Kate's Strata

For Christmas brunch I made my friend Kate's excellent strata.  You put it together the night before and bake for about an hour in the morning.  The toughest part of the recipe is cooking and cutting the bacon (make the kids tear the bread apart!), and you could easily add a few ingredients if you have leftover ham, turkey, bell peppers, etc.  But, I don't think this strata needs any changing.  It is very good - so good that four people ate 3/4 of the 11x13 pan!

Highly Recommend!

Breakfast Strata, courtesy of Kate Hurley

1 package bacon, cooked and cut or crumbled into small pieces

½ loaf torn bread (I would use sourdough)
1 lb Monterey Jack Cheese grated
10 eggs
1½ cup milk
1/3 cup white wine
One bunch of green onions chopped
Pepper to taste and finish on top

Mix all; leave overnight. 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Unbaked Chocolate Peanut Butter Mounds

Today I started my Christmas cookie baking frenzy.  I started with one of the easiest cookie recipes I have, and it is one of the most popular too.  They don't look extremely appealing, but they taste very good!

These cookies don't need to be limited to the Christmas season.  They're a hearty cookie (or mound) that holds up well if you package them up and take them on the go... in a lunch, picnic, etc.  Just make sure you don't pack them where peanuts aren't allowed - like most schools!

Unbaked Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies, courtesy of my Grandma!

Fondue

I'm not one that hosts fondue parties, but I never turn down the chance to dip food in warm, melted chocolate.  We attend an annual fondue party at my mother-in-law's home every December and I know a few friends that go to annual fondue parties as well.

Here are a couple food/fondue pairings that I recently discovered and think are a must have for fondue - maybe you have tried a few?  If not, make sure to include some of these next time you heat up a batch of melted cheese, oil or chocolate.

For Cheese:

Sliced pears

Grapes

Small potatoes (boil until just tender and season with salt and pepper)

Cornbread - maybe a spicier version with jalapenos or peppers.

Warmed Pearl Onions

Cooked Sausage, sliced

For Oil or Broth:

Shrimp! I love this idea - quick cooking so you're not tortured with waiting.

Chocolate:

Glazed old fashioned donuts, cut in to 1" to 2" pieces

Pretzel sticks

Cookies - chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, sugar, etc...

Pears

Dried Apricots

Pound Cake

Marshmallows

If you need some fondue recipes, here is a link to Martha Stewart's website. Ten Fondue Ideas

Biscuits with Sausage Patties and Gravy

Tickling daddy works up a big appetite so I made the family a classic American dish, or as I like to call it, a truck stop dish.  It was fairly easy to prepare although it took slightly longer than the 30 minutes the recipe promised.  But, I know that the next time I make it I can probably whip it out under 30 minutes now that I know what I'm doing.

This is a great, hearty meal for a cold day.  And if you don't have a circle cutter for the biscuits, do what I did.  Shape the dough in to a rectangle and cut in to eight equal square shaped biscuits.  No one says biscuits have to be round!

Biscuits with Sausage Patties and Gravy, courtesy of America's Test Kitchen 30 Minute Meals
Serves 4
2 1/4c. flour

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

salt and pepper

1 1/2c. heavy cream

1 tsp ground fennel seed

1 tsp dried sage

1 - 1 lb package bulk sausage meat

2 Tbsp veggie oil

3 c. whole milk

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat to 450.  Line cookie sheet with parchment or silpat.

Whisk 2 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt together in bowl.  Stir in cream until dough forms.  Place dough on lightly floured surface and make a ball. Knead dough briefly until smooth and pat in to 3/4" thick circle (or rectangle if cutting in to squares with knife), and cut out eight total biscuits using a 2 1/2" biscuit cutter. Transfer biscuits to prepared baking sheet and bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

While biscuits bake, whisk remaining flour, fennel, sage, and 1 1/2 tsp pepper in small bowl.  Pat sausage in to eight 2 1/2" round patties an dcook in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned.  About 3 min per side.  Transfer to plate, leaving fat in pan.

Add oil to skillet and stire in flour mix. Stir constantly until flour is absorbed, about 1 min. Slowly whisk in milk and bring to boil.  Return patties to skillet and simmer over medium heat until gravy is thickened and patties are cooked through, about 5 min.  Season gravy with salt.

Split biscuits open, top with sausage patties and gravy and replace top half of biscuit.

