French Rabbit “Stew” with Mushrooms and Pancetta & Endive Side with Pancetta

I am sick of chicken and pork. Totally tired of turkey meatballs and the pasta with endless varieties of meat and nonmeat sauces. Creamed and tomato alike. This weekend was the day(s) that was going to end! I found a recipe that I just had to try, to be more specific, an ingredient: rabbit. I got this french cuisine cookbook maybe a year ago, and I thought I’d master every recipe in it, including all those odd rabbit, eel, and veal ones, however, I haven’t opened since it first arrived in an amazon package.

I have to say, in Los Angeles it isn’t as hard as I thought to get rabbit. Although it was more expensive than in Europe. Mainly, that’s because in America we don’t really hunt it, and certainly not in Los Angeles. I’m sure if I lived in the Midwest or even in the South, or hell, even in Fresno, I’d be able to get rabbit for a lot cheaper than what Gelson’s was offering to sell me.

I did get lucky with a local butcher. And honestly, nothing is better than local. Seriously folks, I felt amazing just knowing that  I was supporting someone that had great produce, great service, and a reasonable price! Well, as reasonable as it could get.

And so I set forth to make this fancy (in my eyes) “stew”. I put that into quotations because my notions of what a stew was, were tested. I thought of stew as a thick soup, usually overly hearty, and filling. This was delicious, and filling, but certainly not hearty, and not thick. It was essentially Rabbit that was browned in butter and garlic, and then braised in a cup of white wine, with some flour added in to make a slightly thickened sauce for the finished product to cover the meat in.

French Rabbit Stew with Mushrooms and Pancetta 

• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 oz thick cut pancetta, cut in cubes
• 5 pearl onions, or 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 1/2 lb rabbit (I used a 2.8 lb rabbit) cut into serving pieces or dissected at butchers
• 1 tbso all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 bouquet garni made with parsley, thyme, and bay leaf (fresh)
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 lb white mushrooms, halved (I roughly chopped mine, and used brown)

In a flameproof casserole, or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and onions and cook until lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta and onions to  a bowl.

Add the rabbit pieces and cook until nicely browned on all sides (I had to do this in two shifts). Stir in the flour and cook until lightly browned. Return the pancetta and onions to the pot. Add the wine, garlic, and bouquet garni and season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.

Add the mushrooms to the rabbit and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove the bouquet garni. Transfer the rabbit and sauce to a warmed serving dish and serve.

Serve with Buttery Endives with Pancetta (below)

Endives in Butter with Pancetta

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 lbs endives ( I only used two endives, about .6 lb, and trust me, it was not enough, when cooked down, even for two)
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 lb thickly sliced pancetta, cubed
• 3 1/2 ounces dry-cured ham (optional)

In a flameproof casserole, or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the endives and cooking until lightly brown all over. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons water. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to very low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

Add the pancetta and ham, if using, and cook for 20 minutes. Transfer to a warmed serving dish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Special Thanks to Boyfriend, who was patient and caring enough to take the photos for me this time, while was dashing to and fro in the kitchen trying to time the two recipes together. Thanks!**

Corned Beef to Celebrate March

I was trying to figure out what to make this weekend, and I couldn’t think of anything better than corned beef. The first time I’ve made corned beef I followed a recipe and roasted it. The end result was dry and chewy. I knew I should have boiled it, but the instructions on the package just said roasting. This time I wouldn’t have any of that nonsense and I decided to do some research.

Apparently, roasting is very popular but timing varies between beef roasts and it’s just a guessing game. That’s not something I’m comfortable with. A few recipes however did mention braising. Braising is boiling but in the oven, basically. That sounded like a melding of the two things that people argued the most about. So I decided to try it.

Corned Beef with Onion, Carrot, and Cabbage

1 3-lb package of corned beef with spices included
fennel seeds
black peppercorns
coriander seeds
mustard seeds
1 small head of lettuce, cut into half and chopped into strips.
4 cloves garlic
3 carrots, peels and cut into half
1 medium onion, cut into quarters

In a large pot add the corned beef and the packaged ingredients. Fill pot with lukewarm warm 4 inches above the meat. Put on medium high heat and bring to a boil. Continue to simmer while skimming the skum off the top of the water for 15 minutes. When you skim, chances are you’re also going to be scooping the spices as well. Not to worry, you’ll be adding those before you put the pot into the oven.

