Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Squash and Onions with brown sugar


Squash and Onions with Brown Sugar
serves 2

1 large yellow squash (or 2 medium)
2 small onions (or one medium)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

Slice the squash into 1/2-inch rounds, cutting large ones in half. You should end up with roughly 2 cups of cut squash. Cut the onions into similar-sized slices.

Add the butter to a wide sauce pan that has a lid and heat over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onions and cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add squash, salt, pepper, and brown sugar. Stir, then cover and cook for about 20 minutes, until squash is very soft.

Remove the cover and continue to cook for about 8 minutes, just to give the juices a chance to evaporate slightly. There will be some liquid in the pan, but it should be thicker than water, almost like a glaze. Season with more salt and pepper, if needed, and serve immediately.

Moist boneless skinless chicken breasts from Joy Of Cooking


What You Need

Ingredients [OR] Materials

1 to 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon freshly chopped herbs (optional)
Olive oil
1/2 tablespoon butter

Equipment

10-inch sauté pan with lid

Instructions

1. Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness with the handle or flat of a knife.

2. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken breasts.

3. Mix about a half teaspoon of salt in with the flour along with a little pepper. Chop the herbs finely, if using, and mix in as well.

4. Quickly dredge the chicken breasts in the flour, so that they are just lightly dusted with flour.

5. Heat the sauté pan over medium-high heat. When it is quite hot, add the olive oil and butter. Let them melt, and swirl the pan.

6. Turn the heat to medium. Add the chicken breasts. Cook for just about 1 minute to help them get a little golden on one side (you are not actually searing or browning them). Then flip each chicken breast over.

7. Turn the heat to low. Put the lid on the pan. Set a timer for 10 minutes, and walk away. Do not lift the lid; do not peek.

8. After 10 minutes have elapsed, turn off the heat. Reset the timer for 10 minutes and leave the chicken breasts in the pan. Again, do not lift the lid; do not peek.

9. After the 10 minutes are up, take the lid off, and tada! Soft, tender, juicy chicken breasts that aren't dried out in the least. Doublecheck them to make sure there is no pink in the middle. Slice and eat.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Rachel's Meaty Zucchini Casserole

6-8 medium sized zucchini
1.5 lbs meat (I use a combination of sausage and ground meat)
2 eggs
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped and sautéed
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated (can use the cheepo kind too:)
1 cup colby jack, cheddar or mozzarella cheese (I use whatever I have on hand)
1.5-2 Jars spaghetti sauce (24 oz)
spices (oregano, parlsey) to taste, optional
2-4 cups cooked rice, optional
1 cup cottage cheese, optional

Cook meat. Put in 9X13 casserole dish to cool, leaving fat from cooking in pan.

Wash and trim ends of zucchini. You can also peel zucchini, which is what my family prefers. Cut zucchini lengthwise into four pieces. Then cut into inch wide pieces. Preheat oven to 350. Cook zucchini until mostly done in pan you used to cook meat. I usually cover and cook on medium low for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While zucchini cooks mix together eggs, garlic and parmesan cheese and spaghetti sauce into meat mixture. When zucchini is done cooking, drain it then mix into the meet mixture. Add more spaghetti sauce, if desired and rice and/or cottage cheese, if desired. Top with some cheese before putting in over, or right before taking out of the oven. Cover lightly with tinfoil then cook 45-60 minutes.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Snickerdoodles

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tarter
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 TB sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon

Prehead oven to 350. Mix butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs thoroughly in a large bowl. Combine flour, cream of tarter, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Blend dry ingredients into butter mixture. Chill dough, and chill and ungreased cookie sheet for about 10-15 minutes in the fridge. Meanwhile, mix 3 TB sugar and 3 tsp. cinnamon in bowl. Scoop 1 inch globs of dough into the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Coat by gently rolling balls of dough in the sugar mixture. Place on chilled ungreased cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Corn Muffins from Barefoot Contessa


mix:
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup cornmeal
2 TB baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt

mix:
1 1/2 cups milk
2 sticks melted (slightly cooled) butter
2 eggs

Add wet to dry ingredients.
Fill muffin tins with liners, makes 12-14
Cook at 350 for 30 minutes.

Lime merange tart from Barefoot Contessa

FILLING

cream:
1/4 lb butter
1 1/2 cups sugar

add:
4 eggs and mix
add:
1/4 cup lime zest
1/2 cup lime juice (4 or so)
1/8 tsp salt

Put into saucepan on low 6-8 min. Whisk at end. Put into bowl, chill with saran wrap right on top.

SHELL
mix:
1 1/4 cup flour
3 TB sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
put in freezer 30 min
then put in food processer with:
6 TB diced cold butter
2 TB cold crisco
pulse 10 times
add: 1/4 cup ice water.
mix till dough comes together
put on counter and form together. Wrap in saran wrap and put in fridge 30 min.
Put into pie/tart dish. Cover with buttered foil and beans to hold it down. Cook 10 min at 375. Remove beans and foil. Poke all over with fork. Cook 15-20 min. Cool

MERANGE
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tarter
1/4 tsp. salt
whip and while whipping add 1/2 cup sugar slowly.

Assemble the crust then custard filling then merange (can pipe it on top). Cook at 425 for 4-5 minutes till merange starts to brown.

Marinara sauce from Barefoot Contessa

SAUTE
1 cup chopped yellow onion 5-10 min
add
1 1/2 t. chopped garlic
1/2 cup wine or chicken stock
turn up heat and simmer till liquid almost evaporates

ADD
20 oz can of tomatoes, whatever sort
1 TB fresh chopped parsley
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t pepper

Simmer 15 min. DONE! Freezes okay.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Chocolate chocolate chip waffles from Alton Brown

chocolate waffles
1 1/2 cups flour
3 TBS sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp b powder
1/2 tsp. b soda

WHISK
3 eggs
4 TB melted butter
16 oz buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

MIX wet with dry
add 3/4 cup choc chips

Cook on high setting on waffle iron. Serve with ice cream!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Michelle's Australian Sausage Rolls

1-2lb jimmy dean pork & sage sausage
1 lb hamburger
1 small onion, diced finely
6-8 slices white bread with crusts removed
Pepperidge Puff Pastry



Place bread in bowl and cover with just enough water to soak in for 5 min (not soggy) Squish (very technical term) out excess water.
Add to meat and onion mix
Cut Pepperidge Puff Pastry in half long ways.
Pipe meat mix along pastry. (Can use ziploc bag with corner cut to pipe)
Roll pastry over meat and brush with beaten egg
Bake 425 for 10-15 minutes then lower oven to 350 bake a further 10-15 or until golden.