Apple Cup Saturday!

Today is the big Apple Cup game and I wanted to make comfort food with an apple twist.

For dessert I made individual apple pies.  I purchased the mini pie tins from the grocery store and one package of pre-made crust (containing two rounds of crust).  I sliced about 7 granny smith apples thin and cut in half, liberally sprinkled with sugar, a teaspoon of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg.  Then I cooked them on the stove until they were slightly tender.

Before dividing the apples in the four mini pie tins, I drained them and cooked down the juice separately for a few minutes to make it more syrupy.

Once apples were divided in to the tins, I took a stick of butter and mixed with about a cup of flour and half cup of sugar.  Once the mixture is nice and crumbly I divided and sprinkled on top of the pies. Bake at 375 for 40-60 min, or until the juices start to bubble and the top is nicely browned.  (Check pie at about 20min and cover edges with foil if they're browning too quick)

For an appetizer I wrapped whole water chestnuts with thick slices of applewood smoked bacon.  Cut bacon in half and wrap around single chestnut.  Use a toothpick to close.  Bake at 400 for 10-20 minutes, you can also broil but watch closely.  This has got to be one of the most easy, cheap, and popular appetizers around.  You can typically find water chestnuts on sale for $1 per can, and there are about 20-25 in each. 

The finished pies:

The oil after frying chicken.  The finished product was so good - crispy outside and super moist on the inside.  The recipe is courtesy of Lisa Dupar and Pomegranite Bistro in Redmond, WA.  Recipe is at bottom of this post.

As a side to the chicken, I roasted fingerling potatoes in the colors of purple and gold!  You can typically find this mix in the grocery store.

Place the potatoes in a 8x8 pyrex or similar sized baker.  Add 1/3 cup unsalted butter, some salt and pepper, juice from one lemon and some chopped fresh rosemary if you have some.  Roast at 400 for 20-30 minutes or until tender.  Toss them frequently while cooking. 

Lisa’s Southern Fried Chicken, courtesy of Lisa Dupar
1 Whole Grown Fryer - cut for frying (ask the meat dept to do for you at grocery store)
Seasoning salt blend
1 Cup Buttermilk with 2 eggs - Egg Wash
Flour - All purpose
2-3 Sleeves of Saltine Crackers - Crushed by hand so your have coarse crumbs. (Not super fine.)
Corn or Peanut Oil for frying in a pan

Season chicken meat with your favorite seasoning salt. Dust with flour. Dip into buttermilk egg wash. Press into crushed saltine cracker crumbs.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet over med-high heat.

Fry until golden brown in skillet. This happens very quickly. Place on baking sheet & bake in 375-degree oven for 40-45 more minutes or until done. Reserve until you need to serve – warm quickly. Serve with mashers and slaw.

Sights and Smells of Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving.  The atmosphere, the sights, the smells, and eating as much as you possibly can.  Just a few pics of my favorite Thanksgiving things...

Pumpkin:

  Apple:

 Pecan:

Goody 'jars' for guests to take home.  A Bruschetta mix. 

 Turkey!

 My dessert plate.  Yes, I had one slice of each pie!



Sugar Pumpkin

After reading a friend's blog post about roasting sugar pumpkins and making her own puree, I knew I had to give it a shot.  I have never used fresh pumpkin to make a pie.  I never even thought about it since you can buy pumpkin puree in a can.  There was only one sugar pumpkin in the grocery store so I figured I better buy it and try it.

Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds.  Place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet and add water about 1/4-1/2" deep.  Bake in the oven at 375 for 45minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.

When you take the pumpkin out of the oven they'll look a little deflated.  Let them cool and then scoop out the flesh and store in an air tight container in the fridge.  Follow your favorite recipes calling for pumpkin puree.

The pie I made with fresh pumpkin puree was by far the best pumpkin pie I have ever tasted.  I hope to never use pumpkin out of a can again! 

Happy Birthday to C!

My little baby turns one today, and we're having a big family party tonight.  Just like her brother I drew the invitations and made fondant decorations that match the design for the cake. 

For the big cake I used three - 9" rounds, dividing each layer to put frosting betweeen.  For C's mini cake I used one - 9" round and cut out two small circles using a ramekin as a guide.  I then stacked the two smaller circles on top of each other.

