Friday, November 27, 2020

A Pepperoni Pie

It's the day after Thanksgiving and I started baking Christmas cookies. It is what I do. I only made one cookie today. The Striped Cookie. It is the most labor-intensive cookies that I make. I thought it would be a good idea to get it done first. You can read more about the cookie and see the recipe on the FridayNightBaking.com post.

Usually, we order pizza the day after Thanksgiving. Tonight we had some amazing pizza in our freezer. Chris had ordered a 6 pack of Zuppardi's pizza from Goldbelly which arrived on Wednesday.

This was my neighborhood pizzeria when I was growing up. It was a 5-minute walk from my house. 

Tonight we had a pepperoni pizza. OMG, it was so good! Thank you Chris for dinner tonight!

Thursday, November 26, 2020

The Truth and Nothing But the Truth



Happy Thanksgiving.


Thanksgiving 2020, the year that keeps on giving. 

Today's highpoint - The Zoom Cocktail Hour with my sister and her family. 

Second highpoint - The amazing stuffing that Chris makes. 



Third highpoint - Pies!!!!! Wow, they came out really, really good!

Low point - The bird. Purchased a pre-cooked turkey breast, yeah I took the easy way out. And the result was quite disappointing. We have decided that next year we do will not do turkey unless it's at my sister's house because she makes a really good turkey. If it is just the two of us again next year we are opting for Lasagna. Homemade of course.


Sunday, November 22, 2020

Bacon Carbonara Fettuccine

This is not our usual Sunday night fare, not pizza. But pasta, cheese, egg, and bacon is not a bad substitute for pizza.

Ingredients-
10 oz. Fettuccine
slices bacon, cut into small pieces
3 large eggs 
yolks
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 cup Parmesan, shaved

Method-
Cook the pasta in a large pot following directions on the box. Keep 1 cup of pasta water to the side to drain pasta (do not rinse pasta).

In a large skillet add the bacon and cook it until crisp then turn off the heat and remove the bacon with a slotted spoon then add the pasta and toss it in the bacon fat.

Add the eggs, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese to a large bowl and whisk well before adding slowly while tossing the hot pasta quickly to prevent it from scrambling.

Add in 1/4 - 3/4 cup of the pasta water, tossing again to create a saucy consistency to the pasta then topping with bacon before serving.

Friday, November 20, 2020

Roman-Style Chicken

Today I was looking for a recipe that Chris had posted on my Facebook page. Of course, I could not find it so I checked his page to see if it was on there. It was not but I did find this recipe.  Roman-Style Chicken from Giada De Laurentiis.

I made a couple of changes. No garlic was used, I used crushed tomatoes and did not add the chicken broth. Rave reviews were received!!

My version of Roman-Style Chicken

Ingredients-

2 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs

1/4 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon

2 tbsp olive oil

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 1/2 ounces prosciutto, chopped

2 cups crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup white wine

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves

1 tablespoon capers

2 tbsp cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Method-
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. 

Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. 

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Yes, Chicken Soup Is A Meal

A family favorite. This is a slow cooker recipe that I made on Sunday. Tonight we heated it up in our new AKS(Artisanal Kitchen Supply) 2-qt. Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. This pan is too cute. I got it so I can make 1/2 recipes from My Bread, the Jim Lahey book. It is the prefect size for soup. And I got it on sale for $14.00!!

Back the soup recipe. Did I mention it is only 174 calories per serving. From Cooking Light, with a couple of edits by me -

Slow Cooker Chicken Soup with Bacon and Potatoes

Ingredients-
4 center-cut bacon slices, diced
1 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, skinned  and 1 pound bone in chicken breast, skinned
salt and pepper
2 cups thinly sliced leek (from 2 large leeks)
1 cup sliced carrot (from 2 large carrots)
1 cup sliced celery (from 2 large stalks)
4 cups unsalted chicken stock, divided
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 thyme sprigs
12 ounces baby potatoes
2 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach

Method-
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1
teaspoon drippings in pan. Set bacon aside.



Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to bacon drippings in pan; cook 8 minutes, browning on all sides. Transfer chicken using a slotted spoon to a 6-quart electric slow cooker, reserving any drippings in pan. Add leek, carrot, and celery to drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup stock, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add leek mixture, bacon, remaining 3 cups stock, salt, pepper, and thyme sprigs to slow cooker.

Cover and cook on LOW for 2 hours. Add potatoes; cover and cook on LOW for 2 more hours or until potatoes are tender.



Remove chicken from slow cooker with a slotted spoon; discard thyme sprigs. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces; discard bones. Return chicken to slow cooker; add spinach, stirring until spinach wilts.

Sunday, November 15, 2020

Did I Make This Roast?



I am the person who was terrified of cooking large pieces of beef. Well not anymore! I put a perfectly cooked roast on the table tonight. Yeah, I am amazed.  I saw that the Spoon Roast was on sale at Robert's this week. I had a recipe pinned, Slow Roasted Spoon Roast, from The Spruce Eats blog. Start it off at 450˚ for 15 minutes and then set it at 225˚.


A Spoon Roast. What exactly is that? Well, it is a marketing term for a cut of meat that is so tender you could "eat it with a spoon". The roast itself is a sirloin roast.


It was cooked perfectly!!!!

Saturday, November 14, 2020

Slow Cooker Beef Short Ribs


Today I opted for a slow cooker dinner. The short ribs were on sale this week so that was a plus. The original recipe is from The Stay At Home Chef blog. I did make a couple of edits to our dinner.

Ingredients-
2 pounds boneless or bone-in beef short ribs about 4 short ribs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 sprig fresh rosemary

Method-

Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Sear the short ribs on each of the 4 sides for about 60 seconds per side. 

Pour the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and onion powder into a slow cooker and stir together. Place the short ribs into the liquid in the slow cooker.

Place a rosemary sprig on top of the meat and put the lid on. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, until meat is tender. 

I served this with green beans and mashed potatoes. 






 

Saturday, November 7, 2020

Veal Birds

My sister mentioned that she made this recently. And that our Mom used to make them. I did not remember ever having these. I think when it comes to veal recipes that my Mom would make it all stopped when she made that Stuffed Veal Pocket. It was so so so amazing. I had to have been in either 7th or 8th grade but I still remember how very good it was.

Anyway, Lenore gave me the recipe and I tried it. This was quite good. I should have cooked them a minute or two less than I did. But they were delicious. And easy to make! If veal was not so pricey this could be frequently made weeknight 30-minute meal.



The recipe -

Ingredients-
6 tbsp butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dried dill weed
12 thin veal scallops (1 1/2lb)
3 cup soft bread crumbs
2 Tbsp flour
3/4 cup beef bouillon, undiluted

Method-
Melt 4 Tbsp butter in a skillet and cook onion thru dill, 2 minutes. Mix the onions with the bread crumbs. Place 2 Tbsp of stuffing on each veal slice; roll up and secure w/ wooden pick. Then roll in flour. 
Heat remaining butter in skillet and brown birds on all sides. 
Add bouillon and simmer covered 30-35  20-25 minutes. 
Remove picks and spoon pan juices over birds.


Sunday, November 1, 2020

Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Cranberries and Leeks


I found this recipe on CookInCanuck. I have wanted to try a recipe that used fresh cranberries for a while.
Our local produce store, Bishops, has it's own Cranberry bogs. And they are located one town over from us!

The meat was moist and the vermouth was a new ingredient for me. The result of the vermouth with the leeks was a nice surprise.


Ingredients-

1 1/4 pounds bone-in pork chops 1/2-inch thick
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons Olive Oil
2 leeks white parts only, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup dry vermouth
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Method-
Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the pork chops and brown, 2 minutes per side. Transfer to to a plate.

Turn the heat to medium and heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the leeks and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker. Place the pork chops on top of the leeks and pour any accumulated juices over top.

To the slow cooker, add the cranberries and rosemary. In a small bowl, whisk together the vermouth, broth, and maple syrup. Pour into the slow cooker.

Cook on LOW for approximately 6 hours, or until the pork chops are cooked through. Pop any whole cranberries with the back of a spoon.

Serve the pork chops with the leek and cranberry mixture and some of the liquid over top.