Potato, Cheese, and Ale Soup

I forgot to get a picture of this one!

This is a great easy filling soup that can easily be made with ingredients you already have on hand. Easy to make and delicious.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large Idaho potatoes, diced
1 cup chicken broth or stock
1 12. oz Ale-style beer (or hard cider)
3/4 cup shredded jack and cheddar cheese (or whatever you like/have), plus 1/2 cup for garnish
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (omit is using hard cider)
**Optional: 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Servings: 2-3 servings

Instructions:
Set a large pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil once it’s hot. Saute the onions for 5-7 minutes, or until soft, then add the garlic and saute for another couple of minutes.

Add diced potatoes and brown a bit and get them a bit soft. Stir to prevent sticking, and add the beer and broth after about 8-10 minutes. Let simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or so, or until the potatoes are tender.

Use an immersion blender and puree 1/2-3/4 (personal choice) of the soup until smooth. Add in the salt, pepper, paprika (if using), and apple cider vinegar (if using) and blend. Then add in the cheese and blend. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve!

Nutritional Information:

Recipe From: http://crepesofwrath.net/2009/06/10/potato-cheese-and-ale-soup/

I saw this recipe on Crepes of Wrath and thought it looked delicious, how can you go wrong with potatoes, cheese and beer? Turns out it was as awesome as I thought it would be and worked really well with a hard cider Mel had sent me. Easy to make and whips up in no time with no unusual ingredients. Filling and tasty.

Blackberry Pie Bars

If you don't like overly sweet desserts but still like buttery rich flavor this recipe will hit the spot. It also uses frozen blackberries instead of fresh so it can be made year round.

Ingredients:
Crust and Topping
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled

Fruit Filling
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup flour
pinch salt
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp almond extract
2 (16-oz) packages frozen blackberries, thawed and drained

Servings: One 9x13 pan or two 8x8 pans

Instructions:
To make the crust and topping, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the inside of a 9x13 inch baking pan or two 8x8 pans with parchment paper or foil and grease (this will help with removal after).

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a mixer. Stir to mix for a minute or two. Cut the butter into 12 or so pats, and add to the flour mixture. Process until the butter is evenly distributed but the mixture is still crumbly (if it all comes together, don't panic, just a bit harder to make the crumb topping).

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the mixture to use as the topping. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan (or pans), and bake 12-15 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes.

To make the filling, whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then add the sugar, sour cream, flour, salt, lemon zest, and almond extract. Gently fold in the berries and spoon the mixture over the crust. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining flour mixture evenly over the filling, and bake 10-15 minutes (waiting to sprinkle it on top prevents the sprinkled bits from sinking in and makes for a prettier presentation).

Cool at least 1 hour before removing foil from pan and cutting into bars, or scoop out of the pan to serve cobbler-style.

**Note: telling when this thing is done is a bit of a challenge because the inside is always going to be a bit gooey. If you jiggle the pan and the whole thing is still mobile, keep baking. If it all seems pretty set and a tooth pick comes out mostly sort of clean your pretty much done. After making 4 of these I found there is a lot of wiggle room so don't panic. Bake the heck out of it and it firms up more, under bake it a bit and it is less bar like more cobbler like.

Nutritional Information:

Recipe From: http://www.pink-parsley.com/2011/05/ppq-blackberry-pie-bars.html

I thought this recipe comes out too buttery and didn't have enough blackberries. Come to find out later, my frozen blackberries come in 12 oz bags, not 16. So that might explain my lack of berries. But the butteryness is still a bit much for me, but everyone else raved about them. Over the moon raved about them, one person said that it may be the best dessert she has ever had.

I think in the future I might try a sugar cookie crust on the bottom instead of the uber buttery bottom that I think makes this dessert a bit much. But then again, these guys have grown on me as I ate some, froze some etc. Either way, raved over by most, liked by all. A nice quick summer treat and no loss for using frozen berries for once either!

Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese

Besides my apple pie recipe, this may be the most requested recipe I have. Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese is exactly like it sounds - Awesomesauce. Unfortunately, I also lack a picture. Will post one next time I make it. Or send it to me when you make it tomorrow...

Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
~2 1/2 cups milk, start small, add as you go for consistency
~1 teaspoon salt
~1/4 teaspoon pepper
~1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
3/4 pound smoked gouda, diced
1/4 pound cheddar, preferably smoked
~3/4 pound elbow macaroni

In a small saucepan melt the butter and start to brown it. Add the flour and stir. Cook the flour for a minute or two. Slowly add milk and stir quickly to prevent lumps from forming. There will be some much lumpy cheese later that any lumps you don't get out will be hidden. Keep the burner on low from here on out. Slowly add the cheese, small portions at a time and give it time to melt. You are trying to incorporate a lot of firm cheese so low and slow is the only way to go. If the sauce is too thick add a little more milk. Now is the point where I add salt and garlic. Lots and lots of salt. The salt is needed to bring out the cheese flavor. I also add a little bit of smoked cheddar cheese to this to highlight the smokey cheesey flavor. Not all the chunks have to totally melt. Worst case you have some yummy chunks of cheese, but if you choose to bake this, most will melt in the oven. Pour this over the cooked macaroni. I found a pound of macaroni to be too much pasta to sauce, but that was based on the size of the smoked gouda blocks I could get. If you choose to bake it, mix well, put in an over safe casserole dish and top with homemade breadcrumbs. I make my own croutons and then just grind them in a food processor to make bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-30 minutes (depending on how cold/warm your pasta was it may take that long to reheat up).

Please serve this with a side salad or at least add some tomatoes and green onions to have some veggies in your diet. After all, I like you and don't want to know that you ODed on mac and cheese or had a heart attack from high cholesterol.

Mozzarella Sticks

I have been seriously disappointed by the quality and price! of frozen mozzarella sticks in the grocery store lately. So I decided to make my own and they were a huge success. If you are going for some deep frying (like a deep frying dinner party) these are a great addition. They can also be frozen for when you are ready to take them out in smaller batches for when you just want to indulge a little.



Mozzarella Sticks

2 eggs
1 1/2 cups seasoned bread crumbs (I make my own, stored bought sucks in comparison)
2/3 cup flour
16 oz package of firm mozzarella (the kind you find as blocks in the deli section)
oil for frying

Beat eggs and water in bowl. Have a bowl of flour and a bowl of bread crumbs. Cut mozzarella into 2" long by 1/2" by 1/2" strips. Dredge in flour, then egg wash. You may want to coat in flour and egg again to fully prevent leakage. Then coat in bread crumbs and really squish them on. Make sure they are fully coated otherwise they will leak in the fryer. Heat the oil to 365-375 degrees F. Fry until golden, about 30 seconds. Drain and serve hot with marinara sauce.

Jambalaya - My first attempt, and it was good!

My first attempt at Jambalaya, using up a bunch of stuff I had in the freezer. Lots of roasted peppers and some black pepper andouille sausage.



Jambalaya

2 teaspoons olive oil
1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz andouille sausage
28 oz diced tomatoes
1 onion, diced
Mix of roasted red, green, and hot peppers, diced
2 tablespoons garlic, sliced
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons parsley
2 teaspoons cajun seasoning (I used Old Bay)
1 pound raw, peeled shrimp
2 cups uncooked basmati rice

To add more flavor, I actually grilled the chicken and sausage. In a slow cooker add the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, peppers, broth, herbs and spices and cook on low for 7-8 hours (or high for 3-4 hours). Stir in the shrimp the last 30 minutes of cooking. If there looks like there is too much water, turn the slow cooker on high and leave the cover off when cooking the shrimp. Cook the rice, I prefer basmati, 45 minutes before the Jambalaya is done.

PS Have I mentioned how much I love my Zojirushi rice cooker? Well I do! Perfect rice every time.

Naan Bread - closest I have gotten without a tandoori oven!

This is the closest I have come to making Indian restaurant Naan Bread without a tandoori oven. You don't even need a baking stone, but do use an old pan you don't mind getting butter scorched on. Consider it seasoning the pan... I will have to add a picture later.