A fun idea for a birthday party.  Take one photo from each month of the child's life, or one photo from each year for an older child.  Here I took a photo from Charlotte's birth, and then a random photo from each month and glued the number of the month on the pics. 

The cakes and the invite waiting for the party to begin.

Want to surprise your guests?  Make each layer of your cake a different color!  This is fun for birthdays, football games (team colors!), 4th of July, etc.  If you're making a cake with two - 9" rounds, divide the batter in half and add food coloring to each.  Bake, divide the cakes and then alternate the cake layers as you frost. 

Happy Birthday to my sweet girl.  Hopefully you can use some of these ideas for a future celebration!

Sweet Potato Soufflé

Looking for a great sweet potato dish for Thanksgiving?  Then stop what you're doing because I've got the perfect dish for you.

I'm someone who loves sweet potatoes and yams.  I love them even more if they've got a topping of roasted marshmallows.  That may gross some of you out. But don't fear, you can exclude them from this recipe, or just cover half the dish with those fluffy white clouds of sugar.  This Sweet Potato Soufflé will knock the socks off your relatives.  Enjoy!


Sweet Potato Soufflé

3 large sweet potatoes cooked and whipped
1 c. sugar – try less sugar and brown
2 eggs beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter
1/2 c. evaporated milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 bag marshmallows
1/2 c. chopped pecans, optional (I typically don't include)

Cook potatoes until tender. Scoop out flesh and whip (discard the skins). Add sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla. Mix well and put in a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 25 minutes. Place marshmallows and pecans on top and return to oven for about 5 minutes or until brown on top.

Birthday Dinner

Today is my birthday, and my mom cooked us an amazing meal.  I asked for something simple.  Maybe teriyaki chicken.  Instead I got my mom's kind of 'simple'.  Filet Mignon topped with seared sea scallops and lemon zest.  Roasted red potato with sour cream and green onions, with roasted root vegetables.

DIVINE!

Now you know where I get some of my cooking skills from...

Early Turkey Day with Friends

Tonight we hosted a fun early Thanksgiving dinner with some friends.  This was also my first turkey. GULP.

I brined the turkey for 24 hours with Williams-Sonoma dry brine rub.  It smelled divine!  Simmering the gizzards and neck for a few hours to get broth did not smell divine...

After rinsing the turkey I coated both under and over the skin with an butter mixed with fresh herbs, salt and pepper.  This bird  was smelling amazing!  Then it was time to pop it in the oven.  I am addicted to our wireless thermometer (similar to this one).  It is very easy to use and work in the oven or bbq!

The pies were patiently waiting.  Pumpkin and...

Apple.

The bird looked beautiful and was ready to rest for a few minutes before carving and while the gravy was made.

I used the orange-cranberry sauce from Williams-Sonoma (very good), as well as their gravy base to get a little more gravy from the bird (also very good).

Meanwhile, the kids made their own placemats with fall themed cutouts and crayons.  It entertained them for a few minutes! :)

Where are you!?

Sorry folks.  Life has been hectic lately.  Making a Thomas the Train costume for B, Halloween and surrounding festivities, Husky games, and life in general have been keeping me occupied.  And... I've been too hungry to just sit around and take pictures during the meal making process!  Hang in there.  I'm back and back to making the family wait while I photograph our food. :)

I was in charge of making 60+ cookies for Blake's preschool Halloween party today.  I had a lot of fun decorating the cookies and watching the kids pick between ghosts and pumpkins.  I used my all time favorite cookie recipe from Paula Deen.  If you haven't tried it yet, do it. Now.

Pretzels

Tonight I attempted making soft pretzels.  I was a tad nervous to do this.  It involved yeast, waiting an hour, poaching the unbaked dough, baking the dough, etc.  But, it really wasn't as difficult as the recipe appears and the end result was tender, chewy, and heaven!  We ate dinner while the dough was rising so it was pretty convenient timing.

I made half covered in sea salt and the other half in cinnamon and sugar. 

We all agreed the salted pretzels won hands down.  The sugar and cinnamon ones were pretty good but not nearly sweet enough.

This would be a perfect recipe for a football game or Super Bowl party.  It makes 16 large or 32 smaller pretzels.  I made 16 and they were a perfect size.

You can click here for the recipe.  I found it on 17 and Baking, but the original recipe is from Martha Stewart.

