Bacon, Cheddar, & Jalapeno Scones

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Angie

Bacon, Cheddar, & Jalapeno Scones

Served with scrambled eggs on the side, or on their own, these are savory.

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsps. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 3-4 slices thick-cut, cooked bacon, chopped
  • 1-2 jalapenos, deseeded & chopped (use your discretion based on size of pepper & desired heat)
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten with 1 tsp. of water (for egg wash)

Position oven rack to the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with either a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine ingredients. Add the butter cubes and pulse until you get a coarse mixture, approximately 8-10 times. Transfer flour/ butter mixture to a large bowl and add the buttermilk, mixing until it becomes a ball, but being careful not to over mix. Once fully formed, mix in the chopped bacon, jalapenos, and shredded cheese.

On a lightly floured surface, flatten dough, and roll out to a rectangular shape in 1 1/2inch thickness. Either cut diagonally or using a round biscuit cutter, cut until all dough is used, re-rolling if necessary. Place on a prepared baking sheet, brush lightly with the egg wash, and bake in oven for 12 – 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

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Traditional Greek Salad

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Angie

Greek Salad

This salad is both a refreshing side or a light summertime meal.

  • 1 large cucumber, quartered and chopped
  • 3-4 Roma tomatoes, chopped & deseeded
  • 1 small red onion, sliced & cut
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • Salt & Pepper

In a medium bowl, mix together the cucumber, tomatoes, and onion. Season with salt & pepper.

In a small bowl, combine parsley, oregano, olive oil, and lemon juice. Whisk thoroughly to emulsify. Add to dressing to salad and mix together. Add feta cheese and stir to incorporate. Serve immediately. This is best eaten within 1 – 2 days of being made.

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Hummus

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Angie

Hummus

With pita chips, veggies, or slathered on a sandwich, this homemade hummus is pretty darn tasty.

  • 1 can, 15oz. chickpeas, drained & rinsed (reserve 4 tbsp. of water from can)
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 3/4 plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • olive oil
  • paprika
  • Roma tomato, diced
  • Kalamata olives

Drain and rinse the chickpeas, reserving 4 tbsp. of water from can. This next step will take you 10 – 15 minutes, but it is absolutely worth it and will yield a creamier hummus: remove the skins of each chickpea. Once all the skins are removed, place chickpeas through salt in a blender and pulse until smooth. Add Greek yogurt through water to food processor and pulse until smooth. Taste and season as determined.

Drizzle with olive oil and top with paprika, tomato, and olives. Keeps in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

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Overnight Crusty Artisan Bread

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Angie

Overnight Crusty Artisan Bread

It doesn’t get much easier than this. It’ll take less than 5 minutes to mix together and then after that, you just have to plan accordingly and allow yourself a timespan of 12-18 hours to let it work its magic. Either mix it late at night or first thing in the morning, depending on when you want to eat, and mostly, if you want it fresh from the oven warm. This pairs perfectly with soup and complements most meals. This bread is good on its own, with butter, or olive oil and herbs.

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. rapid rise yeast
  • 1 tbsp. sugar/ honey
  • 1 1/2 cups cool tap water

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add water and mix until combined. It will be sticky, messy, and gooey. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 12-18 hours.

When the time has passed, it will morph into this:

Process of Crusty Artisan Bread

When you are ready to bake the bread, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Set Dutch Oven in the oven for 30 minutes to preheat. Meanwhile on a heavily floured service, turn out dough and shape into a ball. Make sure it is covered in flour like so:

Prebaked crusty artisan bread

Cover with plastic wrap and let rest while the oven warms.

When the Dutch Oven is preheated, remove from oven and place dough in center, put the lid on the Dutch Oven, and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, remove lid and continue baking for another 10 minutes.

Remove from oven. Bread should be golden, and when tapped from the bottom, it will sound hollow.

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Chicken Skillet Meatballs

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Angie

Skillet Chicken Meatballs

This dish comes together easily and makes for a perfect dinner with the family. I made this for the first time on Sunday and everyone, but Leah, gave it a big thumbs up. Personally, I think she was turned off by the idea of chicken meatballs instead of the standard, what she’s used to, meatballs.

NOTE: The rest of us agreed we would prefer the spices and seasoning be kicked up a notch the next time I make it.

For the meatballs:

  • 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 4 – 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 2 lbs. ground chicken
  • 2 – 4 tbsp. olive oil (enough to cover the skillet)

For baking & serving:

  • 12oz jar of marinara sauce
  • mozzarella cheese (I used fresh)
  • fresh parsley and basil, chopped
  • Crusty, overnight artisan bread

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Add all of the meatball ingredients to a large bowl and stir until well combined. Using a 2 inch cookie scoop, shape each scoop into a ball (use lightly damp hands to prevent sticking) and place onto a tray.

Using an oven safe skillet, heat the oil in the skillet to medium-high heat and add the meatballs, browning on all sides until cooked. Once the meatballs are cooked all the way through, add the marinara sauce, covering all meatballs. Top with fresh mozzarella slices. Bake 10 – 15 minutes or until cheese has melted and is lightly brown. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and basil, if desired. Serve with slices of artisan bread.

Adapted from: http://www.smells-like-home.com/2014/09/skillet-baked-chicken-parmesan-meatballs/

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Stay Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Angie

Stay Soft PB Cookies

One of Chris’s favorite cookies is peanut butter cookies. He likes them soft and chewy. Most peanut butter cookie recipes will produce this only upon first cooling from the oven, but by the next day, they’re hard and crispy. Except these. These remained super soft the next day.

  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsps. baking soda
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Cream together the sugars, shortening, butter, and peanut butter. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well.

In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and incorporate dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Using a large, 2 tbsp. cookie scoop, smooth out the balls and roll in sugar. Transfer to a cookie sheet and DO NOT make criss-cross marks with a fork.

Bake for 11 – 13 minutes.

http://loulougirls.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-best-peanut-butter-cookies.html

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Old Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Angie

Old Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Soft. Simple. Sweet.

For the cookie:

  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the icing:

  • 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp. milk, plus more as needed
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pulse oats approximately 10 times and then combine remaining dry ingredients and whisk together. Cream together butter and sugars, beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Blend in egg and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients into creamed mixture until just incorporated. Using a 2 inch (or smaller, if desired) cookie scoop place balls about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool on sheet for a minute or two before transferring to cooling rack.

To make icing, combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Whisk to blend until smooth, adjusting milk or sugar to get a thick glaze. Holding cookies by the side, carefully dip each top of the cookie into glaze and return to cooling rack.

Source: http://www.annies-eats.com/2014/09/04/iced-oatmeal-cookies/

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