Naan Bread

1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup water (add gradually, your amounts may vary)
2 tablespoons butter

Warm 3/4 cup of water and add the yeast, remember bathtub warm! Mix until the yeast is dissolved. If you need to check the activity of your yeast, add some flour and see if bubbles form quickly. If not, your yeast may be getting old (I buy it in bulk). Add all the wet ingredients to a bread machine then the dry ingredients and set on the dough cycle. You can also do this by hand if you like the upper body workout. Cut the dough into 4-6 pieces. Roll out each piece to 1/4" thick. Brush top side with butter (or ghee, but I have just used really tasty butter). Let it rise on wax paper for 45 minutes. When done rising, heat oven to 500 degrees F and place a baking pan in the oven to get scorching hot. When the pan is 500 degrees F, take one of the rolled pieces of dough and lay it butter-side down on the hot pan. Quickly brush the unbuttered top-side with some melted butter and close the oven door. Bake on one side for 1-2 minutes an flip, baking for another minute. Watch these carefully, they burn quick. There should be brown spots where bubbles formed in the bread.

Like I said, closest I have gotten to the crisp, big bubbles of restaurant naan bread. If anyone knows how to get bigger bubbles in their bread, let me know!

Peach Breakfast Scones

Modified Simple Scones from Allrecipes.com, as if scones weren't really simple to make. These are nice and crispy on the outside and soft and tender inside. I added a bunch of frozen peaches and some pomegranate liquor I needed to use up, but substitutions are what scones are all about.

Simple Scones



2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar (I used 3 tablespoons since the pomegranate liquor was sweetened)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter, cubed
2 cups frozen peaches, chopped
6 oz. yogurt (or sour cream)
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and in food processor pulse until it resembles coarse meal. (I also use two butter knives to cut the butter in. Just don't smear it in, it helps make these flaky.) Add the yogurt, egg, and peaches and mix until incorporated. Either form a circle and cut into triangles or just drop dollops onto a parchment lined baking sheet or nonstick baking pan. Bake 15-17 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on the counter to room temperature.

Substitute any fruit, any spices, any citrus. My favorite combination is dried cranberries with orange zest and if you are feeling naughty, add some white chocolate chips. The more fruit you cram them with, the healthier they are for you, right?

Salted Peanut Chews

Fluff-a-nutter sandwiches in much improved dessert bar form! Salty and sweet, chewy but not too gooey, it will satisfy all of your cravings in one little square.

Ingredients:
For the Base:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
3 cups miniature marshmallows

For the Topping:
2/3 cup light corn syrup
¼ cup unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 bag (10 ounces) peanut butter chips (1-2/3 cups)
2 cups crisp rice cereal
2 cups salted peanuts

Servings: 1 13x9 Pan (or in my case 2 8x8 Pans)

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat all the base ingredients except the marshmallows with an electric mixer on low speed until crumbly. Press the mixture firmly in the bottom of an ungreased 9×13-inch pan.

2. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately sprinkle marshmallows over the base. Base 1 to 2 minutes longer or until marshmallows just begin to puff. Cool while preparing topping.

3. In a 3-quart saucepan, mix all topping ingredients except cereal and peanuts. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, just until the chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in the cereal and peanuts. Immediately spoon the warm topping over marshmallows; spread to cover. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes. Cut into 36 bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Nutritional Information:

Recipe From: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/03/24/salted-peanut-chews/

I saw these and thought they would go great in a care package! When I whipped them up and tested one out I found that they tasted exactly like an improved fluff and peanut butter sandwich, or Fluff-a-nutter as I used to call it as a kid. These are a great little treat, both salty and sweet at the same time.

Makhani (Butter) Chicken or Veggies

Here is the recipe I used for Indian Butter Sauce (red one you put on the veggies) called Makhani. I actually prefer to eat this over veggies, especially cauliflower, but over tandoori chicken, tomatoes, and onions is the most common.

Makhani (Butter) Chicken or Veggies
I believe my recipe is modified from here Allrecipes.com Chicken Makhani Indian Butter Chicken

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped green chile pepper (I use roasted peppers, 3 jalapenos or 1-2 serranos. These give it the desired heat level you want)
12 oz tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
salt to taste
1/2 cup water (use more if you want a thinner sauce)
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried fenugreek (Not necessary if you can't find it, but I have some so and I like the flavor)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup yogurt

Instructions:
I actually use 1.5x the spices and garlic/ginger to give it a stronger kick. Stick with the regular amounts if you want it mild (or add more cream and yogurt to mellow it out more). The recipe has you make tandoori chicken and add it to the sauce, simmering for a few minutes and then serving over rice. But, I have found many veggies work well in this sauce, cauliflower is the most common though.

