Sunday Dinner - Weeds

Verdolagas con carne de puerco y chile

adapted from Doña Lupe’s Kitchen

This was a bigger hit than I was expecting. Verdolagas, also known as purslane are actually a common weed. I think I have them growing in my garden right now, but instead I paid a dollar for them at the Farmers' Market last Saturday. They actually tasted pretty good if you can believe it. Not a real strong flavor, especially after being boiled for ten minutes. The texture reminded me a lot of asparagus. They're supposed to be pretty good for you apparently. I think we'll definitely make it again, providing we can find more verdolagas. I just don't feel right about pulling my weeds out of my garden. I'd rather pay someone else for the weeds they pulled out of their garden. Wait a second...

1 bunch of well cleaned verdolagas, ends trimmed then chopped into about 1-inch sections
1 pound boneless pork chops, cubed (get pork with the fat NOT trimmed off)
1 small onion, sliced into rings
1 clover of garlic, minced
2 large tomatoes, diced
3-4 fresh jalapeno chiles, seeded, de-veined and minced
salt and pepper to taste
chopped cilantro, about 1/4 cup

Salsa verde
sour cream

Boil the verdolagas for about ten minutes. Drain and set aside.

Season pork with salt and pepper. Fry the pork until very crispy and browned. Scoop out and set aside.

In the frying pan you fried the pork in, add the onion and fry until caramelized. Add the tomatoes, chiles, garlic, and salsa verde and cook down until you have a soupy sauce. (I used about 1/2 cup of salsa verde and served some on the side as well.) Add salt and pepper to taste and chopped cilantro, then add the pork and verdolagas.

Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The recipe recommends serving with beans, rice, and tortillas. I served with tortillas and brown rice. I thought it tasted best served over brown rice with a little sour cream on top.

Peach Ice Cream
from use real butter

I loved this peach ice cream recipe!

3 large peaches, peeled, pitted, chopped
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice

Cook peaches and water in a covered saucepan on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until soft. Give it a stir a few times. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Let mixture cool to room temperature. Purée mixture in blender with remaining ingredients (leave some chunks if desired). Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator or over an ice bath then freeze in your ice cream maker.

Carson’s Corn Bread
from use real butter

4 tbsps unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg, room temperature
1 cup milk
1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Position oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Grease an 8×8-inch square pan with butter or cooking spray and dust with flour. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg, milk, yogurt (or sour cream), and sugar. Add the remaining dry ingredients and stir together until just blended. Don’t overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-22 minutes or until the top begins to turn golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Just take care not to overbake or else the cornbread will be too dry. Cool on a wire rack and serve.

Texas Caesar Salad
adapted from Bon Appetit

I liked this salad. Not as much as the Mexican Caesar salad, but I still really liked it.

• 2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 jalapeno chili, seeded, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 8 cups bite-size pieces romaine lettuce (from 2 heads)
• croutons
• 1 tomato, diced
  
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• 2 ears sweet white corn, kernels removed, sauteed in butter and seasoned with salt and pepper
• Feta cheese
  

• Puree first 9 ingredients in processor until smooth. Gradually add olive oil and process until blended. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Combine romaine lettuce and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Garnish with additional grated Parmesan.

My good friend Marie and I were talking months ago about bread-making. I told her I was looking for a good recipe for a crusty bread, one with a good taste and texture. She told me about this recipe for a no-knead bread. I finally got around to trying it and look how pretty it turned out! It was so fun and easy to make. Never in my wildest dreams- yeah, my dreams are really boring- did I think I would ever make a loaf that looked this pretty!


We sliced it up and served it with butter on Sunday. Yesterday we used it for sandwiches. And I think today I'll spread some raspberry peach jam on it. This is a recipe I know I'll be using over and over!

Recipe: No-Knead Bread

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

Anniversary Dinner

Bobby was only home for a few short hours on our actual anniversary, but I wanted to do something so I planned a nice meal. For dessert I thought it would be fun to make something sort of resembling a wedding cake. I thought the kids would like blowing out the candles and thought that might help them understand that Mommy and Daddy are already married. (They're always asking us if we're going to get married in the temple.)

