Gumbo

Will and I made this Gumbo to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day! MMMM

• 3 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 tablespoons margarine
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 8 cloves garlic minced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 stalks celery chopped
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, stems and leaves, coarsely chopped, plus chopped leaves for garnish
• 4 cups hot water
• 5 beef bouillon cubes
• 1 (14-ounce can) stewed tomatoes with juice
• 2 cups frozen sliced okra
• 4 green onions, sliced, white and green parts
• 1/2 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked

Directions

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and remove. Add the sausage and cook until browned, then remove. Sprinkle the flour over the oil, add 2 tablespoons of margarine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until brown, about 10 minutes. Let the roux cool.

Return the Dutch oven to low heat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons margarine. Add the onion, garlic, green pepper and celery and cook for 10 minutes. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, to taste and the 1/4 bunch parsley. Cook, while stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add 4 cups hot water and bouillon cubes, whisking constantly. Add the chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Add tomatoes and okra. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Just before serving add the green onions, shrimp and chopped parsley.

Overnight Santa Cake

18-20 frozen white dinner rolls

1 package (5 oz) cook and serve butterscotch pudding mix

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 bag (6 oz) pecan halves

1 tsp cinnamon

Combine sugar, pudding and cinnamon and set aside. Line buttered bundt cake pan with pecans on the bottom. Place 8-10 frozen rolls into bundt pan, pour half of the butter over rolls, and cover with half of the dry sugar mix. Layer remaingin rolls on top of dry mix, pour rest of butter and dry mix over rolls. Cover and let rest overnight. In the morning, when santa has prepared the rolls for you, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered for 25-30 minutes until rolls are golden brown. Let rest 5 minutes and inver onto plate.

Christmas Eve Stromboli

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Coat the foil generously with cooking spray.

Combine in your food processor's bowl:

1/2 cup pitted kalamata or black olives

8-10 sun-dried tomato halves, packed in oil

1 Tbsp. oil from the sun-dried tomato jar

Pulse until the mixture forms a rough paste.

Lightly flour a flat working surface and a rolling pin. Roll 1 pound of pizza dough into a 14x10-inch rectangle. Spread the olive-tomato mixture onto the dough, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.

Top with 12-15 slices of overlapping provolone cheese.

Top this with a 10-oz. box of frozen spinach that has been thawed and squeezed (to drain water) and a 12-oz. jar of roasted red peppers that have been drained, patted dry and cut into strips. Make sure the pepper strips run parallel to the longest side of the rectangle.

Fold 1 inch of dough over the filling on the short sides of the rectangle. Then fold the long sides over and pinch the dough together at the corners.

Roll the dough, starting at one of the long ends, as tightly as possible.

Brush the border lightly with a bit of beaten egg and pinch the seam to seal it shut.

Transfer the roll to your prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Brush the entire surface with beaten egg.

Bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven, or until the bread is golden and sounds hollow when it is tapped.

Cinnamon nuts

1 egg white

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tsp cinnamon

Mix egg white and vanilla. Beat until foamy. Stir in nuts to coat and add sugar mixture. Bake 250 for one hour. Stir occasionally.

Curried Coconut Chicken

• A favorite!
• 
  
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, or to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed, diced tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons sugar

Directions

1. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil and curry powder in a large skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes. Stir in onions and garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in center and juices run clear.
3. Pour coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

peppermint meringues

Chocolate-Dipped Peppermint Meringues

To make superfine sugar, take regular granulated sugar for a spin in a clean coffee grinder or food processor fitted with the steel blade.

When you add the peppermint extract, the minty fragrance and flavor may seem a bit overpowering, but it will be tempered by adding the remaining sugar mixture, and some of its minty power will bake off during the long baking time, too.

Gel food coloring is available at any good baking supply store and many craft stores. It's much thicker and much more intense in color than the liquid food coloring sold in supermarkets. You can forgo the jazzy striping altogether and just beat in a touch of festive food coloring with the extracts if you prefer.

Makes about 4-5 dozen, depending on size

4 large egg whites (about 4 ounces), at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup superfine sugar (see note)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Red gel food coloring
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips (I like Ghiradelli)

Position the oven rack to the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat it to 250 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Sift together 2 tablespoons of the superfine sugar, the confectioners' sugar, and the flour into a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitter with the whip attachment, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt. Whip first on medium speed, gradually increasing the speed to high, until the egg whites reach soft peaks. Gradually rain in the remaining superfine sugar. Continue to whip until the meringue is glossy and holds a very stiff peak. Beat in the vanilla and peppermint extracts.

