Homemade Croutons

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Ruf Love

Homemade-Croutons-3

Andy is great at helping get dinner ready before I come home from work. I’ll leave a recipe on the counter or give him instructions in the morning. He’ll start chopping, defrosting, mixing, etc. As soon as I walk in the door, he turns it over to me. It’s a great time saver since he gets home so much earlier.

One night, we were eating Turkey and Spinach Meatloaf. I kept getting these odd chunks of something that didn’t taste bad…just odd. I kept eating. Finally, I had to ask, “Bubs, do you know what this is?” He so innocently replies, “It’s the breadcrumbs.”

Me: “Did you stir them in?”

Andy: “Yeah. I followed the recipe exactly.”

Me: “Oh, ok…..Wait. Are you sure you didn’t use the croutons?”

Andy: “I don’t know. It’s the one in the container.”

I go to the pantry and hold up the Panko breadcrumbs.

Me: “You used this?”

Andy: “Uhhhh. No. I used the ones you made the other day.”

Me: “Bahahaha!!!! Those would be croutons, not breadcrumbs.”

Homemade-Croutons

Do you have some leftover bread? Make some croutons. You’ll never buy croutons again.

I’m not listing specific amounts of the ingredients because it completely depends on how much bread you have or how much flavor you want on the croutons. Eyeball it, then taste a piece of bread. You’ll know if it needs more. You can always add more salt after they’re cooked.

INGREDIENTS

Old bread

Olive oil

Salt

Seasonings (garlic powder, red pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese, or anything else that sounds good to you)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350.
Cut bread into 1” pieces.
Toss bread in a little bit (just enough to coat) of olive oil. Better yet, use an olive oil mister.
Sprinkle salt and other spices. Mix well.
Place on baking sheet in single layer.
Bake for 25 min. After 25 min, begin checking every few minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Caesar Salad Pizza

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Ruf Love

This week’s Project Pastry Queen was Caesar Salad Pizzas. I was definitely intrigued. I love Caesar salad and I love pizza. This should be a win-win.

The recipe seems long and difficult but it’s because there are so many parts. I’m not sure if the pizza crust was worth the time (although it really didn’t take too long). Next time, I might use pita bread, Trader Joe’s pizza crust, Naan bread, or maybe even a tortilla.

Either way, it was good.

The dressing may scare some of you with the whole raw egg thing. I’ve had raw egg in a Caesar salad before, but I’ve never made it that way. I decided to stick to the recipe and keep it in. I probably should have bought the pasteurized eggs but didn’t feel like going to the store. While I can’t speak to the taste difference if I had left the egg out, I don’t think it would hurt.

Long story, short; I’ll be keeping the dressing recipe on hand and the concept in the back of my mind.

This week’s challenge (I’m a bit behind.)? Tuxedo Cake!!! Can’t wait for this one.

INGREDIENTS

Crust

1 ½ C lukewarm water
2 (1 oz) packages active dry yeast
2 Tbls olive oil, plus additional for brushing on crusts
2 tsp honey
4-5 C flour
3 Tbls semolina flour (optional)
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
½ C coarse cornmeal
1 C freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

Dressing

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 anchovy (optional – I didn’t use)
2 large eggs, beaten, or ½ C pasteurized egg product
½ C freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 C extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ C freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Salad

1 large head romaine lettuce, washed and cut into 1 ½” slices
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Dough

Combine the lukewarm water, yeast, olive oil, and honey in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook.
Add 3 C of the all-purpose flour, semolina flour, salt, crushed red pepper. Mix on low speed. With the machine running, add 1 C of the all purpose flour to make a soft dough.
Mix the dough on low speed about 5 min longer, until smooth.
Add up to 1 more cup of the all purpose flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the bowl. (I didn’t need any additional flour.)
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10-15 turns.
Place in a large oiled bowl. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 30-40 min.
Generously coat two baking sheets with olive oil. Sprinkle the sheets with cornmeal.
Preheat over to 450. (If you have a pizza stone, use it instead of the baking sheets, preheating it along with the oven. No need to grease the stone, just sprinkle it with cornmeal just before you bake the pizzas.)
Divide the dough into quarters. Roll each piece into a ball, place the dough ball on a baking sheet, cover with a damp towel, and let rest for 10-15 minutes longer. Use immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 3 hours.
Using a floured rolling pin, flatten each dough ball into an 8” circle. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with ¼ C Parmesan cheese.
Transfer the crusts onto the prepared baking sheets and bake for 10-15 minutes, until browned and crisp.