Combine the butter and spices and heat until fragrant, then start adding the rest of the ingredients. Make sure the chili peppers are chopped very fine to evenly distribute the heat. I grate the garlic and ginger to make a smoother paste, again to evenly distribute the flavors. The coriander and fenugreek aren't necessary, but I really like the flavor they add and I have them on hand. Just cook for a few minutes to make sure all the garlic, ginger, and peppers cook and give off their flavor to the sauce. Then add whatever veggies or meat you want.
Enjoy!

BBQ Bison Short Rib Ravioli (Or Squash Ravioli) with Sweet Corn Cream Sauce

I first had this dish at Chico Hot Springs in Chico, MT. It is a fantastic restaurant with creative dishes, often sourced from their own garden or locally. This was served as an appetizer and was an incredible combination of flavors that melded together beautifully. After eating the dish (carefully tasting all the flavors) I went home and tried to recreate the dish. I think I succeeded wonderfully. Hopefully you enjoy this dish as much as I do.



On a side note, I no longer make home made pasta dough for ravioli. I tried it once (without a pasta roller) and refuse to do so again without significant motivation. Instead, I use wonton wrappers! So easy and in my opinion have the same flavor, a background to the filling and sauce. While the wontons wrappers are a shortcut, the rest of the recipe isn't. It may seem complex, but is really easy to do over several days. It is well worth the effort and best shared with friends at a dinner party.


This is actually the ravioli filled with pureed roasted butternut squash for the vegetarians out there.

BBQ Beef Short Rib Ravioli in Sweet Corn Cream Sauce – Chico Hot Springs Mimic

Ingredients BBQ Beef Ribs:
Couple pounds of Buffalo Short Ribs
1 large onion, chopped fine
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup apple cider
2 tsp Worchester sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons ketchup

Directions for BBQ Beef Ribs:
Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and set to low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Set the crockpot in the refrigerator to coagulate the fat on the surface. Once hardened, skim the fat off the surface and rewarm. Next remove the bones and any connective tissue. Pull the meat (or cut it if necessary) into tiny shreds (remember it has to fit inside the ravioli, this is also why the onion should be chopped fine). When ready to assemble the ravioli, remove the meat and onions from the liquid and add some sweet BBQ sauce if necessary.

Ingredients Ravioli:
2 parts apple cider and one part BBQ sauce added to the drained BBQ Beef (not really necessary, turned out great as it was) or any sweet BBQ sauce
~2 cups of the pulled BBQ beef
One package wonton wrappers (made ~26 ravioli, 8 ravioli per person is a large entree)

Directions for Ravioli:
Place one wonton wrapper on a cutting board. Add one tablespoon of meat filling (no more!) to the center of the wonton wrapper. Wet the edges of the wrapper with wet fingers. Place another wonton wrapper over the top, push out any air and seal the edges. (I have a technique where I seal two edges, press out the air and then finish sealing the other two edges as you keep pressing out air. Too much air in the ravioli will cause them to explode when boiled.)
Set the ravioli aside, if it will be a while cover with a cloth to prevent too much drying. If the ravioli are too wet (runny filling) let them dry some before boiling or they will open on you. I used a full rolling boil and watched them to keep them from sticking to each other (best if no more than 8 are boiled at a time in my pots). When all are assembled boil for a few minutes until they begin to float. Serve immediately topped with the sweet corn cream sauce and some chili oil. I liked it topped with chives as well.



The ravioli can also be frozen. Assemble the ravioli and place them individually on parchment paper in the freezer. Once frozen you can put them in a plastic bag for up to a month. To cook boil as usual but it may take a few more minutes to be fully cooked.

Ingredients Sauce:
1 pint cream
1 bag frozen sweet corn
2 or more branches of fresh thyme
Salt (make sure to use enough)
Couple dashes of garlic powder – not much, just a tiny bit to enhance some of the savory flavors
~1/2 cup salted butter, cold

Sauce Directions:
Boil cream with the thyme and half the corn until the cream is reduced by half. This will thicken the sauce and enhance the flavor. In a separate pan cook the rest of the corn in a minimal amount of water. Smash the corn with a fork to get as much of the juice and flavor out of the corn. Strain this and add the liquid to the cream. I did this twice to get as much of the corn flavor out of the corn into the cream. Now add salt and a little garlic to taste. If the corn isn’t very sweet you could add a bit of sugar to simulate sweet corn. Once the cream mixture has reduced by half remove it from the heat and let cool for a few minutes. Whisk in the cold butter (I partially froze mine) until incorporated. This will thicken the sauce even more. I added butter to taste/thickness I desired. It was still runnier than Chico’s but I didn’t think it needed to be any thicker (or incorporate more fat!).

Ingredients Chili Oil:
Wok oil (garlic infused)
Chile paste (Sambal Oelek – Chinese Chili Paste)
Ratio Approximately 3-4 tablespoons of oil to 1-2 teaspoons of paste. Mix thoroughly and then strain any solids out.

This really is very close to what Chico serves. I don’t think I could get this recipe any closer without their recipe. I tried sage in the cream sauce in place of the thyme, but I liked the thyme much better. You won’t really taste a strong corn or thyme flavor, they should just be subtle hints of sweet corn and faint herb. The dominant flavor should be cream and then butter. I thought the flavors of sweet & savory were so well balanced in this dish that I just had to try and recreate it. I’m happy that my first attempt was so successful. I wouldn’t change a thing. Well… maybe smaller portions, a side salad, and running a couple miles the next day…

Russian Leek and Cheese Bread

A tasty filling bread that can be easily modified to suit your tastes. Goes together fast and looks pretty on a table.

Ingredients:
Dough:
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 3/4 cups sour cream
Egg wash
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon water

Filling:
3 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. Babybell Gouda (Original Recipe: 4 oz. soft goat cheese)
4 oz. ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped leeks
salt and pepper to taste

Servings: 2 6x6 breads

Instructions:
Melt butter in a saucepan and add in the chopped leeks. Cook for a few minutes till leeks become soft. Set aside.

Place the three cheeses into a bowl and add in the cooked leeks. Mix till leeks are well blended and cheese is smooth. Add in a little salt and fresh ground pepper. Set aside.

To make the dough mix the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder to a large bowl till well combined. Make a well in the center and add the sour cream. Mix with a wooden spoon till just mixed. Now, switch to your hand and mix the dough, till it comes together. Pour out onto a lightly floured surface and begin to knead for 5 minutes. This will help the dough to become smooth. Once the dough becomes smooth allow to rest for 5 minutes. Alternately you can do all this in your KitchenAid mixer with a dough hook.

Sprinkle a little flour onto a flat surface, and cut the dough ball roughly in half. Working with half the dough at a time, roll out the dough into a 12 inch circle. Now, add half the cheese mixture into the center of the circle. Spread the cheese mixture out to a 10x10 inch square. Fold over one side of the dough over the cheese mixture. Use a pastry brush to remove any flour from the top of the dough. Fold over the next side and brush off the flour. Continue with the other sides till you create a square.

Repeat with the second half of the bread and reserved cheese.

Place the bread onto a cookie sheet lined with a piece of parchment paper that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Mix the egg wash together and brush the top and sides of the dough. Place into a preheated 375 degree oven and bake for 35 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information:

Recipe From: http://www.cookingbread.com/classes/class_russian_leek_bread.html

I made this for Supper Club's Russian Night and thought it came out fairly well considering I could not get goat cheese. After subbing in the soft gouda, I think you could really use any softish semi-strong cheese in this recipe and it would turn out fairly well. I would also recommend adding in some garlic (I was making a traditional recipe or I would have added it!). I think 2-6 cloves, depending on your love of garlic, would have really perked this up a bit.

As the recipe stands now, I found the bread a bit lack luster, but very easy to make. I think next time I will try a pizza crust bread instead and see how things comes out. All in all still a great and easy recipe but an improvement in the bread department would not be amiss!