fresh corn will tell you when it is finished but smelling so wonderful you want to eat it right away.

The nice thing about making corn on the cob the way we make it is you really do not have to add butter or anything else, since it was all in the water the corn was boiled in.

Try this one day ... this may be the way you too may make corn from now on.

YUM!!!

Tea at the Taj

A few weeks ago a close girlfriend of mine (Allyson) and myself went out for a girls day, and it took us to the Taj in Boston for Traditional High Tea. This was one of the most exciting experiences of our lives. We were truly treated like queens while we were there.

Our afternoon began with a walk through the Public Gardens and a stroll down Newbury Street in Boston for some shopping, and gallery browsing. What made it better was the day was a perfect 10, which made walking such a nice thing to do.

When we were seated at our table ... it was such a cute table for two in an elegant room with high ceilings, a fireplace and the most beautiful drapes adorning the windows. The room was wall covered with damask fabric which made each table have its own personal conversations that stayed with them and not with everyone in the room. Did I mention that there was a woman playing the violin the entire time. The setting and the company were just awesome that day.

We both had a difficult time deciding on what we were going to drink for tea and what we were going to eat for sandwiches. But then we realized all we had to do was figure out the tea and the sandwiches and sweets would be chosen for us.

The tea that was chosen was Green and Earl Grey ... and when they arrived we each had our own pot, warmer and tea leaf strainer ... it was so nice.

This is the Menu for Taj Royal ... as they call Traditional High Tea, and what we had ...

This was our First Course:

Smoked Salmon and American Caviar

Cucumber & Cream Cheese

Traditional Egg Salad

Lobster Profiterole

Prosciutto and Melon

(and that is Allyson)

As you can see they come to your table on this beautiful tiered platter. I am not sure if we know which one is best ... but what we do know is each bite was a mouth full of flavors that complimented the tea so nicely.

Then came the Second Course

Currant and Cherry Cornmeal Scones served with Devon shire Cream and Lemon Curd

Traditional Opera Torte

Citrus Tartlette

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry

Pistachio Financier

Madeline

Spiced Chai French Macaroon

As you can see it was on another tiered platter. Each level had its own yummy goodness to be savored bite by bite.

By the time we finished eating all the sandwiches and the sweet treats we were full. Not only were we full of sweet treats and savory bites but we were full of stories and memories to last us both a long time.

Thank you Taj Boston for such an enjoyable day being a girl.

YUM!!!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

It is game night and you have your friends and their children over and you want the kids to get involved in what you are making and still be able to watch the game at the same time. I found that pizza is the answer to all this.

If you are an avid reader of my blog you know that my husband is lactose intolerant and for a while he was having issues with gluten (I am happy to say that gluten is back in his diet and he is not allergic as we first thought). But there is really no good way to make pizza unless you use mozzarella cheese and white pizza dough. So this did cause some issues in my house, but my husband likes my pizza so much he found a way to eat it. The answer is Lactaid Tablets. They are what helps my husband and so many out there to eat the dairy they love and not suffer after. And yes we do have these tablets everywhere; the car, house, my purse, etc.

Pizza is something we usually remember as kids having at sleepovers or pizza day at school ... but this is not the pizza I like to eat so why should I subject my guests or husband to it. My husband and I do go out for pizza but the pizzas we go out for are usually wood fired pizza with very unique toppings such as duck con fit, ricotta cheese and fig compote. I am not the large cheese type of person. The more unique the topping combination the happier I am. But this topic can be saved for another blog.

When the time came for me to make my first pizza I wanted it to be more like me and what we like so the BBQ Chicken Pizza was born. If you think about it all you need is three basic ingredients to make a pizza they are dough/bread, sauce, and cheese and you have a pizza.

This is how I make my Pizza
1 dough ball
1 small container of pizza sauce
1 bottle of BBQ sauce
2 cups of mozzarella cheese
1 diced red bell pepper
1 diced onion
4 precooked chicken tenders, shredded
thyme, basil and oregano to sprinkle over top
salt n pepper to taste

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees

Start by rolling out the dough so it is the desired size for baking (meaning if you are using a 18" round stone roll to that size or if you are using a cookie sheet roll to that size)

Like traditional pizza add the sauce to the center of the dough. Then add the BBQ sauce to the exterior of the dough ... and with the back of a spoon in a circular motion mix the sauce and the BBQ sauce so the top of the dough is completely covered.