Dressing

Add garlic, anchovy, eggs, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and mustard in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until smooth.
With the processor running, add the olive oil through the feed tube in a thin, steady stream.
Pour the dressing into a bowl, stir in Parmesan cheese, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Salad

Toss the lettuce and tomatoes with the dressing.
Place a generous amount of salad on top of each warm pizza crust.
Garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese. Serve flat like a tostada.

NOTES

Serves 4

Very, very slightly adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather.

Bananas Foster Shortcakes

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Ruf Love

I recently joined a great group of bloggers on a journey through The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather – Project Pastry Queen. The first project was Bananas Foster Shortcakes. I think I joined at the perfect time!

The sauce is to die for. Not good for you, but so darn delicious. I could just make the sauce, pour it over ice cream and be done.

The shortcakes weren’t my favorite. To me, they were a bit flat and dry. Once I added the sauce it really helped balance out the sweetness of the sauce. Next time I make this, I will probably try a different shortcake recipe or really just skip them all together.

The next project is Caesar Salad Pizzas. The best of both worlds. Can’t wait!

INGREDIENTS

Biscuits

2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1/3 C granulated sugar
½ C chilled unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ C heavy whipping cream
sugar for sprinkling

Bananas & Syrup

1 C unsalted butter
1 ½ C firmly packed brown sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ C banana liquer (optional)
¼ C dark rum (optional)
8 bananas (somewhere between green and ripe), sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1/3 C pecans

8 scoops vanilla ice cream

DIRECTIONS

Pecans

Preheat the oven to 350.
Arrange pecans on baking sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes. Watch closely to make sure they don’t burn. Cool completely.

Biscuits

Increase oven to 425.
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process about 30 seconds.
Cut the butter into 16 pieces and add to the flour mixture. Pulse about 15 times, until the mixture is crumbly.
Add the pecans, turn on the processor and pour the cream in through the feed tube in a thin, steady stream, until the mixture begins to form a ball.
Remove the dough and place on a flat surface that has been sprinkled with flour. Gently form the dough into a 1/2 inch thick disk. Use a 4 inch biscuit cutter, round cookie cutter, or a glass to cut the dough into rounds. Roll the biscuits in the coarse sugar and set on a cookie sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until the shortcakes begin to turn golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer the biscuits to individual serving plates.

Sauce

Melt the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a large saute pan set over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes.
Bring mixture to a boil them immediately bring to a simmer. If it continues to boil, remove pan from heat for a few seconds to help it cool.
Add the banana liqueur, rum and sliced bananas to the syrup and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Scoop ice cream onto the shortcakes.
Top with sauce and sprinkle with pecans.

NOTES

Serves 8

Very, very slightly adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather.

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Ruf Love

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas have been floating around the food blogging world the past few weeks. I had to get in on it. They looked sooo good! And, they were awesome. Best of all, Andy loved them and said this is a definite make again meal.

These were quick and easy to put together. Next time, I’ll try making the enchilada sauce from scratch.

This recipe could easily be doubled and you’ll probably want to. We were quite tempted to eat all of them in one sitting but then thoughts of extra gym time held us back. Next time, probably not.

INGREDIENTS

4 whole wheat tortillas (approx. 12”)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
11 oz can red enchilada sauce
¼ C buffalo wing sauce
¾ C shredded cheese (I used a few different kinds to use up scraps – Gouda, mozzarella, and cheddar)
4 ounces gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
2 green onions, chopped
¼ C cilantro, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375.
Spray an 8” x 8” baking dish with non-stick spray.
Combine the enchilada sauce and buffalo sauce in small bowl.
Add shredded chicken to a bowl with ½ green onions and ½ C shredded cheese. Add 1/3 of enchilada and buffalo sauce.
Pour an additional 1/3 of enchilada and buffalo sauce in the bottom of baking dish.
Split the chicken mixture between all tortillas and roll being sure to fold in the sides. Place seam side down in baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada and buffalo sauce over enchiladas.
Sprinkle gorgonzola and remaining shredded cheese over top.
Bake for 20-25 min.
Garnish with remaining green onions and cilantro.