Remove the bowl from the mixer. With a large spatula, gently and carefully fold in the remaining sugar mixture by hand in three additions, taking care not to deflate the egg whites.

On the inside of a piping bag fitted with a large star tip, use a long, thin paint brush to paint four or five long stripes of food coloring up the sides of the bag. Carefully transfer the meringue to the piping bag, aiming for the center of the bag as much as possible to avoid smudging the stripes. Pipe out the meringue into cookies about 1 1/2 inches in diameter onto the prepared baking sheets.

Place both sheets into the oven at once, and immediately turn the oven temperature down to 200 degrees. Bake until the cookies are completely firm and dry, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely.

Melt the chocolate chips on a double boiler or in the microwave on high power in 30 second intervals until smooth, stirring after each interval. Dip the bottoms of the cookies in the melted chocolate and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets. when the chocolate has cooled and set (the refrigerator can speed up this process considerably), remove the cookies from the sheets and store in airtight containers at cool room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Peppermint kisses

Peppermint Kisses


2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup candy cane flour**
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
crushed peppermints, for garnish (about 1/2 cup)
6 ounces (3 squares) white chocolate flavored almond bark or candy coating
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder and candy cane flour together.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably one fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed for a minute or so, until smooth. Beat in the sugar and continue to beat for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and pale. Add the egg and yolk and beat for another minute or two; beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and steadily add the flour mixture, mixing only until it has been incorporated. When mixed, the dough will be soft, creamy, and malleable.
Drop the dough onto the baking sheets by rounded spoonfuls.
Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the sheets at the midpoint. The cookies should feel firm, but they should not color much, if at all. Cool completely.
Heat the almond bark in the microwave in 30-second intervals until melted and creamy. Drizzle over the cooled cookies (I used a ziploc bag with the tip snipped off, but you could also just drizzle with a spoon), then sprinkle with the crushed peppermints.
Makes about 40 cookies.
**Like I noted above, “candy cane flour” is just finely crushed candy canes- you can make it with your food processor or just use a hammer (or rolling pin) and a ziploc bag (which is what I did). Try it in your coffee, stir it into cookie dough, sprinkle over cakes or even dip the rim of your martini glasses in it for a festive cocktail! So fun! 


Adapted from:

Peppermint marshmallows

Makes sixteen 2-inch squares

• Vegetable-oil cooking spray
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 4 packages (1/4 ounce each) unflavored gelatin
• 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons red food coloring

Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray; line bottom with parchment paper. Coat the parchment with cooking spray, and set pan aside. Put sugar, corn syrup, and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring; let mixture come to a boil. Raise heat to medium-high; cook until mixture registers 260 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over 3/4 cup water in a heatproof bowl; let stand 5 minutes to soften. Set the bowl with the gelatin mixture over a pan of simmering water; whisk constantly until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat, and stir in extract; set aside.

Beat egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Whisk gelatin mixture into sugar mixture; with mixer running, gradually add to egg whites. Mix on high speed until very thick, 12 to 15 minutes.

Pour mixture into lined pan. Working quickly, drop dots of red food coloring across surface of marshmallow. Using a toothpick, swirl food coloring into marshmallow to create a marbleized effect. Let marshmallow stand, uncovered, at room temperature until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight. Cut into squares.

honey mustard Chicken

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• About 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• About 1/3 cup honey
• 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat EVOO, a turn and a half of the pan, in a skillet with tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add chicken in single layer and cook to light golden in color. Remove to a plate and reserve.

Add butter to skillet and melt. Add carrots, parsnips and shallots, and season with salt and pepper. Cover pan and soften vegetables, 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover pan and sprinkle in flour, stir 1 minute or so, then stir in stock, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and honey. Let thicken to coat spoon, add reserved chicken to heat through.

Creamy Herbed Polenta

Very tasty with sautéed vegetables! I added lots of Parm and Swiss cheese.

• 6 cups water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter ( i used a little less)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Bring the water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the cheese, milk, butter, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and pepper, and stir until the butter and cheese melt. Transfer thepolenta to a bowl and serve.

Chicken and Broccoli with béchamel sauce

chicken breasts

1 onion

1 celery stalk chopped

2 bay leaves

parsley

salt and pepper

1/2 recipe of béchamel sauce

1 head broccoli- steamed

1 can white beans

parmesan and mozzarella cheese

Place chicken in pot and add enough water to cover. Add chopped onion, celery, bay leaves, parsley, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Cook 30 minutes.

Meanwhile make sauce.

