Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Mini German Pancakes



These were really cute and were good but I think I prefer German pancakes cooked in a big pan. This was just wasn't as buttery since the butter is mixed in instead of melted at the bottom.

Mini German Pancakes
http://realmomkitchen.com/489/mini-german-pancakes/
1 cup milk
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. orange zest (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Blend first six ingredients (milk thru orange zest) in a blender. Be careful to see that any flour clumps get well-blended.
2. Blend in butter a little at a time in order to temper the eggs.
3. Grease muffin tins well and distribute batter evenly between 24 tins (I did more like 18. Gimme Some Oven’s tins were slightly less than half-full. I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup and filled it almost full.) Bake for 15 minutes, or until puffy and golden on top.
4. Served with your favorite toppings. (Mine was a dusting of powdered sugar and triple berry sauce. I have other suggestions up top)

Chicken Pot Pie Crumble


I thought this was really good but Matt gave it just a good rating. It's like having pie crust all throughout instead of just on the top and bottom.
Chicken Pot Pie Crumble
http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/2011/01/chicken-pot-pie-crumble.html
1 1/2 Lbs chicken
3 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
1/2 c. celery, chopped fine
salt and pepper (to taste)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 c. flour
1 c. milk
3/4 c. frozen peas

Crumble Topping:
2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
6 Tbsp unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 c. heavy cream

FOR THE CHICKEN: Bring chicken and broth to simmer in covered Dutch oven over medium heat (If you don't have a dutch oven, just use a stock pot). Cook until chicken is just done (8 to 12 minutes). Transfer cooked chicken to large bowl. Pour broth through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup and reserve. Do not wash Dutch oven.

FOR THE TOPPING: Combine flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl. Sprinkle butter pieces over top of flour. Using fingers, rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in Parmesan. Add cream and stir until just combined. Crumble mixture into irregularly shaped pieces onto a baking sheet. Bake at 450-degrees until fragrant and starting to brown (10-13 minutes). Set aside.

FOR THE FILLING: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender (about 5 minutes). While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken; set aside.

Heat butter in empty Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly whisk in reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to simmer and stir until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir chicken-vegetable mixture and peas into sauce.

Pour mixture into 9x13 pan (or if you have small individual-sized oven-safe dishes, you can use those-- see picture above). Scatter crumble topping evenly over filling. Bake at 400-degrees until filling is bubbling and topping is well browned (about 12-15 minutes). Serve hot and enjoy!

Korean Beef Tacos


You cook this in the crock pot. It was easy and good.
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2011/11/slow-cooker-shredded-korean-beef-tacos.html
Korean Beef Tacos
3-4 pounds beef roast (I used a trimmed chuck roast)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari Wheat-Free are gluten free)
1 head garlic (peeled, but leave cloves intact--approx 10 cloves)
1/2 onion, diced
1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 whole jalapeno, diced (be careful! use gloves!)


The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Okay. This truly can't be any easier. I didn't brown my meat, but I did trim off the visible fat. I can make these directions complicated and tell you to add this or that first,
but it honestly doesn't matter. This is going to cook on low all day long, and the ingredients will distribute just fine all on their own. Throw everything in however you'd like.

Cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat has fully shredded---

Raspberry Lemon Pie



I made this for Thanksgiving. It was delicious! Lemony and tart.
Raspberry Lemon Pie
http://thimbleanna.com/recipes/rasppie.html

1 (10-oz.) package frozen red raspberries in syrup, thawed
1 T. cornstarch
3 egg yolks
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup ReaLemon lemon juice from concentrate
1 (6-oz.) packaged graham cracker crumb pie crust
(I prefer to make my own graham cracker crust - it is not as pretty, but I think it has more flavor. Recipe follows.)
Whipped Topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In small saucepan, combine raspberries and cornstarch; cook and stir until thickened and clear. In medium bowl, beat egg yolks; stir in sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice. Pour into crust; bake 8 minutes. Spoon raspberry mixture evenly over top. Chill 4 hours or until set. Spread with whipped topping and serve.