NOTES

Make 4 enchiladas

Adapted from How Sweet It Is.

Mexican Corn Chowder

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Ruf Love

A little more Mexican for you!

Andy and I have a new favorite roadside stand. They have a large variety of fruits and vegetables. The owner showed us what had been picked that morning so we’d have the freshest vegetables and she even showed us the fields with what they were going to have ready to harvest in the fall. We’ll definitely be visiting them again.

We ended up buying some late summer sweet corn before it’s gone until next year. I’ve had my fill of corn on the cob this summer but I wanted something that was going to showcase the corn. After an amazing bowl of corn chowder I had at a restaurant in Seattle, I had to make my own.

This recipe has been family-in-law and even 20 month old approved! It was a hit at a family birthday gathering the other day.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons butter
2 T plus 1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp cumin
6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups canned chicken stock
2 cups 1% or 2% milk
2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced
1 can green chiles
2 C shredded chicken (optional)
6 ears corn (approximately 6 C)
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ C chopped cilantro (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450.

Cut the corn kernels off the cob and toss with 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp salt. Spread corn on baking sheet and roast for 15 min or until golden. (Roasting the corn is optional.)

While corn is roasting, start making the soup.

Heat the butter and 1 T olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, chili powder, cumin, and thyme and cook until onions are translucent.

Stir flour into vegetables until fully combined. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Add the cream and potatoes. Bring to a boil for about 7 minutes, gently stirring.

Carefully, ladle about half of the potatoes and some broth into blender. Liquefy potatoes and add back to soup pot. (The more potatoes you blend, the thicker the chowder.)

Stir in corn, green chilies and chicken (optional). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Simmer for 10 min. Garnish soup with chopped cilantro.

NOTES

10 servings

Adapted from Tyler Florence’s Corn Chowder

This chowder isn’t spicy and could definitely be kicked up depending on who’s eating it. I would try garnishing the chowder with jalapeños and/or increasing the chili powder.

Mozzarella and Tomatoes – Post #3 – Chicken Caprese Grilled Sandwiches

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Ruf Love

Finally, post #3. Chicken Caprese Grilled Sandwiches

Post #2 – Arugula Caprese Salad with Maple Bacon

Post #1 – Caprese Salad

We made these with the remainder of our basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella. A perfect end to our week of summer garden bliss. They’re so simple, yet so delicious!

CHICKEN CAPRESE GRILLED SANDWICHES

INGREDIENTS

1 baguette

2 T olive oil

8 T basil pesto

2 precooked chicken patties (we use these)

8 fresh mozzarella slices

8 basil leaves

8 tomato slices

DIRECTIONS

1. Slice each chicken patty horizontally (you want them thin). Cut each slice in half. You should have 8 pieces.

2. Preheat non-stick pan to medium-high.

3. Slice baguette into 16 1/2″ slices. Brush each slice with olive oil. Flip over all bread slices.

4. Top 8 of the bread slices with pesto and chicken. Top each of the other 8 slices of bread with a mozzarella slice, basil leaf and tomato slice.

5. Grill each bread slice with toppings, oilve oil side down until lightly browned. Sandwich together one of the pesto and chicken sides with the mozzarella sides.

Notes:

8 sandwiches

Make sure the mozzarella slice is placed directly on the bread. You want it as close to the heat as possible so it melts.

Mozzarella and Tomatoes – Post #2 – Arugula Caprese Salad with Maple Bacon

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Ruf Love

Post #2 from our abundance of tomatoes and basil. Lucky us!

Post #1 – Caprese Salad

Post #3 – Chicken Caprese Grilled Sandwiches

The first recipe was my take on a traditional Caprese Salad. The day after, I wanted a little more green in my salad. We had a bag of arugula and after a bit of scrounging, I found some leftover maple bacon from the weekend. It was a perfect salad.