Shred the chicken and place in oven safe pan. Drain out onions from stock to place over chicken. Layer with broccoli, beans and sauce. Bake 350 for 15 minutes then top with cheeses and bake until they are browned.

Bechamel Sauce

Makes 3 cups

5 TBSP butter

4 TBSP Flour

4 cups milk

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

In medium Saucepan heat the butter over medium low heat until melted. Add flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until light golden sandy color, about 5-6 minutes.

Heat milk in a separate saucepan until just about to boil. Add hot milk to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 6-7 minutes, stirring constantly then remove from heat. Season with salt and nutmeg.

If not using right away, cover top of sauce with plastic wrap. Leave the edges a little open to allow steam to escape.

Gingersnap Dip

I loved this! I could eat a whole thing by itself! It is also good with gingersnaps!

• 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1-8 oz carton frozen whipped topping, thawed

Method:

In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Beat in whipped topping until blended. Refrigerate until serving.

Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Cookies

• 1 package (8 oz) lite cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup canned solid pack pumpkin (or homemade puree)
• 1 egg
• Red, Yellow and Green food colors, optional
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, 12 oz package
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour

Method:

Beat together softened butter, white sugar and packed brown sugar. Stir in vanilla, pumpkin, egg and a couple drops each red and yellow food color (enough to make cookie dough orange); stir in chocolate chips. Add 3 cups flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking powder; stir to thoroughly mix. Remove approximately 1/2 to 2/3 cup cookie dough and set aside. Roll remaining cookie dough out between two sheets of lightly floured wax paper or parchment paper into a 12x15x1/4 inch rectangle. Freeze dough while preparing cream cheese filling.

Knead a couple drops green food color into reserved 1/2-cup cookie dough. Roll dough into approximately 36 small marble size balls, refrigerate/freeze until ready to use.

Beat cream cheese until smooth; add powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of flour; beat until smooth and creamy. Remove cookie dough from freezer; peel off top parchment paper; spread prepared cream cheese over 2/3 the width of the rectangle (keep cream cheese on one side of dough and spread out to both ends). Using the parchment paper to carefully lift, roll cookie into a log, starting on the long cream cheese side (jelly roll fashion with cream cheese in center). Wrap log in parchment, return to freezer for 2-3 hours, preferable overnight (or until stiff).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray or line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Remove cookie dough from freezer, remove parchment wrap, cut into 1/4 to 3/8-inch thick slices; place on prepared baking sheet. Place a green marble size piece of dough at the top of each cookie and slightly flatten to form a stem. Bake about 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool cookies on rack. Enjoy with a glass of cold milk.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies

* NOTE: Pumpkin Pie spice may be replaced with mixture of 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.

A Twist on Chicken Noodle soup

We loved how "fallish" this tasted!

• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 4 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 3 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• Kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 bunch thyme
• 3 pounds bone-in chicken legs and thighs, skin and excess fat removed
• Water, as needed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 grates fresh nutmeg
• Freshly ground black pepper

I add one Chicken Bouillon cube

• 2 cups small pasta, preferably small shells such as orecchiette, or orzo (I made the noodles)
• 1 (15-ounce) can white beans or chick peas
• 1 bunch cilantro, leaves coarsely chopped

Directions

Coat a large stock pot with olive oil and add the onions, celery and carrots. Season with salt, to taste, and bring the pot to medium-high heat. Cook the vegetables until they start to soften and are very aromatic, about 10 minutes. Add in the garlic, crushed red pepper and thyme and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add thechicken and fill the pot with enough water to cover the chicken. Add the bay leaves, bring the ingredients to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes and skim off any particles that accumulate on the surface. Squeeze the juice of the 2 lemon halves into the soup and drop in the lemon halves. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg and taste for seasoning. Adjust the flavors with salt and pepper, if needed. Simmer the soup for an additional hour.

While the soup is simmering, bring another pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until "al dente," firm but not crunchy. Drain the pasta and transfer to a medium bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and toss. Reserve.

After the soup has finished, switch the heat off and remove the chicken to a cutting board. Discard the lemon halves, thyme and bay leaves. Let the chicken cool, then remove the bones and discard. Pull the meat into bite-sized pieces and return them to the pot. Taste the soup for seasoning, which should be spicy with a bright lemon flavor and a warm cinnamon chicken feel. It should be very full-flavored and warm your soul. Rinse the beans and add them to the pot. Adjust the seasoning, if needed.

Spoon some of the reserved pasta into the bottom of each serving bowl and ladle the hot soup over the pasta. Garnish with the chopped cilantro and serve. This soup is perfect for a cold day! YAY!