Corn & Shrimp Chowder with Bacon

I love bacon. Need I say more?  So when Martha Stewart's weekly email featured 50 recipes including bacon I was super excited.

This chowder was amazing!  The sweet crunch of corn mixed with the salty bacon and shrimp made for an excellent combo.  I will definitely be making this again. You must try it!

Corn & Shrimp Chowder with Bacon, courtesy of Martha Stewart

Pecan Crusted Chicken and Broccoli Farfalle

We are big fans of broccoli in our home.  Pecans too.  So when I saw a recipe for pecan crusted chicken and broccoli farfalle in the Seattle Times I immediately printed it out.  Not much work here besides smashing the pecans... I recommend putting them in a sealed ziploc bag and whacking them with a rolling pin, bottom of a can or jar.

This was a very tasty meal.  The chicken has an unexpected flavor due to the pecans and the farfalle pasta was light and a perfect match. 

For the recipe, click here!

Happy Birthday Tony!

If you love carrot cake, you must try the recipe in the Bride & Groom's first cookbook.  It is delicious and calls for two jars of carrot baby food.  A secret ingredient that makes the cake extra moist.  Let me know if you want a copy.  It will knock your socks off.

Cheese Tortellini with Sausage and White Bean Soup

What a great soup!  It is fairly easy, not requiring hours of simmering, and very bright colors thanks to fresh veggies.  Blake loved this soup and so did Tony and I.  It seems light and pairs well with a nice crusty bread for dipping in the broth, and green salad on the side. 

As a side note, I used mild chicken sausage to ensure it wouldn't be too spicy for Blake.  I also skipped the chili flakes for same reason, but did use about half the chili powder.  There was no spicey flavor in end product.  I wasn't too sure how much "1/2 bunch spinach" is, so I added quite a bit for color and to bulk up the soup.

Make this on a lazy Sunday.  You'll love it. 

Tortellini with Kielbasa and White Bean Soup, courtesy Celebrate the Rain, Seattle Junior League

2 Tablespoons olive oil

12 oz thinly sliced fully cooked smoked kielbasa
1/2 cup diced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp choped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
5 cans low sodium chicken broth (14oz ea)
1 can diced tomatoes with liquid (14oz)
1 can white cannellini beans (15oz), rinsed and drained
1 package 9oz fresh cheese tortellini
1/2 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed, tough stems removed
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, garlic, onion, thyme, and red pepper flakes and saute until browned, about 12 minutes. Turn down the heat if the garlic starts to brown too much.

Add the broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil . Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the beans and tortellini to the soup. Simmer until the pasta is just tender to the bite, about 10 minutes. Stir the spinach into the soup and turn off the heat; let stand for about 2 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.

Enchiladas

Tony was in the mood for enchiladas tonight.  I have never tried this recipe before from our family cookbook, and they were really good!  Add a few slices of fresh avocado, a couple beers, and you're good to go!

Enchiladas, courtesy of cousin Sally
2 c. chicken, cooked and sliced
1 1/4 c. sour cream
2 tsp cumin
1/2 small can of diced green chilies (4 oz)
2 green onions
1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, grated (SAVE 1/2 c. cheese for topping)
2 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 - 8oz package cream cheese, cut in to thin strips
6 flour tortillas (I used 8)

Topping:
3 Tbsp enchilada sauce and 1/2 c. picante sauce or salsa.

Mix sour cream, sliced chicken, cumin, cilantro, green onion, diced chilies and 1 c. of grated cheese together in a bowl.

Place 1/2 c. chicken filling and place it along the center of a soft tortilla. Place one strip of cream cheese down the middle of filling. Roll the tortilla and place it in a greased baking dish with the seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Mix enchilada sauce and picante sauce together. Pour over filled tortillas.

Bake covered for 20 minutes at 350. Remove from oven and top with remaining grated cheese. Bake for 5 more minutes.

Bellini

Take two RIPE white peaches. (there are some good ones right now!)

Peel and pit them, then put in a blender and puree the life out of them.

 Pour the puree through a strainer.  You may need to push it through with a strainer.

Pour a tablespoon or so in a champagne flute.  (add some simple syrup if you prefer sweet, like me)

 Fill the rest of the glass with chilled prosecco.

This is one tasty cocktail.  Two peaches will be enough for one bottle of prosecco.  Enjoy!