Archive for the ‘comfort food’ Category

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Manna of the Gods.

Tuesday, July 15th, 2008

best. chocolate. chip. cookies. ever.

I prefer my cookies without chips… but these are so good, I’ll eat them WITH chips. 

 
(for scale… the cookies are 4.5″ in diameter.)

I got this recipe from the lovely Katie#s and recommend you all trying it :) 

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled until warm
  • 1 c brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 c granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg plus 1 yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

    DIRECTIONS

  • Adjust oven racks to upper & lower to middle positions & heat oven to 325. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • Whisk dry ingredients together; set aside.
  • With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter & sugars until thoroughly combined. 
  • Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until combined. 
  • Add dry ingredients & beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in chips.
  • Roll scant 1/2 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball.
  • Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft & puffy (about 18 minutes in my oven)

    • Posted in cookies, dessert, comfort food, super easy, baking | 2 Comments »

    Post 50… and no pictures.

    Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

    You know something’s good when it doesnt last long enough to have pictures taken!

    Blueberry and Nectarine Cobbler!

    (the recipe is for Southern Peach Cobbler…. but I used what I had. It was amazing!)

    INGREDIENTS

  • 8 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced into thin wedges
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (skipped, as my nutmeg went MIA before I started cooking.)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    Topping
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 cup boiling water
    mix together and keep off to side:
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    DIRECTIONS

  • In a large bowl, combine fruit, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  • Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.
  • Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them.
  • Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture.
  • Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

    And…. Vanilla Ice Cream to go with it!
    (warning : this recipe makes a GALLON of ice cream, so adjust accordingly.)

    INGREDIENTS

  • 2 (12 fluid ounce) cans evaporated milk
  • 1/2 pint heavy cream
  • 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 4 cups milk

    DIRECTIONS

  • In large bowl, beat together eggs, evaporated milk, cream, condensed milk, sugar and vanilla, with electric mixer.
  • Beat in pudding mix until smooth.
  • Pour into freezer canister of ice cream maker and add enough milk to bring mixture to fill line. (I just measured and added with everything else.)
  • Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

    WARNING: it takes FOREVER to freeze. Make the day before!

    • Posted in ice cream, summer favorite, dessert, comfort food, super easy, baking | 1 Comment »

    Maple Porkchops and Hot Crash Potatoes!

    Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

    This was one of those nights where I couldnt figure out what to make… and I found these easy recipes… They were amazing! I highly recommend trying them! (DH hates carrots and loved these!) 

     

    These lovely chops came from Elizabeth’s Edible Experience… She added apple too… but we had apple last night, so I skipped it. VERY good… :)

    Maple Porkchops and Apples

    Ingredients

  • 4 Pork Loin Chops, 1/2 inch thick
  • 2 Tbsp. Butter
  • 12 Baby Carrots with tops, halved lenghtwise (I used baby carrots…)
  • 1 Medium apple, sliced and seeds removed
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup

    DIRECTIONS

  • Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper. In skillet melt butter over medium heat; add chops.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low. Add carrots, apple, and maple syrup.
  • Cover; simmer for 8 minutes or until desired doneness.
  • Using slotted spoon, transfer chops, carrots and apples to platter; bring syrup mixture to a boil. Boil gently, uncovered, 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Pour over chops and serve

     

    Hot Crash Potatoes
    These are a WC cult food right now… I got the recipe from Venice who got it from Pioneer Woman. 

    INGREDIENTS

  • 2 lbs of baby red potatoes (or how much you need), scrubbed clean
  • a few sprigs of freshly chopped flat leaf parsley & basil (didnt have either, so I just did salt, pepper and garlic powder.)
  • salt & pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil for drizzling and basting

    DIRECTIONS

  • Preheat the oven to 450. 
  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and add potatoes.
  • When the potatoes are tender, drain.
  • Drizzle olive oil on a cookie sheet and place the potatoes on it and give plenty of room to spread out.
  • Use a potato masher and gently press down on the potato until it slightly mashes.
    Then rotate the masher 90 degrees and finish flattening it. Of course, you don’t want to absolutely smash it into the pan—you want it almost to resemble a cookie.
  • Repeat until all are flattened. Next, brush the tops rather generously with olive oil.
  • Next, sprinkle the potatoes with sea salt or Kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper. Add some chopped fresh herbs.
  • Now throw them onto the top rack of a very hot (450-degree) oven, and cook them for 20-25 minutes. (Mine cooked while the pork cooked…) Or until they’re golden and crispy and sizzling.

    Enjoy!

