Quickie: Snacktime w/ Chef Brauny

Posted by Erin L. in Quickie, via Blackberry and tagged with birthday, cake, chocolate, dessert, shortcake, strawberries, strawberry, whipped cream December 1, 2009

I’m embarrassed to say, but we didn’t get Olivia a Birthday Cake today! She’s always the one on top of taking care of the rest of us coworkers on our birthdays, so thanks to Chef Brauny for whipping up a yummy Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake for her! YUM!

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake

To Taste: Roasted Tomato, Mushroom, & Smoked Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breast

Posted by Erin L. in To Taste ~ Recipe and tagged with basil, Black Friday, chicken, chicken breast, chicken stock, cooking, garlic, mushroom, onion, recipe, roasted, smoked mozzarella, stuffed, tomato November 30, 2009

I love Thanksgiving! Family, friends, turkey/stuffing/gravy-filled meals, and four days to fill with whatever I felt like doing. I went Black Friday shopping, but dodging salespeople & shopping bags got old pretty quick. I just wanted to be in my warm kitchen cooking yummy food!

The grocery store was pretty empty (whew!), so I quickly grabbed my ingredients… and some Stoli to get me thru a long evening in the kitchen. I’ve got nothing to do tomorrow! I kicked off my prep work at 4pm-ish to have the meal almost complete when Dre got done work. The components of the main dish took up most of my time: roasting grape tomatoes with garlic & fresh basil; sautéing mushrooms with minced onions & butter; and, gleefully pounding chicken breasts to a 1/4 inch thick. Every smokey, juicy morsel of the resulting Roasted Tomato, Mushroom, & Smoked Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts reminded me that it’s always worthwhile.

Tomatoes with Garlic, Basil, & Olive Oil to be Roasted

Just Stuffed

Roasted Tomato, Mushroom & Smoked Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Roasted Tomato, Mushroom & Smoked Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Roasted Tomatoes

Grape Tomatoes – (1-2) pints, halved
Minced Garlic – (2) T or more
Fresh Basil – a few chopped leaves
Olive Oil – (3-4) T, to grease dish & coat tomatoes
S&P

Coat baking dish with olive oil or line with non-stick sprayed foil.
Add all ingredients and toss with olive oil.
Cook 30-40 min in a 400 degree oven. Stir a few times until tomatoes are bubbling, but not burnt.
Make a big batch, leftovers are great on French bread and added to pasta sauce

Sautéed Mushrooms

White Mushrooms or Creminis or Baby Bellas -(2-3) cups, cored and sliced
White Onion – 1/2 med onion, chopped
Butter – (2) T

Melt butter in a saucepan on Med. Add onion & cook about 2 min.
Add mushrooms and give them room to breath. Julia says so.
Stir and cook until tender.
Use leftovers on a quick pizza or in pasta sauce, red or alfredo.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast – (3-4) breasts – trimmed, sliced lengthwise, & pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
Smoked Mozzarella or Gouda – 1 oz per breast
Roasted Tomatoes
Sautéed Mushrooms
Chicken Stock – (1) cup or so
S&P
Stovetop to Oven Sauté Pan
Long toothpicks or Bamboo picks

Pound filleted chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness between sheets of plastic wrap.
Add a few spoonsful of tomatoes & mushrooms onto half of each chicken breast.
Layer slices of smoked cheese.
Fold chicken breast in half and secure by sewing a toothpick or bamboo pic to secure. S&P each side of the breast.
Pan sear breast in olive oil on Med-High until golden brown, about 5 min on each side.
Add chicken stock to pan and bring to a boil.
Cover pan with lid or foil and tranfer to 375 degree oven.
Bake for 20 min, let cool for 5 min, and serve with pan jus.
Leftovers make one KILLER sandwich!

To Taste: Chipotle Turkey Chili

Posted by Erin L. in To Taste ~ Recipe and tagged with adobo, black beans, cheddar, chili, chipotle, crock pot, dutch oven, kielbasa, onions, recipe, slow cooker, sour cream, stock, tomatoes, turkey November 28, 2009

The weather is getting cold and it couldn’t be a better time for my bi-annual batch of Turkey Chili. Each time, it’s delicious in its own way, but this round may be my best to date! It was smoky & spicy with a hearty texture from the mix of Ground Turkey & Turkey Kielbasa. I topped it with shredded Cheddar and Sour Cream and paired it with Egg Noodles for leftovers.