Flank Steak Burritos- basically the same as these that I posted about before. They tasted amazing with the flank steak.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
We had some amazing iron skillet cornbread at a restaurant in Kansas City. This was my attempt to recreate that experience. Not exactly what I was looking for, but still very moist and delicious.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cups milk
• 3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
• 8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
• 1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions
• 3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Directions

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Coconut Cake- yummo.

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup milk
• 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

For the frosting:

nocoupons

• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip!).

To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

Lemon Streusel Muffins

Franny has recently become obsessed with muffins. She loves them! So if I ever want to make her day, all I have to do is whip up a batch of muffins. I don't think that kid has met a muffin she doesn't like yet. I should get a little more creative and hide zucchini and carrots; but for now, I'm sticking to what I love- recipes like this:


]
Lemon Streusel Muffins

from the Sisters Cafe

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tb grated lemon peel
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

For the streusel:
3 Tb flour
3 Tb sugar
1 Tb cold butter

For the glaze:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 Tb fresh lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, butter, lemon peel and lemon juice. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix, just until moistened. Let batter rest for 5 minutes. Grease or paper line muffin cups and fill the cups 3/4 full.
In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar and butter. Using your hands or a pastry blender, mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the streusel over the batter.
Bake muffins at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes and remove onto a wire rack.
Mix together the powdered sugar and enough lemon juice to make a thin glaze. Drizzle over warm muffins. (My glaze ended up so thin that I just brushed it on over the streusel that kind of melted into a glaze itself. Very tasty.)

St. Patrick's Day Dinner 2010

I just love St. Patrick's Day dinner. This year I tried only one new recipe- it was for Colcannon, and it was definitely a hit. I made quite a few changes from the original recipe I found- so here they are below:

Colcannon
Adapted from the Food Network

Ingredients

• 3 pounds potatoes, scrubbed
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cups hot milk
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Salt
  
• 1/4 head cabbage, cored and finely shredded
• 1/2 lb. bacon, fried and coarsely chopped
  
• Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

Peel and roughly chop potatoes, and boil them until tender for about 15 minutes. Mash thoroughly to remove all the lumps. Add 1 stick of butter in pieces. Gradually add hot milk, stirring all the time. (I only needed a little less than 3/4 cup of the milk.) Season with a few grinds of black pepper and a teaspoon or so salt.

Boil the cabbage in unsalted water until it turns a darker color. Add 2 tablespoons butter to tenderize it. Cover with lid for 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly before returning it to the pan. Chop into small pieces.

Add cabbage, scallions, and bacon to mashed potatoes, stirring them in gently. Sprinkle with parsley and check for seasonings.

And here's a list of the rest of the players at this year's annual St. Patrick's Day dinner:

• Corned Beef
• Homemade Rolls with Basil Garlic Butter
• Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli
• Buttermilk Pie with Raspberries and Whipped Cream
  

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Double Chocolate Banana Bread - why didn't anyone think of this before?
found on The Sisters' Cafe

I've been thinking about this bread ever since I made it.

I had a large bunch of VERY overripe bananas and turned to "The Sisters" for help. I'm not sure I'll ever make regular banana bread again. Why? When this option exists?

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cups mashed bananas (about 3)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa (I prefer dutch process)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350. Spray bottom of 8x4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

2. Beat sugar, eggs, and oil in large bowl at medium speed until combined. Beat in banana and vanilla at low speed. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; beat into banana mixture at low speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

3 Spoon batter into pan. Bake 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

Crummy pictures/yummy recipes

Like so many other things, I'm blaming my worse than usual food photography on the pregnancy. These are recipes I've made in the last couple of months that I loved but was just too sick to blog about. Enjoy!


Light Brioche Burger Buns from Smitten Kitchen

Delicious! When there were no more patties left, I started eating these with a little butter. Oh my, that sounds delicious right now!


This is a favorite dessert of mine. Not sure if it's ever made it's debut on my blog, but even if it has, it deserves to be showcased twice. It's that good. Although, this is the last piece. It took me that long to get around to taking a picture. Strawberry White Chocolate Mousse Tart from Bon Appetit.