    • Posted in summer favorite, comfort food, pork, super easy, baking | 1 Comment »

    Ally’s Enchiladas and Fiesta Rice

    Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

    At the time I did these…. (last month. oops.) the WC board had gone enchilada crazy. EVERYONE was making them…. and man did I soon learn why. These are AMAZING. I highly recommend making them if you get a chance… just dont overspice them like I did. (oops- I put in tablespoons of cayenne instead of chili powder.)

    Shredded Beef Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce
    (based on Cook’s Illustrated, but I got it from Ally at Culinary Infatuation.)

    INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb. chuck stew meat
  • salt, pepper, garlic powder for seasoning
  • 2 Tbs. oil
  • 1 15oz and 1 8oz can tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup beef stock/broth/water
  • 1 poblano pepper finely diced
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Tbs. cumin
  • 3 Tbs. chili powder
  • 2 Tsp. ground coriander
  • dash of cayenne
  • salt and pepper
  • corn tortillas (I used flour… DH hates corn. sad.)
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded mexican blend cheese (or a cheese you prefer)
  • Sour cream for serving

    DIRECTIONS

  • Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.
  • Season beef with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
  • Dredge in flour shake off the excess and brown on all sides in the dutch oven.
  • Remove with tongs and reserve on a plate.
  • Add onions and poblanos to the pot (add more oil if needed).
  • Saute until onions are beginning to brown (about 5 minutes).
  • Add tomato sauce, beef stock, cumin, chili powder, ground coriander, sugar, cayenne and salt and pepper.
  • Add beef back to pot and let simmer for an hour and a half or until beef is tender.
  • When beef is ready, remove and shred using two forks add chopped cilantro and mix together.
  • Take some of the sauce and spread it around a 9 X 13 baking dish.
  • Spray tortillas with pam and place in a preheated 400 degree oven until warmed through.
  • Roll beef in tortillas and lay in baking sheet.
  • Top with the remaining sauce and then top with shredded cheese.
  • Bake covered for 10 minutes.
  • Bake another 10 uncovered to get the cheese nice and bubbly.

    The rice is from Tiny Kitchen Cooking- and watch out- it yields 8 cups of prepared rice… I halved it and there was STILL a ton. AND I also recommend cooking your rice BEFORE you start it in this recipe- it took me like 3+ hours to cook it… it just did NOT want to get soft!!! (I gave up and threw it in my rice steamer and let it sit until done.)

    Fiesta Rice
    Source: Cooking Light
    INGREDIENTS

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup chopped green onions
  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Dash of salt
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans (I halved everything but this. I put in the whole can and it was perfect!), rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

    DIRECTIONS

  • Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
  • Add corn to pan; cook 10 minutes or until corn starts to brown, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove from pan. Set aside.
  • Melt butter in pan. Add onions; sauté 5 minutes or until tender.
  • Stir in rice, cumin, and garlic; cook 1 minute.
  • Add chicken broth, black pepper, salt, and diced tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil.
  • Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove from heat; stir in reserved corn and beans.
  • Cover and let stand 10 minutes.
  • Stir in cilantro and juice.

    • Posted in mexican, steak, comfort food | No Comments »

    Pasties… no, not the type you wear.

    Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

    This is another partial success… They were just okay. DH decided he hated the “pie crust” because it was flaky and dry (umm… its supposed to be.) I’ll prolly try these again, but I really do need to find a different crust. I want something nice and dense, that will actually KEEP the moisture in.  

    Another AllRecipes.com find :) 

    INGREDIENTS
    PASTRY:I recommend doubling this! The pastry was VERY thin and not enough to accommodate the filling.

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/4 cup cold water

    FILLING:

  • 3/4 pound boneless beef sirloin, cubed<
  • 1 medium onion, sliced<
  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup water, or as needed

    DIRECTIONS

  • In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
  • Cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.
  • Stir in cold water with a fork until the mixture is able to come together in a ball.
  • Knead a couple of times then divide pastry into two pieces.
  • Pastry may be refrigerated for later use at this time.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll out each half of the pastry into a 10-inch circle.
  • Place half of the potato slices in a line down the center of each circle, leaving at least 1 inch at each end uncovered.
  • Arrange onion slices over the potatoes, and season with salt, pepper and some of the dried parsley.
  • Place half of the beef cubes over each onion layer, then season again with salt, pepper and dried parsley.
  • Fold the edges over the pastry over the filling, and tuck in the ends.
  • Transfer the two pastries to a greased baking sheet, and cut a few slits in the top of each one for ventilation.
  • Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven.
  • Remove from the oven, and reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Spoon 1 teaspoon of water into each slit on the tops of the pasties.
  • Return to the oven, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Serve whole, or cut into halves.

    • Posted in steak, comfort food, baking | No Comments »

    Chicken and Dumplings… the good, wet and dry?

    Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

    I LOVE chicken and dumplings. It’s a terrible weakness. DH gets mad when I go through my phases where all I want to eat is Cracker Barrel. I found this recipe online- and its great. The problem? I can NOT get the final product to be “right.” The first time, it was perfect but dry. The second time, I added more broth, and it was like a chicken noodle soup- WAY too watery. Here’s the picture from the first time, and the original recipe. If you’re going to attempt this, make sure to have some extra broth on hand so you can play with it :)

     

    Original recipe from AllRecipes.com

    INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup cubed cooked chicken

    DIRECTIONS

  • In a bowl, combine flour, salt and poultry seasoning; cut in shortening until crumbly.
  • Combine egg and milk; stir into flour mixture just until combined.
  • On a heavily floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-in. thickness.
  • Cut into 1-in. strips; cut strips into 2-in. lengths.
  • In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil.
  • Add chicken.
  • Reduce heat; drop dumplings onto simmering broth.
  • Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a dumpling comes out clean (do not lift the cover while simmering). 

    • Posted in comfort food, chicken, super easy | No Comments »

    okay.. here it is!

    Wednesday, June 18th, 2008

    in all of its pathetic glory….my lasagna.

    (this is the second one I’ve made EVER and it was not as layered as I would have liked. My Pyrex dish was just too shallow. there was also a layer of meat sauce UNDER it…) 

     

    Posted in comfort food, pork, super easy, ground beef, casseroles | 2 Comments »

    world’s best lasagna…

    Monday, June 16th, 2008

    I got this recipe from AllRecipes.com…. and slightly modified is simply amazing. I’m really picky about my sauce, and this blew me away :)

    I stole a stock picture…. DH’s is still to warm to take a good picture. (and I dont want to cut a piece out and waste it… I wont eat it.) 

      


    INGREDIENTS

    • 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
    • 3/4 pound lean ground beef (I did a pound, its what I had.)
    • 1/2 cup minced onion
    • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
    • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes (I couldnt find them, so I used finely diced and it was nice- left a bit of tomato in there.)
    • 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
    • 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 2 tablespoons white sugar
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
    • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • 1 tablespoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I used dried)
    • 1 tablespoon oregano (tori addition)
    • 12 lasagna noodles
    • 16 ounces ricotta cheese
    • 1 egg
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced (I used shredded)
    • 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 


    DIRECTIONS

    1. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, oregano, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. (Ours sat about an hour. Make sure to stir every few minutes to prevent burning!)
    2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. (I added 1/2 of my parmesan cheese in here too….)
    3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
    4. To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.
    5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. (We were impatient- we only baked it for 30 minutes total.. oops :))

     

    Posted in pork, comfort food, super easy, ground beef, casseroles, baking | 2 Comments »

    Roasted pork tenderloin

    Friday, June 13th, 2008

    Found this super easy recipe on AllRecipes.com - we LOVED it! (and best of all, almost no clean up!) 

    INGREDIENTS
    2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
    1/4 cup cinnamon applesauce
    1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
    2 pounds boneless pork loin roast (we did two tenderloins- would be enough for 4.)

    DIRECTIONS
    Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
    Lightly flour an oven bag.
    In a small bowl, blend brown sugar, applesauce, and ginger.
    Place pork roast in the prepared oven bag.
    Pour the brown sugar mixture over the roast.
    Seal bag, and cut several small slits in the top.
    Cook the roast 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the internal temperature has reached 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

    Posted in comfort food, pork, super easy, baking | 2 Comments »

    Meatloaf Muffins!

    Wednesday, June 11th, 2008

    DH loves meatloaf… I’m not normally a fan. I LOVED this one! It will be made again! I did them in a muffin tin so we could do reasonable portions :)

      INGREDIENTS

    • 1 egg
    • 2 pounds lean ground beef
    • 1 cup ketchup, divided
    • 1 cup bread crumbs
    • 2 tablespoons McCormick® Parsley Flakes
    • 2 tablespoons McCormick® Minced Onion
    • 1 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Mustard
    • 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Season-All® Seasoned Salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Basil Leaves
    • 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Oregano Leaves

     

     DIRECTIONS

    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine first 8 ingredients, reserving 1/4 cup ketchup. Mix thoroughly; shape into 8 loaves. Place in 13×9-inch baking pan.
    2. Combine reserved 1/4 cup ketchup, basil and oregano; spoon over loaves. Bake 35 minutes or until done (165 degrees F. on meat thermometer).

    Mashed potatoes are just Yukon Gold potatoes and chicken broth…. no dairy for me!!

    Posted in comfort food, super easy, ground beef, baking | 2 Comments »

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