Parmesan Crusted Green Beans

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Angie

green bean fries

This is another recipe someone had shared on Facebook that I snapped a picture of so I don’t know who to give credit to, but regardless…make these for dinner tonight and you won’t be disappointed. They’re like green bean fries and we all enjoyed them.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsps. olive oil (I used coconut oil, melted & cooled)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 egg, room temperature and slightly beaten
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 12 oz. fresh green beans, ends trimmed
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • S&P, freshly ground

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or aluminum foil sprayed with non-stick spray; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, garlic, garlic powder, egg, & S/P. Add the green beans, stirring to coat. Place evenly on prepared baking sheet, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden. To crisp, turn oven off and turn broiler on for a minute or two. Serve immediately. To heat leftovers, return to oven on lo broil for a few minutes.

Posted in Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Leave a comment

Cinnamon Chip Scones

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Angie

Cinammon SconesScone

Perfect for a weekend brunch.

Ingredients:

For the homemade cinnamon chips:

  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsps. ground cinnamon
  • 2 tbsps. vegetable shortening
  • 2 tbsps. light corn syrup
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

For the scones:

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 8 tbsps. butter, cold and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup homemade cinnamon chips

For the glaze:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp. melted butter
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp. +2 tsp. of milk

Preparation:

For the cinnamon chips:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place a silicone mat or parchment paper on a baking sheet and spray with non-stick spray; set aside. In a bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, shortening, corn syrup, and vanilla extract. Mix with a fork until the mixture is uniform and crumbly. Spread on prepared baking sheet, flattening with your hands and shaping into a square about 1/4 inch thick. Bake until mixture is melted and somewhat bubbly, about 35 minutes. Cool completely. Using kitchen shears, cut into small pieces. Makes approximately 2 cups.

Source: http://www.mind-over-batter.com/sweet-situations/diy-cinnamon-chips/

For the scones:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until mostly mixed in. Or, do as I do and use my favorite kitchen tool, the Ninja: throw the dry mixture and butter into the Ninja and pulse a few times so it’s crumbly. Return to the bowl, and mix until just combined, the egg, vanilla extract, and buttermilk. Stir in the homemade cinnamon chips.

Sprinkle about a 1/2 cup flour onto the counter and turn the dough once or twice on the flour, and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 1/4 inches thick. Using a pizza cutter, make 8 triangles and using a wire spatula dipped in flour, transfer the scones to a baking sheet to bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool as you prepare the glaze.

For the glaze:

In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, melt the butter & add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and milk whisk together and drizzle over the cooled scones.

Posted in Breakfast, Scones | Leave a comment

40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Angie

40 cloves of garlic chicken

Yes, you read that right: 40 beautiful cloves of garlic. If you’ve never had it before, then don’t fret, I promise you will not reek as though you’ve bathed in garlic. Garlic is one of those diverse spices that changes its intensities based on how you use it. To get a robust and immense garlic taste, you crush it. In this dish, the cloves stay in their natural naked form – no crushing, slicing, or mincing required, and as a result, a smooth, delicious and flavorful chicken dish.

Ingredients:

  • 3 tbsp. butter
  • 40 cloves of garlic, free of the skins
  • 10-12 chicken thighs (I used boneless/ skinless)
  • 2 14.5oz cans of chicken broth
  • 3 tsps. each of marjoram, rosemary, & tarragon
  • poultry seasoning
  • 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • splash of milk, about 3-4 tbsps., more if needed
  • fresh ground S&P

Preparation:

In an electric skillet, set the temperature to low and melt the butter. Meanwhile, S&P both sides of the chicken thighs and add to the skillet, allowing to brown slightly on one side before turning. Add the garlic, sauté for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken broth,  the marjoram, rosemary, and tarragon. Sprinkle the poultry seasoning over the chicken thighs. Cover and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring periodically. Lastly, whisk together the flour and milk, whisking to eliminate any lumps and adding milk as needed. Pour mixture into the skillet, stirring to incorporate. Raise heat to medium-high until the liquid mixture boils, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a spatula and allow to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until mixture thickens.

