Brown Sugar Meatloaf

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 cup finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan.
2. Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf. Place on top of the ketchup.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until juices are clear.

Grilled Jerk Chicken with Mango Cilantro Salsa

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 scallion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large Scotch bonnet pepper, stem and seeds removed
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• Pinch ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 4 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
• 4 drumsticks, skin on

To prepare the jerk chicken:

Directions

Puree all the ingredients, except the chicken, in a food processoruntil almost smooth. Piece the chicken with a fork to make tiny holes. Place the chicken in a large shallow baking dish and rub themarinade into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours, depending on how intense you want the flavor to be. Preheat grill. Grill chicken on each side for 5 to 6 minutes or until cooked through.

• MANGO-CILANTRO RELISH
• (recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay)
• 2 mangoes, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine the mangoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and orange juice in a bowl and gently mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spinach Pesto

I used this as for a pizza sauce-

2 cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves (about 2 ounces)

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 to 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

2 garlic cloves

Combine the spinach, pine nuts, lemon juice, and lemon peel in a processor. Lightly pulse. With the machine running, gradually add 1/3 cup of the oil, blending until the mixture is creamy. Add salt and pulse. Put half of the pesto into ice cube trays and store in the freezer for future use.

Transfer the rest of the spinach mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in the parmesan. Season the pesto with salt and pepper, to taste.

Halfway Cookies

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup brown sugar, separated
2 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks

Equipment

9x13 baking dish
aluminum foil
parchment or wax paper

Instructions

1. Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°. Cut two pieces of aluminum foil and fold them to match the width of the pan. Press one piece into the pan lengthwise and the other into the pan crosswise with the ends hanging over the sides of the pan, like this. This makes it easy to lift the bars out of the pan once they're cooled. Spray the foil with nonstick coating.

2. Make the Cookie Dough: Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside. Using a standing mixer, a hand mixer, or by hand, cream together the butter, the granulated sugar and just 1/2 cup of the brown sugar until this looks like smooth frosting.

Separate the eggs, reserving the whites. Mix the yolks into the butter-sugar mixture one at a time until they are completely absorbed, then mix in the water and vanilla. With the mixer at a low speed, add the flour mixture and beat gently until all the flour has been absorbed and the dough looks crumbly.

3. Add the Cookie Layer: Press the cookie dough gently into the pan with your hands, making sure the surface is even.

4. Add the Chocolate Layer: Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the cookie dough and use your palms to press them slightly into the dough. This will help keep them from moving when you add the meringue.

5. Make the Meringue: Using a stand or hand mixer with a clean bowl and a clean whisk attachment, start whisking the egg whites. Gradually increase your speed to medium-high. When the egg whites are very frothy and look like loose foam, start adding the remaining cup of brown sugar a little at a time. Continue increasing your speed to the highest setting. When all the sugar has been added, continue whipping the meringue until it holds a soft peak. It should look like glossy, soft-serve ice cream.

6. Spread the Meringue on Top: Scoop the meringue down the middle of the pan. It will be very sticky! Use a spatula to gently spread the meringue from the middle to the edges. We found it helpful to skim meringue from the top and gradually push it outward.

7. Bake the Bars: Lightly press a piece of parchment or wax paper on the top of the meringue (this makes an even layer and protects the meringue from scorching). Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the parchment. Continue baking for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the edges look toasted and are pulling away from the sides of the pan.

8. Allow to Cool: Wait until the pan is completely cook before lifting out the bars and cutting them into pieces.

Additional Notes:

• To make a crunchier meringue layer, use granulated white sugar instead of brown sugar and beat the meringue until it forms firm peaks.

• You can also reduce the amount of sugar in the meringue down to 1/2 cup (minimum) if desired.

• Other ingredients can be used in place of or in addition to the chocolate chip layer! Consider things like butterscotch chips, nuts, toffee bits, dried fruit, and fruit preserves.

Spiced Chipotle Honey Chicken Breasts with Sweet Potatoes

I served the leftovers mixed in with corn chowder- good!




Spiced Chipotle Honey Chicken Breasts with Sweet Potatoes
adapted from In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite, by Melissa Clark
serves 6

• 4 sweet potatoes (10 ounces each), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbs honey, plus more for drizzling
• 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)
• chopped cilantro, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place the sweet potatoes in a medium bowl.

In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, chipotles, garlic, honey, vinegar, salt, cumin, and cinnamon.  Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 teaspoons of the paste.  Toss with the sweet potatoes.

Scatter the potatoes on the bottom of a roasting pan, and bake 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, rub the chicken breasts with the remaining paste.

Stir the potatoes.  Carefully place the chicken on top of the sweet potatoes, and continue to roast until the chicken is just cooked through (registers 165 on an instant read thermometer), about 15-20 minutes longer

Divide the potatoes and chicken evenly among serving plates and drizzle with remaining honey and garnish with cilantro.  Serve.

Snickerdoodle Ice cream

1 1/2 c. 2% milk
1 c. sugar
2 egg yolks
1 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon
About 1 1/2-2 c. chopped high-quality sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, or shortbread cookies


Combine milk and sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium until bubbles form around the edges. Remove from heat.

In a small mixing bowl (or really big cereal bowl), whisk egg yolks thoroughly. Very slowly, add 1/2 of the hot milk mixture, whisking the yolks constantly. Return pan with remaining milk mixture to stove top and then whisk the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan, whisking constantly. You need to be careful here to not get the eggs too hot too fast, or else they'll curdle. So just relax and take it slow.

Add whipping cream. Over medium-low heat and stirring constantly, continue heating the custard mixture to 160 degrees. It will start to thicken quickly; remove from heat when your finger leaves a track on a spoon coated in the custard mixture.