Linguine with Shrimp Scampi from Barefoot Contessa

I love this stuff. I'm the only one in my family who does. So I either have to eat the whole thing myself or host a girl's lunch. This time I felt no desire to share, so I ate this for dinner for a whole week. Yum!

Don't judge by the picture, this recipe was so delicious. Peach and Crème Fraîche Pie from Smitten Kitchen. It was fun making my own creme fraiche, too.

Ashley's Roll Recipe

I had a request to post my roll recipe. I must confess, that everything I am as a roll maker is thanks in large part to my friend Ashley. She gave me this fabulous recipe, and taught me how to roll them up nice and pretty. I typed these instructions out to include in the cookbook I made for my sister when she got married.

Dinner Rolls

2 T yeast
1/3 cup sugar +1 T sugar
1 1/2 c warm milk
1/3 c butter flavored shortening (I just use butter)
2 tsp salt
2 eggs
6-7 c flour (it usually ends up being 5 1/2 cups for me)

Combine yeast, sugar, and 1/2 cup warm milk. Mix together with a fork. (You can warm the milk in the microwave. It should be about 110 degrees for the best results. I usually microwave 1/2 cup milk to mix with the yeast for 40 seconds.) The sugar will help the yeast to turn into a sponge. Once it looks kind of foamy and spongy- it's ready. This should take less than five minutes. In mixing bowl fitted with the dough hook, pour remaining sugar and milk, shortening (or butter), salt, eggs, and 2 cups of the flour, as well as the yeast mixture. Turn mixer onto low and mix until blended. Add two more cups of flour and mix again until blended. Add remaining flour half a cup at a time until the dough lightly sticks to the bottom of the bowl, or until you can handle it well. (You should be able to lightly touch the dough and it won't stick to your finger when it's ready.) Knead by hand (my favorite part!) for about a minute then place in a large, oiled bowl. (Pour a teaspoon of vegetable oil in the bottom of the bowl and swirl it around, then move the dough around so it is slightly oiled. This will prevent it from forming a crust.) Drape a kitchen towel over the bowl and let it rise until twice its size (about an hour and a half.) Divide the dough into 4 or 6 sections (4 if you want large rolls, 6 if you want small rolls.) Roll out each section into a long rectangle, about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick. Using your pizza cutter and starting from the middle of the end of the rectangle closest to you, slice the rectangle in half so that now you have two long rectangles. Now, starting from the point where you made the first slice, cut each rectangle into two triangles. Now you are ready to roll these babies into crescent shapes. Starting with the flat end of the triangle, roll the dough towards the tip. (Pictured on the left in case my instructions are impossible to understand.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let your rolls rise about 45 minutes and bake for 15 minutes. (If you leave the dough in a warm place like on top of the stove or somewhere near the oven, it will rise faster.)

Cinnamon Roll Class

Last September I mentioned I wanted to do a "cinnamon roll master class" on my blog. I've noticed that every time I make a point of writing what I plan to post on my blog, I never follow through. I think all that means is, I'm telling you my plan because I don't care enough to write about it now, so what makes me think I'll write about it later? Also, my Dad and I have this rivalry when it comes to cinnamon rolls. He thinks his are better than mine. I don't think he's ever tried mine, but he's sure his are better and I'm not qualified to teach a "master class." The jury is still out on the first part, but I'm sure the second is true. So we'll just call it a "cinnamon roll class."

The recipe for the roll dough comes from my good friend Beckie Codd. She made me cinnamon rolls once when we both lived in Utah and after that I had to have her recipe.

Dough:

1 package dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 cup warm milk (105-110 degrees)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter (softened)
4 cups flour

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
about 1/3 cup butter, softened

Mix 1/2 cup warm milk with 1 Tbs sugar and dry yeast. (I usually heat my milk in the microwave on high for 40 seconds.) Within five minutes, your yeast mixture should become spongey like you see on the left.