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Spinach-Artichoke Chicken Bubble Bake

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Angie

Spinach bake

I was really excited to try this for dinner earlier this week. I love spinach artichoke dip and there’s a restaurant here in town that has a spinach artichoke chicken sandwich that I always order when we go. I was gung-ho…the rest of the family…not so much and truth be told, after having a plate of it, it was entirely too rich and I felt it just sitting in my stomach for the rest of the night. It’s safe to say I won’t be making this again. Chris ate it, to give it a fair shot, be he was less than impressed.

Ingredients:

  • 1 container Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers Biscuits
  • 2 10oz packages of frozen, thawed, liquid squeezed spinach
  • 2 cups mozzarella, shredded & divided
  • 1 can of Artichoke hearts, chopped
  • 1 8oz container of cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
  • 2 cups chicken, cooked & chopped or shredded
  • S&P to taste

Preparation:

Spray a 9×9 pan with non-stick spray; set aside. In a medium size bowl, blend together the cream cheese, sour cream, cayenne pepper, S&P, parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Add the spinach, artichokes, and chicken, mix to incorporate. Quarter each biscuit and stir to combine. Transfer mixture to the pan and top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, remove from oven, top with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, and return to oven for an additional 30 minutes.

Adapted from:

http://www.ohbiteit.com/2013/09/spinach-artichoke-bubble-bake.html

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Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Angie

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

I think it’s safe to say I’ve been on a lemon kick as of late. I actually made this soup a week and a half ago, snapped a picture of it, and knew I’d come back later to add it here. I’ve made this soup a few times before and I like that it’s zesty and refreshing; perfect for a light dinner. I especially love how the family initially turns their nose up at me, and says, “Eww lemon soup? Gross, mom!” And then once they have a spoonful, they have another and then sheepishly tell me it’s good. It’s all about the little victories, people!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 carrots, peeled & sliced to 1/4 inch thickness (or a handful of baby carrots)
  • 1 celery stalk, sliced thin
  • 2 32oz. containers of chicken broth + 1 14.5oz can of chicken broth
  • zest and juice of 2 lemons
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup orzo pasta
  • 2 cups shredded chicken (or leftover rotisserie chicken)
  • dry parsley (fresh, if you have it)
  • S&P to taste

Preparation:

In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sautee the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, bay leaf and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Discard the bay leaf, sprinkle in desired amounts of parsley and season with fresh cracked pepper and sea salt, to taste.

Note: It may seem like a lot of chicken broth, but overnight the pasta soaks up the broth and makes it more stew-like. This also freezes well.

Posted in Chicken, Soup | Leave a comment

Glazed Cranberry Lemon Cake

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Angie

whole cakeslice of cake

I bought a bag of cranberries before Thanksgiving with the intention of making a cranberry bread and well, it did not happen. The cranberries have been hanging out in my freezer ever since. I’m the only one in the family that likes them and I didn’t think they’d be their best a year from now so when I came across the following recipe, I knew what I would do with them. I made it last night and brought it to work this morning.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

  • 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3 cups (or 1 bag) cranberries, fresh or frozen
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • the zest & juice of 2 lemons, divided
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (or use lemon for an intense flavor)
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk

For the glaze:

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degree. Grease a bundt pan and sprinkle the brown sugar over the bottom of the pan, then add the cranberries. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a mixing bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Using the back of a spoon, press the lemon zest into the sugar until fully incorporated. Add the butter and beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla (or lemon extract – I’ll use this next time, or perhaps half vanilla and half lemon) and the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition & scraping down the sides of the bowl.

In a measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and lemon juice. Or, since I never have buttermilk on hand, make it yourself using 2 tbsp. of lemon juice and fill the remainder of the measuring cup with milk and allow to sit until it curdles. Starting and ending with the flour mixture, incorporate into the butter mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the buttermilk, beat until just combined. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly over the cranberries.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and knife inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely.

Once cooled completely, prepare the glaze by whisking together the lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar and drizzle over the cake.

