Aug 24

Middle Eastern Chicken

About.com *** in Entrees
Makes 6

Not fascinating, but healthy and easy.


Scale to servings
22 ozchicken breast (3 7-oz)
2 tbsplemon juice
½ tspcumin
½ tspcinnamon
½ tspcardamom
½ tspdried cordiander
2 clovesgarlic, minced
15 ozchickpeas, drained and rinsed
15 oztomatoes, diced
¼ cupcilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chicken breasts in a glass baking dish large enough to accommodate the chicken in one layer. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine spices in a small bowl and sprinkle over chicken, followed by garlic slivers.

Pour can of chickpeas over chicken followed by the tomatoes. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes.


Dec 05

Turkey and Bean Hash

Food Blogga ***** in Comfort Food, Entrees, Sunday
Makes 5

Scale to servings
1 tbspolive oil
6green onions
2bell peppers, red, chopped
0.13 tspsalt
4 cupsturkeys, shredded or ground
15 ozred kidney beans, drained and rinsed
16 ozsalsa
½ cupcilantro, chopped
2/3 cupcheese, shredded

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the turkey if using ground. Transfer to a plate.

Warm the oil in the skillet. Add onions and peppers and saute 3-4 minutes until lightly browned.

Add turkey, beans and salt. Cook 1 minute, stirring a few times.

Add salsa and heat through, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the cheese and cilantro is melted.

Garnish serving dish with additional cilantro and cheese.


Nov 28

Cranberry Fudge Pie

King Arthur Flour ***** in Dessert > Pies & Tarts, Holiday
Makes 8 (can be prepared ahead)

Om nom nom! Better the next day when the chocolate has really set and the flavors have melded.

Set it out an hour before eating so it can warm up a tad.


Scale to servings
Crust
packageslow-fat honey graham crackers, crumbled
3/8 cuppowdered sugar
9 tbspbutter, melted
Filling
2 cupschocolate, semisweet chips or chopped
1 1/3 cupsheavy cream
¾ cuppecans, toasted, diced
Topping
½ cupsugar
1/16 tspsalt
¾ cupcranberry juice
½ cupdried cranberry
6 ozcranberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Crust

Process the crackers, sugar and melted better in a food processor until crumbly and well combined. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" pie pan. Bake about 5 minutes until set but not brown. Remove from the oven and cool.

Filling

Put the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe container, and heat for about 90 seconds.

Remove from the microwave, and stir until the mixture becomes smooth and dark brown. Spoon the hot ganache into the cooled crust, and sprinkle the nuts on top.

Refrigerate the pie for at least 1 hour, probably 2, until the ganache has firmed up.

Topping

While the pie is chilling, make the topping.

Bring the sugar, salt, and cranberry juice to a boil. Stir in the dried cranberries, and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add the fresh or frozen cranberries, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until some of the berries have burst.

Remove the cranberries from the heat, spoon into a bowl, and chill.

To finish assembling the pie, spread the cranberry sauce over the filling and chill until ready to serve.


Oct 03

Maple French Toast and Bacon Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Food Network **** in Dessert > Cupcakes
Makes 12 (can be prepared ahead)

Scale to servings
1 cupflour
1 cupcake flour
3.9 ozinstant vanilla pudding mix
1 tspbaking powder
1 tbsppotato starch
1 tspcinnamon
1 tspnutmeg
½ tspsalt
1 stickbutter, room temperature
½ cupbrown sugar
tspvanilla
4egg whites, room temperature
¼ cupmaple syrup
½ cuphalf and half
5 stripsbacon, cooked, chopped
Frosting
8 ozcream cheese, room temperature
2 tbspbutter, room temperature
2 cupspowdered sugar, sifted
¼ cupmaple syrup
2 tspcinnamon
3 stripsbacon, cooked, chopped

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Combine the flours, pudding mix, baking powder, potato starch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a bowl with a whisk.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugars with a mixer on low speed until combined, 6 to 8 minutes. Gradually mix in the vanilla and egg whites. Scrape down the sides of the bowl; continue mixing until light and fluffy.

Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the maple syrup and half-and-half, mixing after each addition and ending with flour. Mix until the ingredients are just combined; do not overmix. Fold in the bacon.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup about three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Cool completely.

Frosting

Beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon; beat until combined. Spread on the cooled cupcakes; top with chopped bacon, if desired.


Aug 28

Peach Brie Pie Cupcakes

Cupcake Project ***** in Dessert > Cupcakes
Makes 18

Eat them warm -- as soon as you can safely remove them from the cupcake pan.


Scale to servings
2pie crusts
5 cupspeaches, sliced
2 tbsplemon juice
½ cupflour
1 cupsugar
1 tspcinnamon
½ tspnutmeg, scant
¼ tspsalt
8 ozbrie

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place the sliced peaches in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour over the peaches, and mix gently.

Use a 3.5" diameter circle cookie cutter to cut the dough into circles. Spray the cupcake pan (individual silicon liners work best for these).

Press the center of your circle into the bottom of a cupcake liner and work the rest up the sides. It should come about ¾ of the way up the side.

Fill the pie crusts less than halfway with slices of the prepared peach filling. Place 4-5 large chunks of brie on top. Fill the crusts nearly the rest of the way, and place 4-5 more chunks of brie on top.

Use a tiny cookie cutter to cut out a pie crust shape for each cupcake and place on top as decor.

Bake 20 minutes.