In the meantime, pour the other 1/2 cup of warm milk, softened butter, 1 tsp salt, eggs, sugar, and 2 cups of the flour into the bowl of your electric mixer. When the yeast is ready, add it to the bowl and mix with your dough attachment until all the ingredients are wet. Add 1 cup of flour and mix. Add flour again, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until the dough clings to the dough attachment and your bowl is "clean."

Take the dough out of the bowl and give it a good knead. I'm pretty sure this is my favorite thing to do in the kitchen.

Pour a teaspoon or so of vegetable oil in a clean bowl and swirl around. Add your dough and place a kitchen towel over the top of the bowl. My cinnamon roll dough always takes a long time to double in size. This last time I boiled some water, turned on the oven light, and placed the dough bowl inside the oven with the pot of boiled water so the steam would help the dough to rise. That really helped things along.

Once your dough has doubled, place it on a well-floured surface and roll out in a big rectangle (approx 21 inches by 16 inches). The dough should be about 1/4 inch thick.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread the softened margarine all over the dough. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Sprinkle that evenly all over the dough, then take your rolling pin and lightly roll it over the cinnamon sugar, to help it cling to the dough. Working carefully from the bottom, roll the the dough to the top.

Cut your log into 1 1/2 inch slices. Use dental floss. Now this tip comes by way of my aunt Cindy. Place your piece of floss under the log where you want to cut it, cross the two sides of floss across the top and pull and you will have a clean and precise slice. I'm including pictures just in case my description is confusing.

I bake mine in a stoneware dish, but if you are using a 9x13 dish or pan, be sure to grease with shortening or butter. Cover dish with plastic wrap. Allow rolls to rise for a while, 1 - 1 1/2 hours, and then bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Now for the icing.... the icing recipe comes with a story. Last summer, when I first made these rolls with this icing, I was in the mood to bake and I made these and Ina's fabulous coconut cupcakes. (They are SO GOOD!) Rather than make two different recipes for cream cheese frosting, I opted to use the coconut cupcake frosting recipe on the cinnamon rolls as well. This frosting has a very small amount of almond extract in it that makes it taste like heaven. And I think it's impact is even more impressive on cinnamon rolls. It makes you make that face. You know the face, when you scrunch up your face and look off into the distance and try to pinpoint that delicious and familiar taste in your mouth. You know what it is, but you just can't put your finger on it.

Here is the recipe, adapted of course since the original calls for one pound of cream cheese:

• 4 oz cream cheese
  
• 1/3 of a stick butter
  
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• just over 1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 2 1/2 -3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.
Allow the cinnamon rolls to cool for 10-15 minutes, then spread frosting on cinnamon rolls while still warm. Then come back here and let me know what you think.

Christmas Eve Dinner

Look, I know everybody is trying to eat healthier now that the holidays are over, myself included, but if I don't get these recipes up now then I never will. I know I'm tempting you now but you'll thank me next year when I have an organized section on my blog where you can find all my holiday recipes!

During the holidays I never like to stray too far from the traditional family favorites. I decided on my Dad's green beans with bacon, my Mom's Christmas orange rolls, and raspberry pretzel jello. I used to feel a little embarrassed about serving raspberry pretzel jello. I think because it's a casserole dish and the name of it makes it sound like a relative of "funeral potatoes." I don't care anymore. I'll say it loud and proud. I LOVE RASPBERRY PRETZEL JELLO! That felt good.

Wes and Jen (Bobby's brother and his wife) shared one of their traditions with us on Christmas day- a delicious Chicken Cordon Bleu with a rich and creamy sauce. When we were planning the menu on the phone, I suggested we serve a ham on Christmas Eve, so we could use the ham in the Chicken Cordon Bleu the next day. Anyway, It was perfect not only for Christmas Dinner, but also the day after Christmas when Wes made omelettes for us. I probably don't even need to say this but I did not take this pictures. My talented sis-in-law Jen took them. I look at these pictures and I feel a little sad because my own attempts at food photography are pathetic in comparison. Jen, thanks so much for sending these pictures!


Mmmm... I sure am missing all the delicious leftovers.