ARUGULA CAPRESE SALAD WITH MAPLE BACON

INGREDIENTS

2 large handfuls arugula, washed

1 beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes (you could substitute any kind of tomatoes)

2 1/4″ slices, mozzarella

5 basil leaves

2 slices, cooked maple bacon

1/2 C balsamic vinegar

1/2 C brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in small pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 min or until it coats the back of a spoon. Place in bowl, cover, and let cool in refrigerator for 3o min.

2. While the dressing is cooling, place arugula on a large plate. Crumble bacon over leaves.

3. Chop tomatoes into 16 pieces. Slice mozzarella into matchstick shaped pieces. Toss tomatoes and mozzarella over salad.

4. Roll basil leaves together. Slice into thin strips and toss over salad.

5. Drizzle balsamic dressing over salad.

Notes:

Serves 2 for side dish or 1 for a meal.

The maple bacon adds an element of sweetness to the dish. Depending on your quality of balsamic vinegar and the sweetness you desire, 1/2 C of brown sugar may be too sweet. The “better” your vinegar, the sweeter it is. Adjust the sugar according to the level of sweetness you desire.

Mozzarella and Tomatoes – Post #1 – Caprese Salad

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Ruf Love

We’re kinda lucky. My parents had an overabundance of tomatoes from their garden and we had friends offer us fresh basil anytime! We ate of these perfect summer treats for a few days. I never, ever tire of Caprese Salad, but I don’t mind changing it up a bit either. I’ve got three recipes on three separate posts for you.

1. Caprese Salad – garden fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil leaves, olive oil, and a sweet balsamic dressing

2. Arugula Caprese Salad with Maple Bacon – Arugula, tomato, mozzarella, basil, maple bacon, and a sweet balsamic dressing

3. Chicken Caprese Grilled Sandwiches – fresh bread, pesto, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil leaves, grilled to yumminess

First up, my twist on the traditional Caprese Salad. I love a sweeter balsamic vinegar. For this recipe, I combine balsamic vinegar with brown sugar into almost a syrup. It adds a richness to the traditional salad.

CAPRESE SALAD

INGREDIENTS

10 beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes slices

10 mozzarella slices, about 1/4″ thick

10 basil leaves

1/2 C balsamic vinegar

1/2 C brown sugar

extra virgin olive oil, to taste

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

2. Layer a slice of tomatoes, mozzarella then basil. Repeat with remaining slices.

3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle oil and balsamic reduction.

Notes:

Depending on your quality of balsamic vinegar and the sweetness you desire, 1/2 C of brown sugar may be too sweet. The “better” your vinegar, the sweeter it is. Adjust the sugar accordingly.

Cilantro Chicken with Chipotle and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Ruf Love

My first Tex-Mex post! I eat and cook a lot of Tex-Mex. Andy thinks I’m half Mexican. Cilantro, jalapenos, and limes are a staple in my kitchen. I CAN”T GET ENOUGH!!!

A few years ago, I took a cooking class as part of a conference from Jane Butel. She’s a cook from New Mexico and she has some great Southwestern recipes. Since I have three of her cookbooks, I’ve tried lots of them! Her recipes are simple and have few ingredients.

Ya know those green chilies in a can? She show you how to make your own, and wow; they’re delicious. I’ll save that for another post.

Both of these recipes are adapted from her cookbook, Real Women Eat Chilies.

This dish is quite easy; however, it does take a tad bit of planning. The garlic needs to roast, chicken needs to marinate, and the potatoes need to boil. The chicken can be start marinating in the morning and the garlic can be roasted at any time. You may even want to roast up a few batches to have on hand. They will keep in the fridge (remove the skins) for about a week.

CILANTRO CHICKEN

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

8 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp salt

2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 C coarsely chopped cilantro

1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced

1 lime, halved

1. Rinse the chicken breast and pat dry. Combine garlic, oil, mustard, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, and juice from 1/2 lime.

2. Generously coat chicken breasts, place in shallow glass dish, cover and marinate for at least 30 min.

3. Preheat the grill pan on medium heat. Add chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until thoroughly cooked.

