Fallen Souffle

I have been on the hunt for the perfect lunch. Something that I can make at the beginning of the week and enjoy for a couple of days, especially those days that I have to work at the bakery. I need something nourishing and filling and healthy so my morning workouts aren’t thrown out the window. I have not been in the mood for sandwiches and pasta at lunch just makes me feel gross. I have been experimenting with soups like Chicken Noodle and Butternut Squash because I think soups are stews are perfect on rainy or cold days (two things we have not had much of here in NC but that’s besides the point.) I don’t know what reminded me of this recipe but I am so glad I made this. It is so easy to put together using canned ingredients but it tastes so wonderful! I baked the chicken the night before with some Bam seasoning, which helped with the depth of flavor and the ease of throwing it together. I let my soup simmer about 30 minutes while I made the muffins, and I actually added about 1/4 cup of fat free half and half just for added creaminess but it’s really not necessary because the great northern beans add a great texture.

White Chicken Chili
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
2 (15 ounce) cans white beans (I used Great Northern)
shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Remove the mixture from heat. Top with desired amount of cheese until melted. Serve warm.

Easy Corn Bread Muffins

1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 large egg

1. Preheat oven to 425. Spray 12 cup muffin pan with Pam.

2. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add wet ingredients and mix until just moistened, batter will be slightly lumpy.

3. Spoon batter into prepared pan, about 2/3rd of the way full. Bake about 20 minutes until golden brown and toothpick inserted comes clean. Remove from pan immediately to cool on rack. This recipe made about 10 muffins for me.

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While Jen is out working at the bakery, I am in charge of pork chop night. My usual specialty is Maple Glazed Pork Chops but tonight I decided to try something different. It is a combination of Jen’s Garlic Chicken and one of my Austrian favorites,Wiener Schnitzel! It’s pretty easy, unless you are a typical guy and think ‘more heat!’. For some reason I can never remember that more heat when pan frying isn’t always best, as you can tell by the picture with the dark chop on bottom (don’t worry I ate and let Jen have the good one).

2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs (Italian Style)
handful of fresh Parmesan
4 pork chops
Salt and black pepper
olive oil
Lemon wedges

Whisk the eggs in a plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third plate.

I used a fairly thick chop, so I had to butterfly them and pound them out b/t some wax paper, but if you have a chop about 1/2 inch thick that should work nicely.

Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, pat them a little to get the parm to stick. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat — MEDIUM! does not mean 3/4 toward high, in fact I will now think of medium as almost on low. This way I can compensate for the ‘manly more heat’ factor that I can’t get out of my head and it will be about medium. Add pork chops, I only had room for 1 at a time, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to plates and serve with a squeeze of lemon wedge and salt on top.

MMM brings me back to Vienna, all I need is a cold Wieselburger beer! I will not return to my regular blog and leave this one for the real cook, Ciao!

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This is what happens when you bring your husband to the grocery store…you bring home unnecessary baking goods. Ok, ok I have to admit, I tend to buy more chocolate chips, coconut, extracts and cocoa than one cook really needs, but Evan was like a little kid on our Sunday shopping trip, “oohh chocolate chips swirled!” His eyes light up like he has just seen Santa Claus himself…how could I resist such a cute face! I am going to be such a push over when we have kids. So I threw them in the cart, knowing good and well that I too wanted to try them myself. So I rationalize it, Evan made dinner so I would make cookies- it’s a fair deal.

We got the Nestle Semi-Sweet morsels swirled with white chocolate, the other option was semi-sweet with caramel…trust me it was a tough decision. I baked my famous but very secret chocolate chip cookies with the chips. Mmmm…delish. Nothing too spectacular but a nice change of pace nonetheless. I would buy them again when they were on sale again. I would like to try the caramel swirl chips in a chocolate/mocha based cookie…now I bet that would be divine!

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Oh how I love Adam Sandler and the Thanksgiving Song, there need to be more Thanksgiving songs because it is just too darn early to be listening to Christmas songs!

But I digress…

So our supply of turkey is slowly but surely dwindling down and I am in desperate need of finishing it so I can clean out the fridge! We are somehow out of bread…I am utterly shocked but refuse to buy bread since I will be working the bakery tomorrow. So it’s time to get creative. I was surfing Martha’s website last night when I saw this yummy and surprisingly uncomplicated recipe for Turkey Quesadillas. Perfect! I altered her ingredients a bit, her recipe called for brie (who the heck keeps brie in the house!) which I substituted with swiss cheese and cranberry relish which I somehow forget to bring home from VA, so I used my favorite Harry and David Pepper and Onion Relish. This was perfect for a quick lunch and I will definitely make again with turkey or any other leftover meats or veggies!

Love to Eat Turkey Quesadillas
Serves 1

1. Start with 1 large flour tortilla, soften in microwave if necessary to make pliable. Spread half the tortilla with Dijon mustard.