After 15 minutes preheat oven to 325 degrees F and add carrots, onions, and garlic to the pot. Simmer for 4-6 more minutes. Add in the spices (seeds and peppercorns) according to your tastes, usually 2 tbsp each. Cover the pot with foil, and cover that tightly with the lid.

Place in oven for anywhere between 2 hr 45 min to 3 hrs.

Take out of the oven, and gently peel off the foil (careful not to burn yourself with the steam). Take out the corned beef and place into  foil, wrapping all sides tightly around the meat to keep with warm and tender. Attempt to remove the garlic (it’ll disintegrate, so be gentle with it), and add in the cabbage. Cook for about 8 minutes.

Excuse the spot by the plate. Some Guinness couldn’t help but spill.

What I Did for Valentine’s Day

I’ve had quite an eventful weekend. This was the first weekend where I forced myself to do homework, tons of homework, after work  and throughout the week, instead of waiting for the weekend. This was because Friday, February 15 was my Valentine’s Day. I haven’t had a chance to really hang out and see Boyfriend the past three weeks or so. And I know there’s a chance I won’t be seeing him this weekend either (thanks odd work schedule). So we decided to be indulgent, and extravagant, and lovey-dovey (sort of), and have a Valentine’s Weekend.

Not so much because we’re lovers of the holiday (and I’ve read plenty of blog posts about how Valentine’s day should be every day, and why should men assume that they can be awesome this one day, and completely romantic and the rest of the time be completely ignorant in the ways of love) but because we haven’t seen each other in a long time, and we haven’t been alone in a long time, and just, couple-y, therefore Valentine’s way the perfect excuse to go over the top.

That being said, I was so happy with how our plans turned out that I, sadly, didn’t take many photos (being so lost in the many moments). My apologies. I did take a few photos. And I hope to be better in the future about it, however, there are recipes that I made (even though two photos are missing), that were completely amazing, and I can’t wait to make them again!

But first, say hello to my three new Otto fishes. I could only get a shot of two at a time, so you’ll have to imagine the third

First recipe up, is this lovely Molten Chocolate Cake. 

This was my first time making this recipe, so I followed it to the T, except for used two larger ramekins (to serve two, obviously), and adjusted the cooking time to 15 minutes. The original recipe follows.

4 pieces (squares) Bitter-sweet or Semi-sweet or just plain sweet Chocolate (this is a matter of preference)*

½ cups Butter, chopped into several pieces

1 cup Confectioner’s or Powdered Sugar plus an extra 1-2 Tablespoon for dusting, separated

2 whole Eggs plus 2 Egg yolks

6 Tablespoons Flour

*I actually used chocolate chips, and eyeballed what I thought 4 squares would be. It really doesn’t matter here how much chocolate you use. I think mine was roughly 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chips.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease/spray about 4 custard molds/cups or small ramekins with a non-stick spray and then place them on a baking tray (cookie sheet).The next step requires melting the butter and chocolate. You can use the microwave, in 20 second increments till the butter is melted and the chocolate is softened. Or, you can use a double boiler. (I used the microwave. It’ll look scary with all that butter surrounding the chocolate, at least it was scary for me, however you have to keep stirring, and it’ll all work out).

Add 1 cup powdered sugar then whisk together until smooth.

Add the 2 eggs and the 2 egg yolks then whisk together again until smooth. Stir in the flour till just combined. Divide the batter into the four (or two) ramekins you’re using.

Bake until the sides and top are firm, but center is slightly wobbly and gooey. Let sit for 2 minutes (no more and no less, I MEAN IT), and serve by inverting to a plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or top with whipped cream.

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Next recipe comes without a photo. This one came from Add A Pinch, and was really an amazing recipe. The only thing I can say I followed was the gorgonzola butter and improvised, to taste, the rest. Below is my rendition of the recipe, but you can follow the link to view the original.

Skillet Steaks with Gorgonzola Butter

2 Ribeye steaks

Salt and pepper

Herbs de Provance

1/2 cup cognac

Gorgonzola cheese, about 4 tbsp

4 tbsp butter, softened at room temp

Pat dry the steaks to they are free from blood. Take a fork and liberally stab the steaks throughout, on both sides, and by the fat areas. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the steaks in a ziplock bag and add the cognac. Close the bag and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, and up to several hours.

