Thanksgiving - The Sequel

If you love Thanksgiving like I love Thanksgiving, then you know that it's ok, nay, encouraged to enjoy Thanksgiving flavors at other times during the year.  Here is a wonderful and amazing link for some Thanksgiving-esque foods.  Visit. Read. Drool. Make. Eat. Enjoy!

Cookie Bars & A [Somewhat] Related Story

Let me tell you a story.  I once had a roommate.  A wonderful, beautiful roommate.  Her name was Emily.  We became great friends.  We enjoyed dancing around in our living room; cleaning our kitchen with our Swiffer Wet Jet; watching episodes of Grey's Anatomy; and having discussions over a mixing bowl of brownie batter.  In those days, the brownies were out of a box.  There is nothing wrong with a good ol' boxed brownie mix, but if we had known that the recipe I'm about to share with you existed, we may never have stuck a spoon into boxed brownie batter ever again.  As many of you know, I have a new roommate.  His name is Dan.  He married me in June of 2009.  We occasionally dance around our living room; we use our Swiffer Wet Jet, but we don't have any inside jokes about it; we generally prefer TV comedies to medical dramas; and Dan has a serious thing for peanut butter and chocolate.  This is awesome because I, too, have a serious thing for peanut butter and chocolate.  What's that?  You don't?  Get out of my blog.  Seriously, doesn't everyone love peanut butter and chocolate?  This is why they make Reese's Peanut Butter Chips.  And that is where my story truly begins.  On the back of the bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Chips is a recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies.  I stirred up a batch last night.  I'm lazy when it comes to cookies, though, and I don't enjoy making 12 at a time.  So instead of scooping the dough into cookies, I spread the dough in a bar pan and made cookie bars.  Oh yes.  Ohhhh yesssss.

Want one? Of course you do.  Here's how you can accomplish chocolate, peanut butter bliss:

Beat 1-1/4 c. softened butter and 2 c. sugar until fluffy.  Add 2 eggs and 2 t. vanilla.  Beat well.

In a small bowl, mix 2 c. flour, 3/4 c. cocoa powder, 1 t. baking soda, and 1/2 t. salt.  Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture.  Stir in one package of Reese's Peanut Butter Chips.

Spread batter into a bar pan.  (If you don't live in the midwest, you might call this a "jelly-roll pan".) It would be prudent of you to try *at least* a few spoonfuls of the dough.  You never know, something could have gone terribly awry in your baking process... ;)  Your roommates/friends/neighbors/significant others might like to try a few spoonfuls of the dough as well.  I'm just sayin'...

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  The goal here is to underbake them slightly so that they stay incredibly chewy.  Chewy = awesome.

I dare you not to try these.

ENJOY!!

Crispy, Herby Chicken & Braised Brussel Sprouts

What I had for dinner last night:

Crispy, herby chicken with Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend and braised brussel sprouts.  But I don't like brussel sprouts, you say.  Wrong! I reply.  You DO like brussel sprouts.  Check it out:

BRAISED BRUSSEL SPROUTS

2 T. olive oil

1 T. butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 pint brussel sprouts, sliced or shredded

1 t. allspice

1 T. sage

1 c. chicken stock

1) Melt olive oil and butter in saucepan.  Saute onions for about 5-6 minutes or until translucent.  Add brussel sprouts, allspice, sage, and salt & pepper to taste.  Toss.

2) Add stock.  Bring to a bubble.  Reduce and simmer for about 15 minutes.  If you are feeling like a rascal, stir in a handful of chopped radicchio in the last 2-3 minutes of cooking - it will add color and crunch to your side dish. 

CRISPY, HERBY CHICKEN

4 chicken cutlets, pounded to quarter-inch thickness

2 T. olive oil

1/4 c. white wine

1 T. lemon juice

1/2 c. bread crumbs (unseasoned)

1 t. oregano

1 t. parsley

1 t. paprika

3 cloves garlic, grated

1/4 c. parmesan

1) Preheat oven to 400.