Whisk in cinnamon and vanilla. Place the custard in an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator several hours.


When ready to make ice cream, pour chilled mixture into ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the ice cream is almost done (like maybe the machine's struggling a little...it looks like really firm soft-serve...), add chopped cookies


Remove from ice cream freezer and place in another air-tight container and freeze a couple of hours at least to firm up.

Homemade Cheese Crackers

Triple-Cheddar Crackers (from The Cooking Photographer)
-1 1/3 cup unbleached all purpose flour
-1 teaspoon salt
-½ teaspoon paprika
-½ teaspoon onion powder
-6 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
-8 ounce package shredded triple cheddar cheese, or cheddar of choice
-2 egg yolks
-2 tablespoons water

1. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a food processor pulse together the flour, salt, paprika and onion powder. Add the butter and process until combined. Add the cheddar and pulse until finely chopped. Process in the egg yolk and water until the mixture forms a ball.

3. Remove the dough and knead in your hands for a few turns. Roll dough to 3/8 inch thick. Stamp dough with cookie stamps or cut with cookie cutters. Place the crackers on cookie sheets.


4. Optionally, you may freeze the crackers on the cookie sheets for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Move the cookie sheets to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Cool crackers on cooling racks. Store in an airtight container.

Lemon Chicken

Great!

• 3-4 pounds chicken parts (thighs and legs recommended), skin-on, bone-in, trimmed of excess fat

• 2 Tbsp lemon zest
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 Tbsp fresh chopped thyme (or 2 teaspoons dried)
• 1 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 2-3 Tbsp melted butter
• Lemon slices for garnish

METHOD

1 Place lemon juice, lemon peel, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, whisk to combine. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut into each chicken piece one or two times by about 1/2 an inch. (This will help the marinade penetrate.) Place the chicken pieces and the marinade in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Rotate the bag so that all chicken pieces are coated with the marinade. Seal the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator (in case of leakage). Let marinate for 2 hours.

2 Preheat oven to 425°F. Remove chicken from marinade and place in a single layer in a large baking dish, skin side up. Reserve the marinade. Use a pastry brush to brush a little melted butter on to each piece of chicken.

3 Bake for a total of 50 to 55 minutes, until the skins are crispy brown, and the chicken is cooked through, juices running clear (breasts have an internal temperature of 165°F and thighs 175°F). Half-way through the baking, at about the 25 minute mark, baste the chicken pieces generously with reserved marinade.

Depending on the size of the breasts, they may be ready before the thighs, so if you are cooking a mix of chicken parts, keep that in mind, you may have to take them out of the oven before the thighs.

Let rest, covered in foil, for 10 minutes before serving.

4 Pour the juices from the pan into a serving bowl. Use a tablespoon to skim the fat off the top (save the fat for cooking with later, or discard, but do not discard down the drain or it will solidify and clog your drain). Serve the chicken with the juices on the side or a little poured over the top of the chicken.

Serves 4-6. Serve alone or with steamed rice.

Valentine's Day Ravioli

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 1 pound all-purpose flour (about 33/4 cups), plus more for dusting
• 5 large eggs
• 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Semolina or polenta, for the baking sheet

For the Filling:

• 2 cups sheep's milk ricotta cheese
• 1 cup diced taleggio cheese
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup grated parmiggiano-reggiano cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Kosher salt

For the Sauce:

• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1/2 cup diced pancetta
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 cup each shiitake, oyster and cremini mushrooms, sliced
• Kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Directions

Make the dough. Mound the flour on a large cutting board and make a wide well in the middle. Add the eggs and olive oil and season with salt. Beat the eggs with a fork, then use the fork to break the wall of the well and incorporate the flour into the eggs. Gather the dough into a ball; don't worry if there are lumps.

Knead the dough. Using the heels of your hands, push the dough away from you, then fold it back over itself and push again (put your whole body into it!). Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and supple, 10 to 15 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest at least 1 hour at room temperature.

Mix the filling. Mix the ricotta, taleggio, eggs, parmigiano and parsley in a bowl and season with salt. Transfer the filling to a large pastry bag and refrigerate.

Roll out the dough. Cut the dough into four pieces. Flatten one piece slightly, then run it through the widest setting on a pasta roller twice, dusting with flour in between if it feels sticky. Fold the length of dough into thirds and run it through the roller two to three more times. Continue running the dough through the roller, reducing the width setting between each run, until you reach the second-to-last setting and the dough is about 1/16 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Layer half of the dough sheets between parchment paper, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month (you'll only need half of the dough for the ravioli recipe).

Assemble the ravioli. Place the lengths of dough on a floured surface. Lightly brush the lower half of each strip (the part closest to you) with water. Snip the corner off the pastry bag; pipe 1-inch balls of filling, 2 inches apart, onto the lower half of each strip. Fold the dough over the filling to meet the bottom edge. Press around each ball of filling with your index fingers, making sure there are no air bubbles. Cut out the ravioli using a 2-to-3-inch round fluted cutter. Transfer to a baking sheet dusted with semolina.

Make the sauce. Drizzle olive oil into a large deep pan. Add the pancetta and garlic and place over medium-high heat. When the garlic is light brown and fragrant, discard it. When the pancetta is crisp, add the mushrooms, season with salt and saute until the mushrooms are soft and wilted, about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock, season with salt and cook until the sauce is reduced by half. Add the butter and cook, shaking the pan, until the sauce thickens and looks velvety. Season with salt, if necessary.

Cook the ravioli. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil; add the ravioli and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer with a skimmer or slotted spoon to the pan with the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, shaking the pan. Sprinkle in the cheese and swirl to combine. Garnish with chives and more cheese.