2. Lay shredded turkey along the top of the mustard. Spread the relish overtop, and finish with the cheese of your choice.

3. Carefully fold over and pop in the toaster oven to toast until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream if desired.

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How could I forget the desserts! The best part about Thanksgiving, the reason you wake up from that long turkey induced nap…desserts!

I brought cookies, Coconut Cookies and Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies. I was informed today that the Cranberry Oatmeal cookies are long gone…I think those were the winner this year. Mom had already finished her desserts by the time we got to VA on Wednesday. She had made our family famous Five Flavor Pound cake the previous weekend and she had just pulled the Pumpkin Cheesecake out of the oven when we arrived. We have made pumpkin cheesecake in the past…but this year Mom lightened it up. It is so good, you don’t even miss all of the bad stuff and I don’t feel guilty about eating a huge hunk of it! Mom said to make sure everything is all room temperature and use a hand or stand mixture to ensure an even and smooth consistency.

Guiltless Pumpkin Cheesecake
Crust:
1-1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
2 tbs. melted butter

Filling:
2/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 (8 oz.) packages light cream cheese, softened
1-3/4 cups canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 cups nonfat evaporated milk
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 ground cloves
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Make crust: combine graham cracker crumbs, pecans and butter in a bowl and mix well. Firmly press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Place crust in freezer while preparing filling.

3. To make filling: In a medium bowl, beat yogurt and cream cheese until creamy. In a separate bowl, combine remaining filling ingredients and beat until creamy. Stir into cream cheese mixture and beat until well mixed and creamy.

4. Pour filling into crust and bake for 2 hours or until middle slightly jiggles when tapped. Cool in refrigerator at least 4 hours (overnight is better) before serving. Garnish with whipped topping or cinnamon if desired. Makes 16 servings

Per serving: 192 calories, 8 gm. fat, 1 gram fiber (4 points) ENJOY!

From December 2005 Issue of Healthy Cooking:

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I did not grow up in a “stuffing” family. No one in my family is a big fan of any kind of stuffing, or bread pudding or anything with soggy bread. However, my husband actually likes this stuff…go figure! So since this was our first Thanksgiving together as man and wife I thought I would make something that he enjoyed in addition to the turkey leg and rolls. I saw the recipe on FoodTV last weekend for Giada’s Ciabatta Stuffing with Chestnuts and Pancetta and had all intentions of making it step by step with the exact ingredients. However something about working ten hours shifts at the bakery kept me from getting to the grocery store and I was not about to make Evan go on a wild goose chase for chestnuts. So I told him to just get some bacon and I would bring some bread home from the bakery to use.

I think it actually turned out quite well. I brought a loaf of farmhouse white bread and our rosemary garlic wheat bread, I only used half of each loaf. Though only Evan and I ate it, my Mom tried it and said it was quite good. Not mushy due to the large chunks of bread and the small amount of chicken broth I used. I will probably half the recipe in the future so we aren’t stuck with an entire casserole of leftover stuffing.

Rosemary Garlic Stuffing
Adapted from this
recipe

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
8 ounces bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried rosemary leaves
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound day-old bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, beaten to blend

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter a 15 by 10 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and saute until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a large bowl. Drain fat from skillet and melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, and garlic. Saute until the onions are very tender, about 12 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to the large bowl with the bacon. Add the bread and Parmesan and toss to coat. Add enough broth to the stuffing mixture to moisten. Season the stuffing, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mix in the eggs.

Transfer the stuffing to the prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and bake until the stuffing is heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the top is crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.

PS- I neglected to take a picture of the final product, so here is a pic of our Thanksgiving table. Please note my 20 year old sister’s chocolate milk on the table…so mature she is.

PSS- My Mom was so excited her dining room and kitchen would be “famous” since I am posting these pics online. I don’t know how “famous” this blog is yet, but rest assure her beautiful kitchen and dining room have been well documented! Thanks Mom!

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Today is a food lovers dream. My Mom had most of Thanksgiving done by the time I got here yesterday. I worked ten hours at the bakery on Tuesday, getting off at 10pm them turned right around and went in at 5am to knead bread. I was so tired yet so thankful that I had the chance to do something that I love to do, even though I was dog tired and didn’t get to see my husband at all.

I got to sleep on the drive to VA which was really nice. We had baked pasta and asiago pesto bread from the bakery, I think I brought about 15 pounds of bread from the bakery!

This morning after sleeping in till about 10 this morning thanks to my loving Evan we had cinamon swirl french toast and coffee. After loafing a bit, Mom and I started on the rest of dinner while Evan and my Dad started on the fried turkey. Fried turkey is THE way to cook turkey, I will have detailed instructions and pictures later this weekend.