Adapted from:  http://www.annies-eats.com/2014/12/17/glazed-cranberry-lemon-cake/

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Lemon-Garlic Green Beans

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Angie

Lemon-Garlic Green Beans

A zesty, refreshing way to prepare green beans.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb green beans, fresh, with the ends trimmed
  • the juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • S&P to taste

Preparation:

In a large pot, boil water and add green beans for 10 minutes (enough to keep the color and not have the beans become mushy).

Drain the beans; set aside. Heat the same pot over medium heat, melt butter, sauté the garlic, and add beans back into the pot, stirring to coat the beans with the garlic butter mixture. Squeeze the lemon juice onto the beans and season with S&P. Stir and serve.

Posted in Vegetables, Vegetarian | Leave a comment

Buttermilk Biscuits

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Angie

biscuits

Other than my grandma’s creamed chicken dish, I did not grow up eating biscuits. It is; however, something I’ve learned to cook. It is a staple in the south, you see. I have made biscuits and gravy (though not my thing) once or twice, though I’ve never eaten it. I have come to appreciate a good biscuit so I can make a sandwich out of it, insert some scrambled eggs, a slice of cheese, a piece of bacon and now we’re talking.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 stick of butter, cold & cut into tablespoons
  • 1 cup buttermilk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine dry ingredients and cut in cold butter with a pastry blender (or do as I do: throw it in the Ninja, pulse a few times and call it good) until mixture is crumbly. Add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead 4-5 times. Pat to 1/2 inch thickness, cut, and bake for 15 – 20 minutes.

Posted in Bread/ Muffins, Breakfast | Leave a comment

The Best Cheese Dip Recipe Ever

Posted on December 29, 2014 by Angie

Cheese Dip

This one comes from my good friend Chris. She brought it to a party many moons ago and it was eaten up fast. It has long ago replaced the other cheese dip recipe that was and is not known as “the best cheese dip recipe ever”!

Ingredients:

  • 2 packages of cream cheese
  • 2 cans of Hot Rotel
  • 1 lb. Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage

Preparation:

In a small crockpot, turn the heat to low and add in the cream cheese and 2 cans of Rotel. In a skillet, brown and crumble the sausage. Drain the grease. Add the cooked sausage to the crockpot, stirring all the ingredients until combined. Cover, stirring occasionally until thoroughly melted.

Posted in Appetizers, Sausage | Leave a comment

Cut-Out Cookies with Royal Icing

Posted on December 22, 2014 by Angie

Cutout cookies

And last, but certainly not least, to complete the Christmas goodies bake-off are cut-out cookies. These are Chris’s cookies. The first year I discovered this recipe, I made a batch and he texted me saying someone broke into the house and ate all the cookies so I’d need to make some more.  Thicker, softer cut-out cookies remind me of my grandma’s so, in turn, that’s how I make them, too. I usually make two batches of the dough, roll out the cookies, bake them and then freeze them to frost at a later date. Leah was my helper last night. We had an assembly line of sorts going on. I’d frost and she’d apply the sprinkles. I left them out overnight to allow the frosting to dry thoroughly and then store them in an air-tight container or gift out.

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

  • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 sticks butter, room temperature
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. almond extract

For the icing:

  • 2 tbsp. meringue powder
  • 1/4 cup water, more to thin out as needed
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 tsp. light corn syrup

Preparation:

Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and extracts; mix together. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until well combined, scraping down the sides and the bottom. Divide dough into thirds, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Using a 1/3 of the dough at a time, roll onto a lightly floured surface and cut into desired shapes. Place on prepped baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, combine the meringue powder and water. In a large bowl, beat until combined and foamy.

Sift in the confectioners’ sugar and beat on low to combine. Add in the corn syrup. Increase speed to high and beat for 5 minutes, just until the icing gets glossy and stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat.

Divide icing into different cups and add desired food coloring. If it’s too thick, add additional water to thin out. Frost cookies.

Recipes adapted from: http://www.universityofcookie.com/

Posted in Christmas Cookies, Cookies | Leave a comment