family dinner

my brother, Jesse, just graduated last sunday from his jockey program and came back home for a week off before he heads to Maryland (read more here). it's been great having him around! last night we had a family dinner with the whole family minus Jon & Kali, because they're having too much fun in Argentina or New Zealand...wherever they are in the southern hemisphere! (read more here).  anyways, i had the pleasure of making dinner for everyone last night! i made skillet chicken and ravioli, parmesan zucchini and a baguette on the side, with double-chocolate swirl pound cake for desert. lucky for us, the weather was beautiful so we were able to eat outside. it was so much fun sitting out on our back deck with the family, laughing and sharing over supper. my family loved the meal. however, i adjusted the recipe for the skillet a bit, because turns out our local IGA doesn't have such delicacies as frozen ravioli (i didn't have time to make my own). i used  tortellini as a substitute, which worked out fine. the recipe also called for mushrooms, which i was hesitant to put in because i am not that big of a mushroom fan, but i decided to give it a go. i'm so glad i did because i absolutely loved them! the mushrooms were also my dad's favorite part of the dish and my brother, who feels the same way on mushrooms as i do, loved them too! lesson learned: try the foods you don't like because they might just surprise you! the dessert was really good too, but my only complaint would be, as usual, double the glaze!

Recipes:

Skillet Chicken Ravioli
TIME: 30 minutes SERVES: 4 (i doubled this recipe for my family)
Ingredients:

Kosher salt
1 9-ounce package small cheese ravioli
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Freshly ground pepper
8 ounces white mushrooms, halved
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, basil or a combination

Directions: 

[1] Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ravioli and cook as the label directs; drain, then drizzle with olive oil and toss.
[2] Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken; cook, undisturbed, until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring, 1 more minute. Transfer to a plate.
[3] Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook, undisturbed, until browned in spots, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and continue to cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 more minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic and vinegar and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet, then add the ravioli, broth and parmesan; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Top with the parsley.

For the Parmesan Zucchini all i did was saute the zucchini and sprinkle parmesan on top when they were tender. Delicious and easy way to cook zucchini.

Double-Chocolate Swirl Pound Cake

TIME: 1 hour 26 minutes SERVES: 16

Ingredients: 

1 3/4 cups sugar 
1/3 cup canola oil 
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 large eggs 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups) 
3.4 ounces whole-wheat pastry flour (about 3/4 cup) [ can substitute for all-purpose]
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup light sour cream 
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk 
1 teaspoon canola oil 
1 ounce chopped bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
Baking spray with flour

Glaze: [double this]
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons 2% reduced-fat milk 
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

[1] Preheat oven to 350°.

[2] Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beating until incorporated. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

[3] Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level. Combine flours, powder, soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Combine sour cream and 1/4 cup milk. Add flour mixture and sour cream mixture alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

[4] Combine 1 teaspoon canola oil and chopped bittersweet chocolate in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave at HIGH for 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds until smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons cocoa. Remove 2 1/2 cups vanilla batter; add to chocolate mixture, and stir.

[5] Using 2 ice-cream scoops or 2 large spoons, add batters alternately to a 10-cup Bundt pan coated with baking spray; swirl.

[6] Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.

[7] Combine powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon cocoa, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; stir until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cake.

Orange-Glazed Baked Chicken

last night was they very first time i hosted potluck. my friend and i are in it together as a "couple". since i hosted the potluck at my house, it was my duty to cook the meat. i knew i wanted to do chicken breasts and i thought something citrusy would be fun. i found a recipe for orange-glazed baked chicken in our church cook book. it looked like it would be perfect, but i decided to do a trial run on my family the week before. the recipe called for a cut-up chicken, but i adapted the cooking time to make it work for boneless skinless chicken breasts. after my family and i taste tested it, we all decided that it would be better with a few alterations: rub the chicken in salt before coating the chicken with the flour mixture and double the sauce so there would be extra to pour over it after serving. with these few minor changes, the chicken turned out wonderfully and delicious! i loved that the dish was not too complicated and involved, but still looked beautiful.

for my family i served rice on the side with the chicken

my version of Orange Glazed Baked Chicken

SERVES: 8 TIME: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

8 (6 oz.) Boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 c. Butter

1 c. Flour

2 tsp. Paprika

salt

Glaze:

1 c. Brown sugar

2 Tbsp. Cornstarch

2 c. Orange juice

Directions: 

[1] Preheat oven to 375. Melt the margarine or butter in a 9x13-inch baking dish. 

[2] Mix the flour and paprika. Rub the chicken in salt then coat the chicken with the flour mixture. Place in the baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. 

[3] Turn the breasts over and continue baking for another 10 minutes. 

[4] While chicken bakes, make the glaze. Blend the brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the orange juice. Heat the mixture until clear.

[5] Pour the glaze over the chicken, reserving about 3/4 c. for extra sauce, and continue to bake another 10 minutes, or until chicken is nice and tender.

[6] Serve chicken with the extra sauce on the side.