Graham Cracker Crust

Combine 1 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs, 1/3 c. sugar and 1/3 c. melted butter. Press into the bottom of a pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Hot chocolate on a stick with homemade marshmallows



I tried a few recipes for hot chocolate on a stick and this is by far my favorite. It's like a chocolate truffle so it's delicious when you eat it off the stick or melted in milk as hot chocolate. The marshmallows are delish and easier than you think!

Homemade Marshmallows
http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2008/12/05/homemade-marshmallows-foodie-christmas-gift-4/

Scroll to the bottom for an easy-print version of this recipe!

.75-oz unflavored gelatin (3 envelopes of Knox gelatin)
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cups light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Confectioners sugar, Cornstarch (optional)

Line 9 x 9-inch pan with plastic wrap and lightly oil it. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Soak for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil and boil hard for 1 minute.
Pour the boiling syrup into soaked gelatin and turn on the mixer, using the whisk attachment, to high speed. Add the salt and beat for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, add in the vanilla extract beat to incorporate.
Scrape marshmallow into the prepared pan and spread evenly (Lightly greasing your hands and the spatula helps a lot here). Take another piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap and press lightly on top of the marshmallow, creating a seal. Let mixture sit for a few hours, or overnight, until cooled and firmly set.
In a shallow dish, combine equal parts cornstarch and confectioners’ sugar. Remove marshmallow from pan and cut into equal pieces with scissors (the best tool for the job) or a chef’s knife. Dredge each piece of marshmallow in confectioners’ sugar mixture.
Store in an airtight container.

Hot Chocolate on a Stick
http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2011/01/06/hot-chocolate-on-a-stick/
Print
Recipe Type: dessert, candy
Author: Rebecca Lindamood Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 25 mins
Serves: 36
This creamy chocolate fudge confection can be nibbled in its pure form, skewered on a stick alone or with homemade marshmallows and simply eaten or swirled into hot milk for a hot chocolate that is second to none.
Ingredients

* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (1 1/4 cups)
* 3 cups semisweet chocolate (3 cups chopped chocolate bars or chips)
* 3/4 cup unsweetened baking chocolate (4 ounces)
* wooden sticks, lollipop sticks, candy canes or bamboo skewers
* optional, crushed candy canes, marshmallows and/or cocoa powder

Instructions

1. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan or a 9 x 9-inch pan with foil and set aside.
2. Combine the cream and sweetened condensed milk in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Heat until it is steaming, but not boiling, stirring occasionally to keep from scorching.
3. Add all of the chocolate and remove from the heat. Allow the chocolate to melt, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, whisk firmly until it is thick and shiny. You can add a few drops of flavoring extract or oil at this point, or add some powdered espresso or vanilla. Whisk vigorously again to incorporate the flavoring (if used.)
4. Use a rubber or silicone spatula to spread the mixture out evenly in your prepared, foil-lined pan. Allow to cool at room temperature 12 hours or overnight so that it firms slowly.
5. Take the fudge from the pan and remove the foil. Place on a cutting board.
6. Using a knife heated with hot water and wiped dry, cut the fudge into 36 equal-sized cubes. You can either stick a lollipop stick (or candy cane) into the center of each block or leave as is. Additionally, you can press the cut sides of the fudge into crushed candy canes, roll them in cocoa powder or top with marshmallows.
7. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature.

Chicken Parmesan


http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2008/02/end-of-chicken-parmesan-as-you-know-it.html

This is a video of making chicken Parmesan with croutons on the top instead of breading and frying. It's delicious and so easy. Mine didn't cook in 35 minutes. I ended up cutting the chicken into chunks and putting it back in the oven for another 25 mins.

You basically put a couple of T of olive oil in the bottom of a casserole pan. Add 1 T of minced garlic and mix it into the oil. Put 5 chicken breasts on top of the oil. Top with a jar of marinara sauce. Then sprinkle on mozzarella and Parmesan. Then spread a package of croutons on top and top with more of the two cheeses. Then bake at 350 until done. For me it was about an hour.