2) Grease baking dish.  Set up two dipping stations.  In one bowl combine olive oil, white wine, and lemon juice.  In the second bowl combine bread crumbs, oregano, parsley, paprika, garlic, and parmesan.

3) Dip each chicken cutlet into liquids and then into the bread crumb mixture.  Make sure that each cutlet is completely covered in the bread crumbs. Place coated chicken into the baking dish. Sprinkle remaining bread crumb mixture over the chicken.

4) Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, but still juicy.

ENJOY!!



Swedish Meatballs

Sometimes in life you come across a recipe that looks like a joke.  With ingredients like sour cream, grape jelly, gingersnap cookies, and dill pickles your recipe looks like something that two fifth-grade boys concocted as a dare.  Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you SWEDISH MEATBALLS! 

Swedish Meatballs

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. ground pork
4 T. butter, divided

1 egg

2 slices torn bread soaked briefly in 1/4 c. milk and squeezed of all excess liquid

1 t. allspice

1 medium onion, chopped

2 T. flour

1 c. chicken stock

1 c. beef stock

5 gingersnap cookies, finely ground

2 T. grape jelly

2 T. sour cream

1 lb. no-yolk egg noodles

4 T. dried parsley

6 dill pickle chips, diced

1. Combine meats, egg, milk-soaked bread, and allspice in mixing bowl.

2.  Melt 2 T. butter in large saucepan.  Add onion and cook until tender.  Sprinkle flour over the pan and stir to incorporate.

3. Whisk in chicken stock and beef stock.  Stir in ground gingersnaps (I grind mine in a coffee grinder...) Bring to a bubble to thicken.  Stir in sour cream and grape jelly.

4. Form meat mixture into walnut-sized balls.  (I use a cookie dough scoop...)  Drop meatballs into pan of gravy.  Bring sauce to a light simmer and let meatballs cook - about 10 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  You will want to wait longer than you think (3-4 minutes) before stirring for the first time - you want to allow meatballs to cook on the bottom or they will fall apart when you move them. (Also, I apologize for the ghastliness of this photo...)

5. Cook egg noodles according to package.  Drain.

6.  Toss cooked noodles with 2 T. butter, dried parsley, and chopped dill pickles.  Serve gravy and meatballs over noodles.  I didn't have a chance to take a picture of the plated finished product - I was too hungry :)

Enjoy!

Thai Chicken Soup

My dear, loyal readers,

Do you like delicious things? Spicy things? AMAZING things? Soup?  Say yes, please, just say yes.

Let me introduce you to Thai Chicken Soup.

Thai Chicken Soup says, Hello! Make me tonight for dinner!

THAI CHICKEN SOUP

2 T. olive oil

1 T. Thai red curry paste

3 T. curry powder

4 c. chicken stock

1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk

1 (2") piece of ginger, peeled

2 c. shredded chicken

2 t. brown sugar

2 small limes, juiced

1 T. Hoisin sauce

2 c. chopped vegetables (Use whatever you have on hand.  I used red bell pepper, celery, onion, & carrot)

2 T. chopped fresh cilantro

2 c. cooked white rice

1) Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add curry paste and curry powder and cook quickly for about 30 seconds. 

2) Add stock, coconut milk, & ginger.  Bring to a boil.  Add chicken and vegetables.  Cover and reduce heat.  Let simmer about 15 minutes.  Add sugar, lime juice, Hoisin sauce.  Turn up heat and cook until vegetables are cooked, but still crunchy - about 5 minutes.

3) Stir in cilantro and cooked rice.   Pour into bowls and garnish with more cilantro.  Serve with warm naan or wheat crackers.

ENJOY!



Fudgy Liquory Yum-ness

Sometimes, there are only three words: Fudgy. Liquory. Yumness.

If you have a "La Madeleine" restaurant near you, you should go there now.  NOW!

That is a shot glass filled with layers of chocolate mousse and booze-soaked chocolate cake.

It had me at hello.

Enjoy your weekend!