Next add the toppings of chicken, onions, and red bell pepper evenly over the sauce mix. Next add the seasonings and the salt-n-pepper. By adding the seasonings now they become married to the the veggies and chicken and the flavors cook under the cheese layer. Then lastly add the cheese. By topping it all with cheese the bubbly goodness can bake under that layer and meld all the flavors together.

It usually takes about 35-45 minutes to bake a pizza. When it comes out of the oven let it rest on the counter for a few minutes before cutting and serving.





YUM!!!!

Stuffed Peppers

Keep in mind with this post today that this was the 1st time I made Stuffed Peppers, so this is very much trial & error. And as you guessed it there was an error but much of it was right on and I cannot wait to make them again. They are really easy to make and if you have eaten the right things during the week this is a good way to use leftovers you may already have in your fridge. Stuffed Peppers are one of those dishes that my grandmother would make on a week night for dinner, and after making mine I know why.


This is what I did

Ingredients:
2 bell peppers, with tops cut off and cleaned out
1/2 lb. ground meatloaf mix
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Pappy's Choice seasoning


1 cup brown rice (cook accordingly)


1 teaspoon thyme, dried
1 teaspoon basil, dried


1/4 - 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Saute the onions ans the garlic in olive oil with Pappy's Choice/your favorite seasoning. Add ground meat and dried herbs. Let rest and drain all the oil from the meat. By giving the meat time to rest it will give you the opportunity to handle it when stuffing the peppers.


Mix the meat and the rice together in a separate bowl. Stuff the peppers and top with the cheese.


Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes till the cheese is melted.


YUM!!!

The day I made these ones we only had American Cheese in our house, each pepper was topped with one slice of cheese and as it melted and became golden brown it had a strange effect ... but it was very yummy.

There are substitutions that can be made through out this recipe based on what you and you family likes to eat. For instance instead of using Pappy's Choice seasoning you can use your favorite salt-n-pepper seasoning mix. If you would rather use ground turkey, chicken or deer meat it can be substituted for the meatloaf mix. White rice can be used in place of brown rice any time.

These peppers also had one more hidden ingredient ... Home-made pesto. I had a small container leftover from another night so I thought why not add the pesto to the peppers ... a tablespoon was added to each pepper between the meat and the cheese. It gave these peppers more flavor and made them more yummier than imagined.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to stuffed peppers. Give them a try ... I guarantee you and your family will love them like my family does.

Boston Baked Beans

Boston Baked Beans are a staple in my house ... they have been since I was a kid right through married life. There is something about baked beans that is not only comforting but also very filling, and can compliment more dishes that you can shake a stick at. Think about it beans go with everything you BBQ on the grill ... as well as our personal favorite blackened seafood.

My husband and I were talking just recently about summertime food and baked beans came up, and in his usual fashion asked if I could make some home-made beans. I had always tried home-made beans when someone else made them ... but they were always watery and runny, they missed that thick pasty consistency that you can get out of a can (I cannot believe I just mentioned "a can"). That is what I craved out of a home-made version but had no idea how to make them.

I started to search the Internet (which is what I usually do when I am given a challenge) ... and found many, many, many Boston Baked Beans recipes, some stove-top, some oven, and some crock-pot. Crock-pot was the cooking method I wanted to use, especially in the summertime since it does not give off as much heat as the oven or stove-top.

This is what I did ...

Ingredients
1 bag of dried navy beans
5 small slices of salt pork
1 onion, finely diced
4 tablespoons molasses
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar

Soak beans overnight in cold water. Simmer the beans in the same water until tender, approximately 1 to 2 hours. Drain and reserve the liquid.

Arrange the beans in the crock-pot by placing a portion of the beans in the bottom of dish, and layering them with salt pork and onion.

In a saucepan, combine molasses, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over beans. Pour in just enough of the reserved bean water to cover the beans. Simmer on Low for 6-8 hours, until beans are tender.

If you find it is to salty, add more brown sugar one tablespoon at a time, till you reach the right flavor.

YUM!!!

The nice thing about beans is that they keep very well in the in fridge, in "Tupperware" or some kind. Like most things that are made in the crock-pot these beans will only get better and better ever day they sit and gather more flavor.

I wonder what we will eat with beans tomorrow???