Our menu consisted of:
Fried Turkey with Blackened Seasoning
Sweet Potato Casserole
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Broccoli
Cranberry sauce, fresh and from the can for my sister
Peas and Shallots
Rosemary Garlic Stuffing
Wheat and White Rolls

I will have pictures up this weekend.

I am so thankful for the past year and I look forward to the year to come. I have a wonderful husband who I am madly in love with, parents who are so supportive and understanding and unconditionally loving, a sister who is my best friend and my constant source of laughter, and two dogs that are always there to brighten my day. And I am honestly very thankful for the events that have happened in the past because I believe they have not only made my stronger but have forced me to be a happier person.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all, I hope you all had a wonderful day!

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I know…ANOTHER cookie recipe. But I can’t help it, I am addicted to cookies right now. And I am trying to find some of the best cookies to bring to Virginia for Thanksgiving. Oh and I am participating in the Sugar High Friday/Is My Blog Burning Cookie Sweep. So see, I have a reason for the cookie madness!

I made some wonderful coconut cookies earlier that were really fabulous but I was still wondering what else I could come up with. I flipped through my binder of recipes I have had for about 5 years now and found a cookie recipe I have had since 2003 and have never tried. After reading through the ingredients my mouth watered and my mind began racing with new ideas for this cookie. I knew then these cookies were it…and I was SO right!

After a bit of tweaking I have a cookie that is the perfect autumn cookies; cranberries, oatmeal, honey and walnuts…what could be better. Nothing…except some hot cider or cocoa to wash it down. I can’t wait for you to try them!

Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookies
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1/3 cup honey
2 cups rolled oats
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With a mixer, beat sugar, shortening, eggs and honey until smooth.

2. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until just combined, dough will be thick. With a wooden spoon and some elbow grease, mix in oats, walnuts and cranberries.

3. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a cookie sheet, I lined mine with a Silpat. Press down cookies ever so slightly with your fingers. Bake for about 10-12 minutes until browned on top. Transfer to a cooling rack. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

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When I was growing up my family would have appetizer night, it was usually on a Friday, we would either sit on the floor and eat off the coffee table or eat at the nice dining room table that we saved for only “special occasions.” My Dad would make Shirley Temples for my sister and me, and we would all just sit around and eat junk while watching TV or chatting. I loved appetizer night as a kid, and I love that Evan and I do it now.

We try to limit appetizer night to every other month or so because the menu usually consists of mozzarella sticks, bagel bites, pizza rolls, chicken tenders and toasted ravioli. I can’t remember what got my husband started on toasted ravioli but it has become one of his favorite treats.

They are pretty easy to make, as I cheat and use frozen ravioli. Once the ravioli are boiled for about 3 minutes, drain them on a paper towel. I usually only make half a bag for the two of us. Beat up an egg in one bowl, and in another sprinkle in Italian bread crumbs. In a dutch oven, heat about 1/2 inch of oil over medium high heat. Coat the ravioli in the egg and then dredge in the bread crumbs. It is a lot easier if you do them all at once because these guys take no time to fry. Once the oil is heated drop the ravioli in batches, making sure they have enough room to move around. Flip once and allow to fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Dunk in marinara sauce and you have an easy appetizer or dinner!

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I have been staring at the butternut squash sitting on my counter for about a week now and figured I needed to cook it before leaving for Thanksgiving in VA. I love cleaning out the fridge and eating all of the random things I have bought so when I come home it’s a clean slate and there is plenty of room in the fridge for leftovers. I am also trying to avoid all grocery stores at all costs this week…it is bad enough that the bakery is going to be a madhouse this week.

I decided to concoct a soup from the squash. I kinda just threw together things that sounded good and hoped for the best. What I like about soup making is that you can continually adjust the flavors throughout the cooking process to suit your own taste. I made this soup more savory but you could definately add more sweetness. I like eating healthy things like this before big holidays so I don’t feel so bad about the extensive foodfest we all engage in.

Jen’s Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
(veggies and spices can be adjusted)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet or sheet pan with tin foil. Toss together the following ingrediants:
1 medium butternut squash peeled and cubed
1 medium sweet potato peeled and cubed
1 medium onion cut in large chunks
2 Granny Smith apples cut in large chunks (remove the skin if you want)

Drizzle olive oil over the veggies and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast for about 30-45 minutes until veggies are soft.

In a large dutch oven add 2 14.5 ounce cans of chicken broth , add in roasted veggies. I added in about 1/4 teaspoon each of ginger, cloves, cinnamon and about 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder. Add in whatever other spices float your boat.

Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for about an hour. You could also throw everything into your crockpot to cook. Bring pot off burner and blend with an immersion blender or blend in batches in your blender. Return to pot and over low heat add about 1/4 cup of half and half (I used fat free) and season to taste.

I topped my soup with some parmesan cheese, I will probably make some parmesan croutons to top the soup for lunch tommorrow.

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