Next, season your cast iron skillet* and heat it over medium heat. Take out the steaks and let them come to room temperature (about 10 minutes) while the skillet is heating up. Dry the steaks again, when taking out of the cognac marinade. Do not do this liberally. I did because I was so hungry and in a hurry, and my steaks did not brown as well as I would  have liked.

Place in skillet, and cook about three minuets each side. I started off with two minutes a side, but had to turn mine about two and a half times because they were thick .

While the steaks are cooking, mix the butter with the gorgonzola cheese, and place in fridge, to wait for the steaks.

When the steaks are ready, sprinkle top with herb de provance and let sit for three minutes before plating. When placing on plate add a generous tbsp of the gorgonzola butter to melt and ooze around the meat.

Serve with potatoes, salad, bread, and good wine.

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Lastly, this recipe has been in the making for a while. I added more cheese than the recipe called for and added my own spices to the mix, however, the recipe basics were thanks to allrecipes.com.

This recipe too, was too good to be photographed. I even forgot to photograph this while writing up this post, when eating leftovers. So Sorry!

Baked Ziti

1 lb dry ziti pasta

1 onion, chopped

1 lb gound beef

2 (26 oz) jars of your favorite pasta sauce (I used tomato and basil flavor)

1 tbsp salt and pepper (or to taste)

1 tbsp herbs de provance

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tbsp grouond garlic and ground onion powders

dash of liquid smoke

1 1/2 cups sour cream

6 oz of provolone cheese (sliced)– again, I used I believe 8 oz, a full Sargento bag of sliced provolone

6 oz of sliced mozerella—again from sargento, and I used the whole bag

1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F . Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese, and remaining sauce mixture. Top with remaining mozerella cheese slices and grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

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Lastly, I want to say Happy Valentine’s Day again to all those that celebrate or enjoy the lovey stuff that comes with the holiday. The photo above has become a standard dessert treat I’ve been making myself after working out and a light dinner. I’m feeling great and happy, and I must say, nothing makes me feel better than strawberries, chocolate sprinkles, and whipped cream.

Banana Poppy Seed Muffins for a New Work Week

Afternoon all!

For most people, tomorrow is not just any Monday, but it’s THE Monday. The Monday that kids go back to school, as do countless teachers, students (in college, I mean), and service members that work with children. Not to mention all the administration that work in school. I don’t know about you, but I look forward to tons of traffic and being late.

To start the work week (and school week) off right I decided to get into the kitchen, for the first time this weekend, by the way, and start cooking. I managed to make a lovely pasta (simple tomato sauce with a hint of vodka and spices) for lunch tomorrow, as well as some rice and tilapia for dinner today, and banana poppy seed muffins to make getting out of bed worthwhile tomorrow.

I adapted this recipe from Crepes of Wrath, so check that out for the original recipe. Not that I changed it much.

 

Banana Muffins with Poppy Seed Bliss 

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large bananas, very ripe and mashed (about 1 cup)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp cup honey
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• about 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
• raw sugar, for sprinkling (optional)- I omitted this for calorie reasons

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line and/or grease 18-20 muffin cups and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat together the mashed bananas, vegetable oil, milk, lemon juice, honey, and eggs.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just moistened. Fold in the poppy seeds. Place about 1/3 cup of batter into each muffin cup (don’t overfill the cups, definitely do less than 1/3 than a heaping 1/3 cup) and sprinkle with raw sugar, if you like.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and set. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the pan and serving.

Train Rides and Nutella Muffins

This weekend was pretty darn close to perfect. I went on a vintage train with Boyfriend and we got lots of time to do homework together, do errands together, and even pretty up my apartment… together! We did everything together and I must say it was a great and lovely time.

Fillmore and Western Railway Train

Inside the amazing and old train

we were on a “scenic” weekend tour… it was a lot of farm land and trailer parks

LOOSE CABOOSE mini chicken farm

This fan is probably older than my grandfather!

 

I even looked after a friend’s doggies this weekend. My first time pet sitting for someone that isn’t my mom and Miss Kitty Cat. I’m excited to say that they are very healthy, well fed, and happy. I hope my friend doesn’t mind me showing off her pooches, they were really adorable. And a little insane cause of the lack of attention. Nonetheless, you can see they were still fun.

 

 

As a result of this very fruitful and amazing weekend I decided to clean and bake for the first time in about two-three weeks. The fact that I’ve been too busy to bake has been astonishing for me, the person that would sometimes bake cookies or muffins and a cake in the same day to have “variety” for the rest of the week.

I’ve had a small sweet tooth for warmth lately. I don’t even know if that makes sense, but that’s what I’ve been craving: cinnamon, apples, brown sugar, caramel, all those amazing things.

I’ve had this recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction pinned on google chrome for a while now. And the last time I baked something I used one of her recipes, so I figured now is as good at time as any to get on the nutella train, knowing what I’d make would be delicious.

 

 

Nutella Stuffed Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

makes 8-9 muffins

• 1/3 cup (5 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk, but regular is fine)
• 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 tsp Nutella

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 425F.  Spray muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl of an electric or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together on medium speed.  Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and milk. Gently stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  DO NOT overmix – stir until *just* combined.

Spoon 1 heaping Tablespoon of batter into muffin cavity.  Layer with 1 tsp Nutella in the center and spoon another heaping Tablespoon of batter on top.  If the muffin tins are completely full, that is ok.  They will not overflow.  Repeat layering batter + Nutella into each muffin tin.  I got exactly 8 muffins.

Bake at 425F for 5 minutes.  Reduce oven to 350F and bake for an additional 13-17 minutes until batter is set. Allow muffins to cool for about 5 minutes.

While the muffins are cooling, make the cinnamon-sugar topping.  Melt the butter for about 30 seconds in the microwave.  Stir and stick back in microwave if not fully melted.  In a separate small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon.  Dip the top of each muffin into the melted butter and dip into the cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Swirl them around in the cinnamon-sugar a bit to make sure you get a thick coating. Set upright on cooling rack.  Enjoy!*

 

 

*I didn’t make the streusal topping because I added a bit more nutella and I didn’t want them so sweet that I wouldn’t eat them, so I sprinkled some raw sugar over the top instead.

Sour Cream Chocolate Coffee Cake for Weekend Mornings

I’m having more time than usual with Boyfriend and I thought in case we’re going to be hiking, or running like mad men around the block, a burst of sugar in the morning could only help us in terms of energy.

This is were this coffee cake comes in. Not only does it have a full 12 oz of chocolate chips but it’s got over 2 cups of sugar in it (including the topping) and the hearty carbs in the cake part of the coffee cake will surly be a help when we’re out and about. At least that’s what I read happens to carbs and sugars when you’re active.

This is my first time experimenting with it in such a way. Usually, I go to my sofa and watch a good episode of  Buffy, The Vampire Slayer. Either way, I think I’ll be happy.

Onto to recipe, which was taken from The Cherry On Top blog. I followed the recipe completely because I’ve never been one to experiment with coffee cakes, and in fact have only made 3 total.

 

Cake

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
• 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt

Filling and Topping

• 2 cups or 12 ounces semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-x-13-inch baking pan. If not nonstick coated, cover the bottom with a rectangle of parchment paper. Set pan aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together into a separate bowl. Alternately mix in sour cream and then dry ingredients into butter mixture until both are used up and the batter is smooth and very thick. In a medium bowl, beat eggs whites until stiff, then fold into batter.

In a small dish, whisk together sugar and cinnamon for filling and topping.

Spread half the cake batter in the bottom of prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of cinnamon-sugar mixture and 1 cup of chocolate chips. Dollop remaining cake batter over filling in spoonfuls. Use a rubber or offset spatula to gently spread it over the filling and smooth the top.

Sprinkle batter with remaining cinnamon-sugar and remaining chocolate chips. With the palm of your hand, ever-so-gently press the chocolate chips a bit into the batter. No need to submerge them, you just want to make sure they adhere bit.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, rotating halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

That’s not overcooked cake, I just overdid it on the cinnamon.

 

Sunday Berry Picking and Blueberry Jam

This weekend I was fortunate enough to be dragged out of bed by my friends idea (and admittedly it was a fabulous idea at that!) of berry picking.

Shelf over the farmers market.

Of course, I knew in advance what we were doing this weekend, but waking up at 8am on a Sunday by alarm is still not the best way to start the day of rest. The berry picking was wonderful, despite waking up on the wrong side of the best. We drove out to Underwood Family Farms in Somis, CA. They had their blue and raspberry picking stuff all set for visitors, as well as a small farm area to feel alpacas, chickens, sheep, and goats.

freshly sheared sheep

the cutest chickens I've ever seen

this brave little goat was on top of his hut, enjoying the sun.

Before entering the fields, I did have my portrait taken. I think it came perfectly.

The fields were wonderful. About half of the berries weren’t ready to be picked however. We had to venture out farther and farther into the fields to get the best, and most ripe of all berries. Aside from the tiny spiders and their webs, I had the best time! The light wasn’t the best so, sadly, there aren’t any pictures of the berry fun. I was able to pick 2 containers, about 4 lbs of berries or so, (each container had about 3 1/4 cups). I also got two containers, one from my friend and one from the boyfriend, generously donated to make my jam.

 

Blueberry Jam

I didn’t really follow one specific recipe for my jam. I just sort of continued to read about four recipes that looked the easiest and made the most sense. I’ve come up with this version, and it’s to my liking, with nice jelly and bits of blueberry throughout. However, if you prefer your jam more smooth, like jelly, you’ll need to skip my masher step and run them through the food processor.

8 cups of fresh blueberries

3 cups caster sugar

1.75 oz of sure-jell pectin

1 tbsp butter

1 cup of vanilla sugar (recipe below)

I used my 7-quart dutch oven to make the jam, but 5-qt and up is really all you need. The reason for such a large pot is because the sugar and berries will bubble when boiled, and they must have enough room to keep bubbling without the fear of bubbling over!

Pour the berries into the pot and put on medium-high heat. Warm the berries for a few minutes and then take a potato masher and start mashing and bruising the berries until they get to your consistency.

Add the sugar and pectin and stir for 1 minute.  Let simmer for about 4 minutes without stirring.

In one of the recipes for jam I referenced the author recommended adding in some butter to lessen the foam aspect when the sugar starts to bubble up. Although this is my first time making jam and I don’t have a reference of my own ,the bubbles were significantly lower than what I expected so I assume this step did it’s job.

the yellow dot in the sea of red-purple is the butter

Stir the mixture one more time after adding the butter and let it come to a rolling boil ( meaning it’s a solid bubbly mash, that’s consistent in temperature, usually at medium heat) and keep it there for 35 minutes or so. At this time, place a plate in the freezer for the pectin test. This step I borrowed from Nigella.

After 35 minutes, stir the jam once more. At this point it should be nice and deep in color and liquidy .Take a spoon and get some of the juice to spread on the plate that’s good and cold by now. Let the juice sit for a minute or so. Hold the plate to the side to see how slowly the juice will slide down to the side. The slower it moves the better. If it’s  completely solid, congrats! you’ve got jelly.

a good 35 minutes of bubbling away

Turn off the heat and let the jam sit for 10 minutes to solidify. While you’re waiting prep your canning jars. I used Kerr 1 pint jars. Fill 5-6 jars with boiling water and let them heat up until you’re reading to spoon in the jam.

you can see here that there are 6 jars but I only needed 5

Dump out the water and start ladling in the jam. About 2.5 ladles words wonderfully for me and got all the jam into the jars. Clean up the rims of the jars to make sure that the seal will the clean and tight. Put the lids on the jars and tighten completely.

At this point on the bloggers I read suggested that you flip the jars upside down (to help with the sealing). I thought, why not? and did just that. I held them upside down for about 5 minutes. While I was waiting for that I boiled some water and filled up a 13×9 rectangular baking dish with the hot water. I don’t use traditional hot water bath methods because I find them to be tedious and long. And you need a lot of materials which I don’t have room for, nor want to buy.

I just flipped my jars right-side-up and placed into the hot water. I’ve used this same technique for my apple butter canning.

water is about 90% of the way up the jars. Just below the lid.

The hot water around the dish will keep the temperature inside and outside the jars consistent which helps with the sealing process. At the same time, it allows proper cooling, as when the water cools down the jars will do the same. So in about 4 hours or so the jars should be cooled and sealed.

*I checked in about 15 minutes, while the water was still hot, and about half of the jars had already sealed.

Vanilla Sugar

• 4 cups caster sugar
• 1 vanilla bean pod
• 1 glass container big enough to fit all the sugar

Place the sugar into the container. Slice the vanilla bean in half and cut each piece into half, leaving you with four pieces. Bury these in some sugar. Tighten the lid on the container, and store in a dark, cool place for about 1 week. When ready to use go ahead and stir the sugar around.

Because the vanilla will add moisture it will be clumpy but it’s totally worth it. I use this sugar in jams, apple butter, in pie crusts, and sometimes in scones instead of vanilla extract.

Martha’s Cookie of the Month and Dinner

Martha Stewart Living for April came with a cookie of the month. That cookie was the Nutty Butters Cookie.  I’ve always wanted to make a peanut butter cookie and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do so. Although it’s been a while since I baked, and a while since I did much of anything (what with grad school applications and work) in the kitchen.

In any case, I got the baking bug, and I knew I had to give my kitchenaid another whirl. I’ve been itching to use it for a month or so, but never thought to use it aside from muffins. And those were better served by a mixing bowl with a fork (chocolate banana muffins). Still, today was my day, and I was able to make my these lovely cookies a reality.

Total time: 1 hr 15 min

makes: 24 delicious cookies

ingredients:

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• coarse salt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup nut butter of your choice (I used peanut butter)
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (to match the butter)

Melt 1/2 stick butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add oats and cook, stirring, until toasted, 5 to 7 minutes. Spread oat mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet, let cool.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt. Beat together remaining stick butter and the sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add egg, and beat until combined. Add nut butter, and beat on medium speed until well combined.

thick goodness

Add oat mixture and chopped nuts, and beat on low speed until combined. Add flour mixture, and beat until combined. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place cookies 1 inch apart on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until golden, 12-15 minutes. Let cook completely on baking sheets.

Along with these yummy cookies I made dinner, FoodNetwork Magazines: Light Scalloped Potatoes with Roasted Chiles served as my inspiration. I gave myself Friday’s as days to go crazy with the food, so I knew that since it was Saturday night it had to be a “lite” form of something, and potatoes are always my staple. Potatoes and chicken. This Saturday was no acception.

scalloped potatoes with roasted chiles and sticky lime chicken

For the potatoes:

• 1 medium poblano chile pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 pounds new, yellow potatoes, sliced into discs
• 2 cans chicken stock (low sodium)
• 1/4 cup cream
• salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup Parmesan
• 1/3 cup grated pepper jack cheese

Starting with the chile: wash it and dry it off slightly. Turn a burner on for medium-high heat and place the Chile on the grate, as shown in the image. Make sure that you keep turning it every 2 minutes or so till it’s charred, and completely black. Place on a wet paper towel and cover. Let cool.

been charring for about 5 minutes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter a baking dish. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, chicken stock, cream, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste and bring to a boil (I used more salt, and it was sea). Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring gently, until the potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes.

By this time the chile should be cooled. Skin it, under cold water if preferred, and pat dry. Slice into strips and then into cubes.

Arrange half the potato-broth mixture int he prepared baking dish in an even layer. Sprinkle with the poblano chile pieces and the pepper jack cheese. Repeat with another later of potatoes and the parmesan on top. Bake until bubble and slightly golden, about 35 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

delicious!

For the chicken:

• 4 skinless chicken breasts
• zest and juice of one lime
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
• pepper

As soon as the potatoes go into the oven lower the temperature to 375 degrees. Arrange the chicken in a shallow roasting pan. Put the lime zest and juice, honey, oil, garlic, and oregano into a small bowl and mix. Spoon the mixture over the chicken to coat completely.

Roast the chicken in the oven for 35-40 minutes, basting about halfway. Take the chicken out and serve with the potatoes, which should have rested for about 10-15 minutes by now. Add 1/4 cup port to the roasting dish to de-glaze, place back in oven. Turn the temperature up to 475 and cook for 4 minutes. Spoon over the chicken.

Monterey Bay Valentine’s Weekend

Man did I have a great weekend. I can’t say enough about how beautiful  Monterey Bay was. Not to mention Cannery Row, the obessiveness of the people there over anything Steinbeck, and of course, the Aquarium!

I have some pictures to show you all, just for fun and I hope for enjoyment.