4. Slice remaining 1/2 lime and use as garnish.

Notes:

Serves 4

Adapted from Jane Butel’s Real Women Eat Chilies

Please, please use real garlic and not the jar stuff.

CHIPOTLE AND ROASTED GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

INGREDIENTS

1/2 unpeeled head garlic, top 1/4 sliced off

2 tsp olive oil

2 lbs golden potatoes

1 Tbls unsalted butter

1/2 C buttermilk

2 canned chipotle peppers, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 cob of corn, shucked, washed, and stripped (this is my fav corn stripper)

DIRECTIONS

1. Place garlic on large piece of foil. Cover with oil and wrap tightly. Bake in the over at 400 degrees for 20 – 30 minutes or until soft. When done, squeeze garlic cloves out onto the foil. Discard the rest.

2. Place potatoes in pot and cover with water. Cover, bring to a boil and cook until tender.

3. In small pot, warm buttermilk and butter.

4. Drain potatoes then add garlic. Mash potatoes and garlic. Slowly add warm buttermilk and butter to potatoes until fluffy.

5. Add salt and pepper. Fold in chipotle peppers.

6. After mashed potatoes are on the plate, sprinkle corn over top.

Notes:

Serves 4

Adapted from Jane Butel’s Real Women Eat Chilies

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can use any other kind of milk.

No, you don’t have to cook corn on the cob. Raw corn is delicious and sooo sweet.

Fed to Wed

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Ruf Love

What a fun weekend! My mother-in-law bought my brother-in-law cooking lessons for his birthday…from ME! With my BIL Adam, comes the sweetest soon-to-be SIL, Sarah. Confused yet? Adam and Sarah are engaged to be married this coming November. We couldn’t be happier for them. So instead of pre-marital counseling, we’re offering pre-marital cooking.

Adam had wanted to learn how to change up his menu from chicken on his George Foreman grill. Adam and Sarah came over Friday afternoon and the cooking began. In the course of about 18 hours we made Cool Whip Peanut Butter Pie, Cherry and Ricotta Crostini, Mushroom Risotto, Baked Pork Chops, Roasted Broccoli, Blueberry Pancakes with Strawberry Sauce, bacon, scrambled eggs, Cheesecake Strawberries, and Texas Sheet Cake. Phew! By the time we finished breakfast on Saturday, we were pooped!

In planning the menu, I asked them if there was anything in particular they wanted to learn. Adam said pork chops. Beyond that, they were up for anything. I tried to combine quick, easy items with a few more difficult techniques or something they might not try on their own. Also, I wanted to give them some very familiar flavors but also try some a bit more unique. We also worked on timing. Everything came out together. Miracle! We even had fun aprons. Andy (my hubby) was the photographer and Detroit Lions logo creator. He cut this by hand. Pretty impressive, huh?

We started with the Cool Whip Peanut Butter Pie so it could get in the freezer in time for dessert. While Sarah was working on the pie, Adam started the appetizer – Cherry and Ricotta Crostini. Adam pitted cherries and zested a lemon. Two new skills! We ate the crostini then got started on the entree. Sarah worked on the risotto (she now has a super strong right arm) and Adam prepared the pork chops and broccoli. Freshly chopped broccoli.

Seasoning the pork chops.

Breading the pork chops.

Starting the risotto.

Look at their beautiful work!

Saturday morning. We were a bit tired and forgot to take pictures. Here’s the aftermath.

After breakfast, Adam had had his fill of cooking. Adam and Andy went off to play video games. They came in handy for bowl and beater licking and taste testing. Meanwhile, Sarah and I finished the baking. We had a family party later that afternoon so we made a few treats. Cheesecake Strawberries and Texas Sheet Cake. Texas Sheet Cake is perfect for a crowd plus you get to frost it while it’s hot. For some reason, I love the fact you don’t have to wait for the cake to cool. The Cheesecake Strawberries are so quick and easy but look so elegant. Look at Sarah’s beautiful piping job!

A successful two days. Adam and Sarah passed (we should know…we’ve been married for a whole 9 months) and are now ready to marry! Congrats you two. We love you!

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: