I've never made acorn squash before, but this was a hit and it made the house smell wonderful! I may cut down on the rosemary next time, but it could have to do more with first trimester nausea than anything because everyone else around the table thought they were perfect!
Place the squash in a baking dish and lightly sprinkle with salt. Drizzle on the olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes in a 35o degree oven. Meanwhile, mix the butter, brown sugar, dash of salt and rosemary together to make a paste. After the squash have cooked for 20 minutes take out of the oven and put some of the paste on each of the squash wedges. Let roast for another 30 minutes or until slightly browned on the edges. 15 minutes through the 30 minute session brush the squash with the butter. Enjoy!
I have a sweet friend that loves biscotti in the morning. It became my personal ambition to find the best biscotti recipe out there. While my quest is far from over, this is the recipe that Brittany most often requests. I have to say, the are delish! I have tried dipping them in white chocolate or swirling it on top, but this time I reduced the amount of pistachios to 1 cup and put about 3/4 cup of white chocolate chips in. Also, finding unsalted pistachios around here is next to impossible so I just use the salted ones and leave out the 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Enjoy!
In a large bowl mix together oil and sugar until well blended. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts, then beat in the eggs. Combine flour, salt and baking powder; gradually stir into egg mixture. Mix in cranberries and nuts by hand.
Divide dough in half. Form two logs (12 x 2 inches) on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Dough may be sticky; wet hands with cool water to handle dough more easily.
Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until logs are light brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275 degrees.
Cut logs on diagonal into 3/4 inch thick slices. Lay on sides on parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until dry; cool.
Chicken and dumplings. Ultimate comfort food! I chose to double the filling recipe and freeze half for a busy day. In the event that dumplings aren't your thing, switch it up with a pot pie crust instead!
INGREDIENTS:
Dumplings
* 1 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (chives, parsley), or 2 tablespoons dried (optional)
* 3/4 cup buttermilk
* 1 large egg
Pot Pie Filling
* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
* 1/2 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
* 3 cups chicken stock, or a combination of stock and leftover gravy
* 1 teaspoon dry thyme
* 1 bay leaf
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 4 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken (I oven roasted my chicken breasts. I opted for breasts with rib meat and left the skin on. Once cool, I removed and threw away the skin and bones and shredded the meat. I also added the juices from the chicken to the butter and flour when I started to make the filling.)
* 2 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
DIRECTIONS:
1. For the dumplings: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Stir in the herbs, if using. Cover and refrigerate this mixture while you're making the pot pie filling.
2. For the pot pie filling: Melt the butter (and chicken juices) in a 5-quart pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the stock 1/2 cup at a time, whisking it into the roux to prevent lumps. When all the stock and/or gravy is added, season with the thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes, then stir in the meat and vegetables.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
5. To assemble: Once the oven is preheated, whisk the buttermilk and egg together, and add, all at once, to the dry mixture.
6. Stir together until evenly moistened.
7. Scoop the batter on top of the simmering liquid, leaving space between the dumplings (they'll almost double as the cook). Put the lid on top, and bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes.
A few weeks ago, you might remember that Susan posted this picture and recipe for an Apple Galette. Well, I made that recipe this past weekend and I'm here to tell you that you NEED to make it right now! It is truly one of the best recipes I have tried to date! The crust makes the recipe! The fact that we're amidst apple season might help the recipe's cause a little too! Seriously though, make it. You'll be a hero wherever it's served!
Note: The recipe called for the crust to be made in a food processor, however, I made it with a pastry cutter and it turned out just great! I just cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembled coarse meal and then stirred the water in with a rubber spatula.
A few weeks ago, after a failed attempt at dinner rolls, I came across this video on King Arthur Flour's website. Needless to say, it rocked my world and righted my rolls. In the event that no one has ever taught you the "proper" way to measure flour either, please watch! I promise it will change your life! Okay, at least your baking :)
It would putting it mildly to say that "pregnancy nesting" has kicked in. I am BEYOND nesting and I cannot stop cooking and freezing food. Jer thinks it's hilarious and has been (nicely) teasing me that I am preparing for a seven year famine! What can I say?! Welcoming this third baby just might bring exactly that! :)
Anyway, in in effort to multiply the fruits of my labor, I've been pouring through gads of recipes in search of tasty meals that freeze and reheat well. This King Arthur Beef Barley Soup fit the bill but beyond that, it was amazingly good! Nothing like the canned stuff! Although it was a bit cumbersome to make (lots of cooking/cutting/and clean-up) it made about 2 gallons of soup. Definitely worth it's work in finished weight!
If you're interested, I chose to pair it with King Arthur Flour's Soft White Dinner Rolls, but any soft dinner roll or crusty loaf would be just great!
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup (2 1/4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
2 pounds beef chuck stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks and patted dry (I increased this to 3 lbs because we like more meat!)
1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 quarts beef stock or broth
1/2 pound medium pearled barley, rinsed in cool water and drained (NOT THE QUICK COOK!)
2 yellow onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
6 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch slices
6 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes, drained (I cut these up before adding)
DIRECTIONS:
NOTE: I didn't want to use my 10 quart stock pot-I feel like it takes too long to cook in and it cooks unevenly. Instead, I chose to use 2-5 quart stock pots. I cooked half of the meat in each pot and then added 2 1/2 quarts of broth to each pot. I split the rest of the ingredients between the pots as well and it worked just great!
I also chose to dredge my meat in flour (seasoned with s&p) which the recipe does not call for. I liked the end result. The broth seemed thicker than it would have otherwise been. I would definitely do that again!
Heat 1/2 cup olive oil over medium heat in a 10- to 12-inch skillet. Add the garlic and cook until golden. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the garlic. Working in batches, add a single layer of beef cubes to the skillet and sear on all sides. Remove each batch with a slotted spoon, and sprinkle with black pepper. Leave the remaining oil in the skillet, and set it aside.
In a 10-quart soup pot, bring the stock or broth to a simmer. Add the browned beef and rinsed barley, cover, and return to a full simmer. Reduce heat and cook gently for about 1 1/2 hours.
Return the skillet to medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat and add the onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Stir in the oregano and thyme. Cover the skillet and cook over very low heat for about 15 minutes.
Transfer the vegetables to the simmering soup, then add the chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 15 minutes before serving. Yield: about 22 servings.
These are a childhood favorite of Kurt’s and definitely one of the most delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever tasted! Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS: 1c. butter (2 sticks) 1 c. white sugar 1 c. brown sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla 2 c. flour 2 1/2 c. blended oatmeal 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 12 oz. choc. chips 4 oz. grated Hershey bar 2 c. chopped nuts
DIRECTIONS: Cream margarine and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir together flour, oatmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix with butter/sugar mixture. Add chips, candy, and nuts. Roll into one inch balls and place 2″ apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10-15 min. at 375. Makes 5 – 5 1/2 doz.
Ingredients:
