Sunday, October 22, 2017

"C" is for...

I really don't know what's up with my letter themes lately! Maybe I'm spending too much time at my son's preschool...


1.
Every Halloween I get a craving for these soft, buttery, melt in your mouth cookies! This is my mom's recipe and as kids she used to make mountains of these at Christmastime for us to decorate and we whined and complained the way that only three sisters can. Now that I'm grown though, the recipe never seems to make enough... 

Cut-Out Cookies (adapted from Gigi 😘) - V
Makes 2 dozen
INGREDIENTS
Cookies:
1 1/2 sticks softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 T. milk
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 1/2 cups flour (plus more for rolling)
1 t. vanilla
Frosting:
1 stick softened butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1 T. milk
Food coloring, if desired
Decorations, if desired (sprinkles, mini-chocolate chips, candy corn, etc.)
DIRECTIONS
1. Cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Beat in egg and milk. Add remaining ingredients and mix on low until combined. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on floured surface with floured rolling pin to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters and place on baking sheet leaving plenty of room around each cookie. Bake 8-9 minutes until golden. Let cool completely before frosting.
3. Combine frosting ingredients with an electric mixer. Add food coloring as desired and decorate cookies with anything you like.


2.
This recipe comes from my friend Iry (of Taco Casserole fame 😊). It's simple and the boys love it. 'Nuff said!

Chicken Fried Rice (adapted from Iry's Mom) - GF*, DF
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
3 cups rice, cooked according to package
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
Cooking spray
4 eggs
Salt and pepper
1 T. canola oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 T. low-sodium soy sauce*, plus more for serving
DIRECTIONS
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Season eggs with salt and pepper, then scramble and cook until just done. Remove from pan. Add oil and onion to skillet and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and peas and cook until heated through. Add cooked eggs, half of rice and 1 T. soy sauce and stir until heated through. Add remaining rice and 1 T. soy sauce and stir until heated through. Serve with additional soy sauce.


3.
Whenever I buy more fruit than we can eat, I try to find a way to preserve it. And, it turns out I'm the only one who likes fresh cherries around here! This compote freezes well and is delicious on pancakes, oatmeal, ice cream, or anything else you can think of! I pulled some out of the freezer this week to top fried polenta for breakfast. Delish!

 Cherry Compote (adapted from Sarah Forte) - GF, DF, V

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. cherries, halved and pitted
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup honey
Pinch of salt
DIRECTIONS
Add all ingredients to medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for about 3 minutes until cherries just start to break down. Remove from heat and serve, or let cool and transfer to a freezer container.


4.
And  finally, with chili season in full swing, these corn muffins make the perfect accompaniment! I spent years searching for a Boston Market style corn bread recipe that didn't start with a box of yellow cake mix. 😝 Peas and Crayons hits the nail on the head! My only adjustment is making the muffins smaller to better accommodate little kid hands and smaller appetities.


Makes 36 mini-muffins
INGREDIENTS
Cooking spray
1/4 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 T. oil
2 large eggs
1 2/3 cups flour
2/3 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 T. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2 mini-muffin tins with cooking spray. Cream butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer. Add milk, oil, and eggs and beat to combine. Add remaining ingredients and mix until just combined. Use a small cookie scoop to portion batter into prepared tins. Bake for 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one muffin comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Pasta, Pork and Pumpkin

These are a few of my favorite things...



1.
This is super fast and easy! The whole thing comes together in the time it takes to cook the pasta. I love how the sausage makes its own sauce for the pasta and how the orecchiette holds the little bits of meat and vegetables like tiny bowls.

Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. orecchiette pasta or medium shell pasta
8 oz. ground mild or sweet Italian sausage
1 red bell pepper, diced
12 oz. package steam in bag corn kernels
Sour cream* and cilantro for serving
DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile, brown sausage in large skillet over medium heat, breaking up meat with a potato masher or wooden spoon about 5 minutes or until cooked through. Add red pepper and cook about 3 minutes until softened. Microwave corn according to package instructions and stir into skillet. Add drained pasta and stir to combine. Serve with sour cream and cilantro.


2.
This recipe is a bit labor intensive, but you can make it ahead by freezing any uncooked pot stickers on a baking sheet and then cooking them from frozen. Be careful not to overfill the won tons or they will fall apart! And make sure to use a non-stick skillet - these are called "pot stickers" for a reason! Also, don't skip the dipping sauce! It totally makes this recipe!

INGREDIENTS
Pot Stickers:
   1 lb. ground pork
   4 T. chives, chopped
   2 T. low sodium soy sauce
   2 T. sherry
   1 t. ground ginger
   2 t. corn starch
   2 t. sesame oil
   12 oz. package won ton wrappers
   Canola oil for frying
Dipping Sauce:
   1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
   3 T. rice vinegar
   2 t. sugar
   3/4 t. ground ginger
   1/4 t. sesame oil
DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Combine pork, chives, soy sauce, sherry, ginger, corn starch and sesame oil in a boil. Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of pork mixture in the center of a won ton wrapper. Lightly wet 2 edges of the wrapper and fold it over, pressing to seal. Repeat with remaining pork and won ton wrappers. Boil filled won tons, 6 at a time, for 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon. Repeat with remaining filled wontons, adding more water to the pot as needed. Heat 1 T.
canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Cook won tons, 6 at a time, for about 90 seconds per side until browned.  Remove with a spatula and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining won tons, adding more oil as needed. In a small bowl, combine dipping sauce ingredients and serve with pot stickers.


3.
I always end up with leftover won ton wrappers, but I'm never sad about it because I can make these....

Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
Cooking spray
10 won ton wrappers
2 t. canola oil
Powdered sugar
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Make a neat stack of won ton wrappers and cut on the diagonal to make 20 triangles. In a bowl, toss triangles with canola oil until evenly coated. Arrange triangles in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake 5 minutes or until golden and crisp. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.


4.
I made these muffins for the first time a week ago and I have made 4 more batches since then! I literally can't keep them in the house! I now have the recipe memorized and the cooking equipment has taken up permanent residence in my drying rack until I run out of canned pumpkin! :)

Makes 11 (Yeah, I know. Go ahead and make 12 if it bothers you that much! 😋) 
INGREDIENTS
Cooking spray
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 large eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. cloves
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a muffin tin with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, applesauce, and eggs. Whisk in pumpkin and water. Add all remaining ingredients except for chocolate chips and gently whisk together until just combined. Use a rubber spatula to stir in chocolate chips. Use a large cookie scoop to portion batter into prepared muffin tin. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.