Saucy Ribs and Parmesan Potatoes

 two weeks ago I made saucy ribs and parmesan potatoes. i was looking for an easy crock pot recipe and came across this recipe for ribs in Renee's cook book. if you don't have her cookbook you should get one; she has some fantastic recipes. but back to the ribs. i've never made ribs before so i decided to give it a whirl. they were good, but not one of my favorites. this is probably due to the fact that i'm not really a big fan of ribs. they're just so messy and i feel like a cannibal eating them. anyways my family did like them a lot, so if you're a ribs fan, i would definitely suggest trying them. the parmesan potatoes came from our church's cook book. i absolutely loved them! crispy on the outside but soft on the inside; now that is my kind of potato!

Recipes: 
Saucy Spareribs
TIME: 7 hours SERVES: 6-8 
 Ingredients:
4-5 lb. pork spareribs or 3-4 boneless country style ribs
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic salt to taste
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. finely chopped celery
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 c. ketchup
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4c. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. pepper
Directions: 
Season ribs with salt, garlic salt, and pepper; place in crock pot on HIGH for 6 hours or until tender. Meanwhile in a saucepan, saute onion and celery in butter until tender. Add reaming ingredients; mix well. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cook and stir until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Drain juices from ribs in crock pot. Pour sauce over ribs. Cook at least one hour longer.

Parmesan Potatoes
TIME: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Ingredients: 
6 potatoes (5 to 6 c., cubed)
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
1/3 c. butter
Directions: 
Peel potatoes and cut in cubes. Combine flour, cheese, salt and pepper in large baggie. Add moist potatoes to bag and shake gently to coat. Melt butter in 9x13-inch baking dish. Place potatoes over the butter. Bake at 375 for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning once during baking.

Cheesy Penne with Broccoli and Herbed Breadsticks!

once again, sorry for the no post last week...my family and i got home from florida the beginning of last week so i didn't cook until the weekend and i haven't gotten a chance to blog until now! so, here we go! i made cheesy penne with broccoli and herbed breadsticks. both of these recipes i got from Cooking Light, and both were easy and fast! i had almost all the ingredients for them at home except for the broccoli. the meal only took twenty minutes total to make and it was delicious. i'd say it was a win-win situation. if you're ever in a rush, or even not in a rush, try this!

Recipes:

Herbed Breadsticks
TIME: 15 minutes SERVES: 4
Ingredients:
4 oz. of leftover Pizza or Bread dough [i used half of this recipe]
1 Tbps. chopped Oregano
1 Tbsp. chopped Thyme
Cooking Spray
1 tsp. olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
[1] Pre-heat oven to 425.
[2] Roll out dough in an 8 x 4-inch rectangle. Sprinkle herbs over it. Fold dough over twice; knead 4 times.
[3] Roll into an 8 x 4-inch rectangle once again. Cut into 4 (4 x 2-inch) rectangles; twist.
[4] Arrange on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; bake for 10 minutes.
[5] Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper.


Cheesy Penne with Broccoli
TIME: 20 minutes SERVES: 4
Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked mini penne pasta
5 cups broccoli florets (about 1 medium head)
1 1/3 cups fat-free milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2.5 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2/3 cup)
Directions:
[1] Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add broccoli to pan; drain. Place pasta and broccoli in a large bowl.
[2] Combine milk and flour in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened; remove from heat. Add 2 tablespoons Parmesan and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add cheese mixture to pasta mixture; toss. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.

Oopsy

first off, i would like to apologize for the no post last week.  i was planning on posting the meal i made last tuesday night over the weekend but i ended up getting sick and never got it done. so, here we are. last tuesday night i made hamburger steak with onion gravy and chive mashed potatoes, from  Cooking Light, and old-fashioned biscuits from Food Network. it was, to quote hannah montana, the best of both worlds. (yes, i was a fan back in my dark days.) when i was making my old-fashioned biscuits, a recipe by Paula Deen by the way, i made a little oopsy, okay actually a huge oopsy. when putting the dry ingredients together i read 1 tablespoon of baking soda. i thought that seemed like a lot of baking soda so i re-read it one more time. i was correct, one tablespoon of baking soda. so i gave Mrs. Deen the benefit of the doubt and dumped it in. well, when i tasted the biscuit at the supper table i knew it had too much baking soda. my mom even asked me if i put too much baking soda in, but i assured i read the recipe twice and that's what it said to do. after supper as i was cleaning up i happened to glance over at the recipe, and there in black ink was clearly printed one tablespoon of baking powder. i thought, wow, Hannah, you must be getting old. as my grandpa used to say, "biscuits like that never last long at our house." we threw them out.

the steak and mashed potatoes were delicious! i'm sure the biscuit would've been too!

Recipes:

Hamburger Steak with Onion Gravy
TIME: 20 minutes SERVES: 4

Ingredients: 
1 pound ground sirloin 
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided 
1 1/2 cups vertically sliced onion 
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour 
1 cup unsalted beef stock
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions (optional) [i opted out]

Directions: 
[1] Divide beef into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Sprinkle patties evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; swirl to coat. Add patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned; remove from pan.
[2] Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add vertically sliced onion; sauté 3 minutes or until lightly browned and tender. Sprinkle onion with flour; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add stock and remaining salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Return patties to pan; reduce heat to medium, partially cover, and cook 5 minutes or until gravy is slightly thickened. Sprinkle with green onions, if desired.


Quick Chive Mashed Potatoes
TIME: 6 minutes  SERVES: 4

Ingredients: 
2 c. of frozen mashed potatoes [i made 2 c. of homemade mashed potatoes]
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
2 Tbsp. creme fraiche or sour cream [you guessed it, i used sour cream]
2 Tbsp. fat-free milk
1 Tbsp. butter
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Directions:
[1] Prepare 2c. of mashed potatoes [frozen or homemade]
[2] Stir in all 6 ingredients


Old-Fashioned Biscuits
TIME: 45 minutes YIELDS: about 10 biscuits

Ingredients: 
2 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
8 Tbsp. cold lard or un-salted butter [i used butter]
Unsalted butter, softened, for the plan and biscuit tops

Directions: 
[1] Preheat oven to 425.
[2] Mix the flour sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl with a fork.
[3] Cut the chilled lard into small cubes and add to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender (or two forks) to cut the lard into the flour, pressing and twisting until the lard is in pea-size bits.
[4] Make a well in the flour-fat mixture and slowly pour in the milk. Mix with a fork until just combined, then knead gently with your hands until the dough comes together into a sticky ball.
[5] Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and pliable; do not overwork. Roll out into a 1/2-inch-thick round, flouring the rolling pin and dough as needed.
[6] Smear a 10-inch hoe cake pan or cast-iron skillet with softened butter. Cut out 2-3 inch biscuits using a clean empty can, the mouth of a glass or biscuit cutter. Put the biscuits on the pan. Re-roll the scraps and cut out more biscuits. Make a fist and mark the top of each biscuit with your knuckles. Dot with softened butter. Bake until golden, 15-20 minutes.

Chicken Fajitas

....last night i made chicken fajitas! i got the recipe from Food Network. the chicken in it was superb. i loved the flavor. the only thing that i did differently to the recipe was to substitute cotija cheese for feta cheese, as my local grocery store does not carry a wide variety of cheeses. cotija is a hard goat's milk cheese that originated from mexico, but feta cheese substitutes just fine! at least that's whats Gourmet Sleuth told me. Gourmet Sleuth is a website i recently stumbled upon that has a culinary dictionary with substitutions, ingredients, and equivalents. i would really recommend checking it out, it has been a life saver to me many a times. anyways, back to the fajita, super good, super easy, super quick, you should try it.

Chicken Fajitas
TIME: 35 minutes   SERVES: 4
Per serving: Calories 372

Ingredients: 

1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 bell peppers (any color), sliced
1 red onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest, plus wedges for serving
8 corn tortillas [i used flour]
1/2 cup prepared pico de gallo or fresh salsa
1/3 cup crumbled cotija cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)

Directions: 

[1]Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Mix the chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and rub on the chicken breasts.
[2] Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet, reserving the skillet, and bake until just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board to rest, 5 minutes.
[3] Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the reserved skillet over medium heat. Add the bell peppers, onion, garlic and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cumin and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are lightly browned, 8 minutes. Stir in the lime zest and 2 tablespoons water. Season with salt.
[4] Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and warm in the oven, 5 minutes, then divide among plates. Slice the chicken. Top the tortillas with the chicken, bell pepper mixture, pico de gallo and cheese. Serve with lime wedges.

Good News & Bad News

i have good news and bad news. i'm a firm believer in giving the bad news first in this type of situation. because, after you hear the bad news you know it can only get better, but when you hear the good news first you know it'll only go downhill from there. so, enough of my jabbering.............BAD NEWS: i'm not cooking until the weekend, and miraculously i'm all caught up on my posts (okay so this is kind of good news for me,) which means i don't have a meal to post about..............GOOD NEWS: i've had something that's just been waiting to be posted on here but i've been waiting for the opportune moment. it's a recipe for the best cheddar cheese ball ever known to man! (well in my opinion) I found this recipe from An Edible Mosaic. my naive cooking mind always thought that making a cheese ball was close to impossible. turns out it isn't. it's super easy. oh how innocent i am when it comes to food sometimes!

Cheddar Cheese Ball Appetizer (Or Cheddar Pub Spread if you're feeling fancy)
TIME: 9 hours MAKES:  2 large cheese balls [i just made one]

Ingredients:
8 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
8 oz. Farmers cheese (no salt added)
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 c. toasted pecans, chopped.

Directions:

[1] Pulse together all ingredients in a food processor until it forms a smooth paste.
[2] Divide in half, and roll each half into a ball.
[3] Put the cheese balls on a paper towel-lined plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
[4] Before serving, roll each ball in pecans and then let them sit at room temperature for 45 minutes; serve with crackers.

the finished product in the line up of appetizers at a party i took it to.