Dad's Green Beans with Bacon

6 or 7 slices of bacon
1 large bag of frozen green beans (I like to use the steamer bags)
freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp garlic, minced

Prepare green beans according to directions on bag. Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces. Fry in a large skillet until crisp. Add green beans and garlic and cook in bacon grease. (If there is an excess of bacon grease, drain some of it off. Just don't send it down the drain!) At this point Dad likes to sprinkle lemon juice over the top. Maggie likes to add a little bit of minced garlic, maybe 1 teaspoon.



Orange Rolls

Your favorite roll recipe. Make the dough at let it rise until doubled:

1 c butter, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
rind of 2 oranges, grated
juice of one orange
enough powdered sugar to make a thick glaze (3 cups?)

To make orange rolls, take dough out of refrigerator three hours before baking. Roll out into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough. Mix sugar and orange rind together and sprinkle over butter. Starting with the end of the rectangle, roll up, jelly-roll style. Cut into 1-inch slices using a long piece of floss. Feed it under the roll and take each end of floss and tie a knot right through the roll for a clean slice. Bake for 18 minutes at 350 degrees in a greased muffin tin and drizzle with orange glaze.

It's fricken good

Our beloved husband and father left us tonight to go do a rotation in St. Louis. Boo. I wanted to make him a really special meal as a send-off so he'd know how much we'll all miss him. I've been wanting an excuse to make fried chicken and recognized a good opportunity. I once saw this episode on Food Network of one of Bobby Flay's cooking shows and he made this for his girlfriend. It made my mouth water watching him prepare and eat those buttermilk biscuits. Buttermilk is one of my favorite ingredients. I just love what it does for cakes and scones. It seemed appropriate to serve ice cold IBC root beer as a beverage with this meal. I served them to my family (even my almost 2-year old) in the bottles and they were a big hit with my kids. They weren't at all interested in the rest of the meal, but since I was okay with my children having root beer for dinner on Bobby's last night at home for a while, there were no fights at the dinner table tonight.




The girls may not have enjoyed the food, but Bobby and I were pleased with it.





Fried Chicken

1 quart buttermilk, plus 2 cups
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons chile de arbol powder, or 2 tablespoons hot sauce, plus 2 teaspoons chile de arbol powder, or cayenne pepper
2 chickens (3 to 4 pounds each), each cut up into 8 pieces
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
Peanut oil, for deep-frying

In a large bowl or baking dish, whisk together 1 quart of the buttermilk, 2 tablespoons salt, 2 teaspoons of chile de arbol powder, or hot sauce, and a little bit of pepper, if desired. Add the chicken pieces, turn to coat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Place the remaining 2 cups of buttermilk in a bowl. Stir together the flour, garlic and onion powders, paprika, and 2 teaspoons chile de arbol powder (or cayenne) in a large bowl. Divide flour mixture among 2 shallow platters and season generously with salt and pepper. Drain the chicken in a colander and pat it dry. Dredge the pieces a few at a time in the flour mixture and pat off excess, then dip in the buttermilk and allow excess to drain off. Dredge in the second plate of flour and pat off the excess. Put the chicken pieces on a piece of waxed paper or on a clean platter while you heat the oil.

Pour about 3 inches of oil into a deep cast iron skillet; the oil should not come more than halfway up the sides of the pot. Put the pot over medium-high heat and heat the oil to 375 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches, add the chicken pieces to the hot oil, 3 or 4 at a time and fry, turning the pieces occasionally, until evenly golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to a rack to drain; repeat to cook the remaining pieces. Serve hot.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Mashed Potatoes

2 large russet potatoes
butter
milk
salt
pepper

Wash potatoes and peel. Cut into large chunks (1 1/2 - 2 inch pieces). Put in large pot of warm, salted water and bring to a boil. Once the water reaches a boil, set your timer for 15 minutes. If the potatoes don't quite feel soft after 15 minutes, let it keep going for 2 or 3 more. Drain potatoes. Pour potatoes back into pot and mash with a potato masher. (Or if you have one, use a food mill like Ina does.) While you're mashing those potatoes and giving them everything you've got, add 3 or 4 Tbs of butter and a few teaspoons of salt and some generous shakes with your black pepper. Heat a small amount of milk (1/2 cup?) in your microwave. Add your milk a little at a time with a whisk and mix until you reach your desired consistency. Add more salt, pepper, butter to taste. Mmmmm......

Buttermilk Biscuits

Makes about 15

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2 cups buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat (French nonstick baking mat) or parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
2. Transfer about 2 1/2 cups flour mixture to a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add butter, and pulse until the largest pieces are the size of peas. Return butter mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture. Use your fingers to combine.
3. Add buttermilk, and stir just until mixture comes together; the batter will be sticky. Transfer to lightly floured work surface; use floured fingers to pat dough to 1-inch thickness. Use a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to cut biscuits as close together as possible to minimize scraps. Gather scraps together once, pat together and flatten, and cut out.
4. Transfer biscuits to prepared baking sheet; bake until lightly browned, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.

Sequence of events: I started out with the potatoes. I washed, peeled, and cut them and placed them in the water and turned on the heat. Then I set out to make the biscuits. I mixed the dough, cut out the biscuits, and placed them in the oven since they need 20 minutes. By the time I was finishing up with the biscuits, the potatoes were ready for mashing. I prepared them in the pot I boiled them in and put the lid on to trap the heat. Then, while the biscuits were baking, I got ready to fry the chicken. It wasn't until this point that I realized that each chicken piece needs to boil for 20 minutes. It all worked out fine, we had enough chicken to get the meal started and the potatoes and biscuits were still warm, but next time I would start the chicken-frying a good 20 minutes earlier.

Still tossing 'em back!

Day 2 of cheap raspberries

On Tuesday I made Raspberry-Topped Lemon Muffins from Smitten Kitchen. They were lovely. I ate four of them for breakfast yesterday and two for dessert the night before. After breakfast I gave to my friends so I could start plotting my next raspberry caper.

Missouri must have really big lemons because I was able to get four tsp grated lemon zest from 1 lemon without any of the pith. I thought three raspberries would atop each muffin would suffice, but after they were finished baking I could see the wisdom in four. They were amazing!

Raspberry-Topped Lemon Muffins

Yield: 14 large or 56 miniature muffins

1 1/8 cups sugar, divided
4 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel (from two large lemons)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 1/2-pint containers (about) fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 14 standard muffin cups (or 56 minis) with paper liners. Mash 1/8 cup sugar and lemon peel in small bowl until sugar is slightly moist. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat remaining 1 cup sugar and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg. Beat in buttermilk, then vanilla and lemon sugar. Beat in flour mixture.

Divide batter among muffin cups (the 2/3-3/4 level worked well for minis). Top each large muffin with 4 raspberries (or mini muffins with one each). Bake muffins until lightly browned on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes (baking time was on the shy side of 20 minutes for mini muffins).

Sunday Dinner

I thought these flowers were too beautiful not to share.

Even though she can't pronounce it right, my sister Annie loves schnitzel. She's never been a big eater, but she can really put away the Wienerschnitzel, so I decided that's what we would have for Sunday dinner. Click here for all our favorite schnitzel dinner recipes.

I served Macaroni Grill bread with it. Bobby calls this "the best bread ever" and any recipe that makes my husband say that is definitely a keeper. I'm so grateful for the lady that posted this recipe on her blog. We have this all the time. It tastes great with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.


Annie and Bobby both requested my grandma Carole's sour cream cookies with buttercream frosting. These are my favorite sugar cookies ever! She has been making them for as long as I can remember and when I think of traditional recipes in our family, these always come to mind.

Sour Cream Cookies

1 c sugar
1/2 c shortening

Cream together and add:

2 eggs
1 c sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

Beat until smooth, then add:

3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Let stand in refrigerator for an hour. Add more flour when rolling out for the first time (soft and sticky dough.) Roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. These cookies should not get brown.

I frost these with a buttercream frosting.

1 softened cube of butter
3 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup milk

Beat first three ingredients with handmixer. Add milk and beat until smooth. Add milk if needed. Add food coloring.

How cute is he? Here he is modeling my sour cream cookies. I asked him what color he wanted the frosting to be and he said, "seafoam." See on top of the cabinets we finally have a place to show off a sample of Bobby's metal lunchbox collection. Yeah!! I've always loved that he collects these.

Sunday Dinner

Sunday dinner is a big deal to me. I want it to be special, and I want it to be good. There should be a salad (or side of some kind), a main dish, a bread, and a dessert. Bobby has come to learn that this is very important to me and will usually step in to help with the kids while I cook way too much food.


Some of these pictures turned out awful because I didn't want to take the time to carry the food outside for a photo shoot. This is a Fields family favorite- Wienerschnitzel. It is boneless pork loin chops that are breaded and fried, and sprinkled (more like doused) in lemon juice. I did study abroad in Vienna in 1999 and fell in love with this traditional Austrian dish. We would go to this restaurant called Schnitzelwirt and they would bring out these huge plates piled high with lots of delicious golden schnitzel. There was this girl on our trip who struggled with learning the language and I totally remembering sitting with her at this restaurant while she pleaded with the German only-speaking waiter for "Viele Zitronen." (Lots of lemon.) Bobby actually usually makes the schnitzel in this house and he is really good at it.

Wienerschnitzel

boneless pork loin, thin cut (sometimes called breakfast cut or wafer thin)
salt
flour
eggs
bread crumbs
vegetable oil
lemon wedges

Salt and pepper both sides of the pork loin chops. Prepare 3 low dishes big enough to dip your meat into. In the first, put a few cups of flour. In the second, put 2 or 3 eggs, beaten. In the third, put the bread crumbs. Prepare the oil by filling your skillet with enough oil to cover the meat. Put it on medium heat until it is hot enough to sizzle when you put the meat in. If it's not hot enough, the breading will get soggy and greasy before the meat is cooked through. Take each piece of meat and dip it into the flour, egg and then bread crumbs until coated all over. Shake excess off each time. Drop it inot the hot oil. Cook until the breading is golden (about 3 minutes) and turn with a fork or tongs to cook other side. Interior should be tender and juicy. Serve schnitzel with lots of lemon wedges.

I served the schnitzel with broccoli with garlic. I found this recipe in the Barefoot Contessa cookbook.

broccoli with garlic

1 head garlic, peeled (about 16 cloves)
1 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 stalks broccoli

Put the cloves and oil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered over low heat for 10-15 minutes, until the garlic is browned and tender. Turn off the heat and add the red pepper flakes and 1/2 tsp salt. Immediately pour into a heat-proof container to stop the cooking. Allow to cool to room temperature.
For the salad, blanch the broccoli florets in a large pot of boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain well and immerse immediately into a large bowl of ice water until the broccoli is cooled.
In a large bowl, toss the broccoli with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 c of the coil used to cook the garlic, and 8 or more cloves of cooked garlic. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.

We never serve schnitzel without these herb-roasted potatoes. They come together quickly and are very flavorful.







This is the worst picture of all, but the rolls taste great and it is so easy!

Roundup Bubble Bread

2 lbs. frozen Rhodes rolls, thawed
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/4 tsp dried basil, crushed*
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs chopped green onions
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbs fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Grease 12-cup bundt pan. Arrange thawed rolls in pan. In small bowl, combine melted butter, basil, parsley, green onions and garlic. Pour over dough. Cover with plastic wrap and towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Sprinkle cheese over bread. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto serving plate. Pull apart to serve. Serve warm.


I have Bobby to thank for me introducing me to the wonderful world of French Silk Pie. He told me years ago that he likes it and I finally got around to trying it out on Sunday. I used the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for pie crust (from her Family Style cookbook) and decorated it with chocolate shavings. I feel obligated to give you a caveat though- this dessert is evil! It's a pie crust filled with a silky and delicious chocolate BUTTERcream and topped with lots of fresh whipped cream. But I think it's worth it. Thanks Bobby!

*I have a problem with dried basil. I think it tastes nothing like real basil, so I skip that ingredient. I also leave out the green onions.

Sunday dinner

We had visitors last weekend! My mother-in-law (Nona), her husband (Grandpa Howard), Bobby's sister Molly and her three kids (Zoe, Jakob, and Riley) all stayed with us Saturday and Sunday and we spent Monday night in Nauvoo. We rarely have visitors, so we get really excited when the people we love come to see us! I wanted to make them a yummy dinner, so I played it safe and made one of Louise's favorites: Ina's Pesto, Pasta and Peas with her Grilled Lemon Chicken. I served with Macaroni Grill Bread (I substituted Italian Seasoning for dried rosemary) and a garden salad with buttermilk ranch. For dessert we had strawberry shortcake and Bobby's famous strawberry cupcakes.



Pasta, Pesto, and Peas

3/4 lb. fusilli pasta (I used rotini)
3/4 lb. bow-tie pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups homemade pesto (let me know if you want my pesto recipe)
1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cup good mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
1/3 cup pignolis, toasted (To toast pignolis [pine nuts] place them in a dry saute pan and cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes, until evenly browned, tossing frequently.)
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10-12 minutes, until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and continue to puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta, then add the Parmesan cheese, peas, pine nuts, salt and pepper. Mix well and season to taste.

For the Grilled Lemon Chicken, I marinate 4 chicken breasts in equal parts lemon juice and olive oil (1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of each), 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp dried thyme. Marinade at least 2 days- 3 days is better. This chicken is amazing! We just grill it on the George Foreman.

“Macaroni Grill” Bread
This is a recipe intended to approximate that awesome chewy bread that they bring out
at the Macaroni Grill. The kind you dip into the olive oil and cracked garlic. No, it is not
healthy in the slightest. Shoot your inner fitness freak and let your inner gourmand rule.
Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. Dry Yeast (I’m not sure what one yeast packet equals)
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Cup warm water (105 - 115 degrees)
2 1/2 Cups white flour
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. rosemary, chopped (The recipe called for fresh, but I used the
dried stuff with good results. Either way, make sure it is finely chopped)
1 Tbsp. canola oil, peanut oil or olive oil (I prefer olive)
Nonstick cooking spray (If baking on a cookie sheet)
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
Coarsely ground salt
Directions:
Put the yeast, water and sugar into a blender or food processor. Mix it until it is frothy.
Turn the oven onto 200 degrees. (You just need to warm it up, you’re not baking yet).
Find a mixing bowl. Add two cups of the flour, the teaspoon of salt and half of your
chopped rosemary. Keep the other half cup of flour close at hand. Add the yeast mixture
to this and knead away. Don’t be shy. Fold it over itself plenty of times to get those
gluten strands good and stretched. Add the rest of the flour as needed to get the dough to
the right consistency (soft and stretchy without being overly sticky).
Turn the oven off.
Lift the dough out of the mixing bowl. Add the olive oil to the bowl and swirl it around.
Roll the dough in the olive oil so its well coated and let it sit in the bowl. Cover the bowl
with a dish towel and place it in the oven (the oven should be off by now, if you missed
that step). Leave the door cracked so it isn’t too hot in there.
Let the dough rise for about an hour. It should be approximately doubled in size.
Punch the dough down and knead it again. Divide it into two equal sized lumps and let it
sit for about 5-10 minutes.
Prepare your baking pan. I use a ceramic stone, but a cookie sheet will work. If the
surface is not naturally non-stick, spray it with the cooking spray. Shape the dough into
two oval-shaped loaves and arrange on the pan.
Melt the butter or margarine. Use a brush to paint the surface of the loaves with butter.
Use all of the butter. The loaves will be quite saturated when you’re done. Remember the
part about shooting your inner fitness freak. Take the rest of the chopped rosemary and
sprinkle it over the loaves. Pat it down gently to set it into into the dough.
Return the loaves to the oven. Don’t turn it on yet. Let the dough rise again, for about 45
minutes.
Remove the loaves and preheat the oven to 450 F. Sprinkle a little bit of coarse salt over
the loaves.
Return the dough to the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes until light brown.
Makes two loaves. Best enjoyed with olive oil and garlic.