Chipotle Turkey Chili w/ Cheddar & Sour Cream

Chipotle Turkey Chili

Turkey Kielbasa – (1) package cut into half moons
85/15 Ground Turkey – (2)lbs, browned & drained
Chili Mix – 1/2 packet of Hot, Medium, 0r Mild
Sriracha – a few squirts
White Onion – (2) medium, chopped
Garlic – (2) T, minced
Crushed Tomatoes – (1) large can
Chicken Stock – (1) can, low-sodium
Black Beans – (1) small can
Chipotles in Adobo Sauce – (2) peppers from can, chopped
Worcestershire Sauce – (4) heavy dashes
Dried Parsley – (1) T

Brown the Ground Turkey in an oiled pan and transfer to Crock-Pot or Dutch Oven.
Saute Onion & Garlic in same pan with a tablespoon of butter until aromatic & translucent.
Combine Onions, Garlic, & remaining ingredients in Crock-Pot or Dutch Oven.
Cook on HIGH 3-5hours or LOW 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally until you can’t resist a bowl!

To Taste: Homemade Apple Butter

Posted by Erin L. in To Taste ~ Recipe and tagged with apple, apple butter, Autumn, cinnanmon, cooking, nutmeg, recipe, sugar, to taste November 28, 2009

In a gluttonous haze, we forgot to buy a jar of Apple Butter on our trip to the Amish Country. It’s apple season, so it seemed reasonable enough to channel my PA Dutch roots and make a batch of my own. I bought a variety of apples and was amazed by my fully intact thumbs after peeling them with a paring knife. Quite proud of myself, actually!

Golden Delicious

I referenced one of my favorite recipe sites, 101cookbooks, as I appreciate their dedication to an honest approach to cooking. After boiling the apple down in apple cider and a whirl in my Grandma’s 1970s era Cuisinart, I had fresh applesauce. Once chilled, each bite tasted as crisp as all the apple pieces I sampled along the way! I returned the majority of the applesauce to the pan with lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, & the remaining liquid. After 2.5 hours of reducing, stirring, & a delicious scent, I had a worthy batch of Apple Butter for Dre & Lexi to enjoy! I’m actually not a fan, but sharing such a warm, delicious treat with the people I love makes it all worth it.

PA Dutch Apple Butter on an Eggo

PA Dutch Apple Butter
adapted from 101cookbooks – Apple Butter with Carolina B.

Apples – cored, peeled, & cubed – I used (1) lg Empire, (3) med Macintosh, & (3) med Golden Delicious
Apple Cider – about (2-3) quarts – enough to cover the apples in a large saucepan
Sugar – roughly (1) cup – probably good with brown sugar, too
Lemon Juice – from a 1/2 lemon
Cinnamon – a few dashes to taste
Nutmeg – a few dashes to taste, though I hate to admit I didn’t use fresh ground

Simmer apple cubes with enough cider to cover in a large saucepan. Skim layer of foam as cider reduces.
Once tender, transfer apple to blender or Cuisinart with a slotted spoon and puree to desired texture. Spice now or leave plain for applesauce.
Return applesauce to saucepan and simmer on med-low for say… 1.5-2.5 hours, stirring regularly.
Once thickened to a rich brown color, spread on an English Muffin and enjoy!

To Taste: Cheesy Smashed Cauliflower

Posted by Erin L. in To Taste ~ Recipe and tagged with cauliflower, cheddar, cheese, chicken stock, cooking, fresh, gouda, mashed, recipe, Shady Maple, smashed, smoked gouda, stock November 4, 2009

I finally took Dre on an Amish adventure to Lancaster County complete with a stop at Shady Maple Smorgasbord. I regret that I went to one of my favorite places to eat and didn’t take any pictures! Shame on me! We did, however, make a few farm stand stops on our scenic ride home where I picked up a beautiful head of Cauliflower. I knew I’d have to transform it into a tasty creation though, if anyone was going to enjoy it as much as I would!

I recalled an episode of 30 Minute Meals where Rachel Ray make a quick batch of her Smashed Cauliflower with Cheese. I stuck to the basic parameters of the recipe but impressed myself with the addition of shredded Smoked Gouda (from the never ending wedge in my fridge). The smokiness really enhanced the depth of flavors in such a simple dish. It was so good, I didn’t even have to pass it off as mashed potatoes, though you know I tried!

Farm Fresh Cauliflower & our Jack-o-Lantern

P.S. We also picked up a pumpkin on our Amish adventure that Dre & I carved for Halloween. BOO!

CHEESY SMASHED CAULIFLOWER
adapted from Rachel Ray’s Smashed Cauliflower with Cheese

Cauliflower – 1 large head cut into florets
Chicken Stock – about 3 cups, 2 cans, or enough to cover Cauliflower
Butter – let’s say 2-3 T of the REAL stuff, no oleo here!
Cheddar, Smoked Gouda, Mozzarella, Parmesan, etc. – (1)+ cup of your favorite shredded cheeses
S&P

Place Cauliflower florets in a medium pot & cover with Chicken Stock.
Bring to a boil over high heat. Then cover & reduce heat to a simmer until Cauliflower is tender, about 15 min total.
Drain the cauliflower once tender, reserving the stock. (You could also turn up the heat and reduce the stock instead of draining, but who has the time?!)
Add the butter & cheese. Smash with a potato masher, adding in stock until you reach desired consistency. Think “thick grits”!
Season w/ S&P and serve. It reheats really well, too, so feel free to make a double batch to enjoy all week!

Leftover Lightning! Roasted Turkey, Zucchini, & Tomato Pizza!

Posted by Erin L. in Leftover Lightning! and tagged with Boboli, cheese, cooking, dinner, leftovers, mozzarella, pizza, smoked gouda, tomatoes, turkey, zucchini November 4, 2009

I’m enjoying the house to myself for an evening, which usually means I have to cram a bunch of relaxation & chores into one night. Amongst laundry, the World Series, & making homemade Apple Butter for Dre, I needed to make sure I had a good dinner to keep me going. I’ve been getting back into cooking on the regular, but kept it fairly easy this week as I’m battling the infamous flu. Luckily, I had plenty of leftovers to work with: Pizza Sauce from Lazaro’s delivery on Sunday (Mmmm, Garlic Knots!); leftover Dijon Turkey Tenderloin, Roasted Zucchini & Grape Tomatoes from Monday’s quick din; and, a leftover 8″ mini Boboli shell (leftover from last night as I pretty much ate this exact dinner). I layered the pizza with sauce, diced turkey, & veggies and topped with shredded Mozzarella & Smoked Gouda (my fave, still leftover from Make Your Own Pizza night). 10 minutes in the toaster oven on 450 and YUMMM!

Roasted Turkey, Zucchini, & Tomato Pizza via Leftovers

Restaurant Rewind: Swift Half for Game Day

Posted by Erin L. in Family-Style, Restaurant Rewind and tagged with applewood, bacon, bacon fudge, blt, buffalo shrimp, burger, cheddar, eagles, family, football, fried egg, fries, fudge, hash, Philadelphia, Piazza, potato skins, restaurant, sandwich, scrapple, stilton October 26, 2009

I took a momentary hiatus from blogging as my priorities shifted a bit over the last month or so. Tonight’s priority, however – watching the Eagles on the couch with Lexi. Less than two minutes into the game tonight, DeSean Jackson ran 67yds for a touchdown. At the risk of sounding cliche, it made me think maybe it’s time for me to get back in “the game.” I luckily had an easy return with a blog post already drafted about a perfect September day enjoying my utmost priorities! GO EAGLES!

It was about time for Dre to meet the parents, so we planned a sunny Sunday afternoon to watch the Eagles game in Philly. We met at the Piazza at Schmidt’s, knowing Dad was interested in seeing the new hip spot in the city. Food and drink is an important part of family time so we snagged an outdoor table at Swift Half with a perfect view of the Piazza’s jumbotron tv . After a round of beers and conversation, my sister Kerry joined us just in time to place our lunch order. Dre matched Kerry’s request of a B.E.L.T, stacked accordingly with an over-medium fried egg. I went with their Traditional Burger, served medium-rare with Applewood Smoked Bacon & Colston Bassett Stilton. Their fresh, shoestring cut Idaho fries paired with the sandwiches may now be in my top ranking in the city, just under Misconduct’s.

B.E.L.T. - Swift Half

Traditional Burger with Applewood Smoked Bacon & Colston Bassett Stilton

Dad doesn’t front when it comes to his love of Scrapple, retelling stories of making homemade batches at Penn State. Swift Half managed to serve it in a most appetizing way for a non-fan like me – battered, fried triangles paired with a Maple Ketchup & Potato Hash. Mary Ann, the biggest Eagles’ fan I know, went with an epitomous game day snack of Potato Skins with Applewood Bacon crumbles, Melted Cheddar, & an Herb-Mayo dipping sauce. We all shared the Fudge Board for dessert highlighting Bacon Fudge, Vanilla Fudge, & Pistachio Fudge.

Despite an embarrassing loss by the Eagles, it ended up being a fantastic Sunday afternoon relaxing, laughing, & eating with the most important people in my life. We even enjoyed seconds with Swift Half’s tender and tasty Buffalo Shrimp, which were eaten too fast for me to snap a pic! And no lie, now less than 2 minutes to halftime and there goes DeSean Jackson with another touchdown. All these great memories of food, family, & football – I think I’m officially back in the game.