More questions: What meal is a quick fix meal for you? The menu for a special occasion? What your favorite comfort food to cook? What favorite dessert to make?
Quick fix meal: Grilled chicken that I let sit in some balsamic vinegar for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with some grillmate before I throw on the grill*. Baked potato (I microwave them for 4 to 6 minutes depending on size of them and sometimes stick in the oven with a little rock salt and olive oil on the skin for about 10 to 15 minutes while finishing up other things), steamed green beans. It is a quick fix because we get those bags of frozen individual skinless chicken breasts so I take 2 of those out thawing in the microwave for a few minutes if I haven't taken them out in the morning. And then I marinate them for 10 minutes before throwing on the grill for 5 to 7 minutes. It makes a meal done in 30 minutes or less! No I am not Rachael Ray.
Special occasion: Well Michael's birthday would be Beef Stroganoff, with a steamed veggie, and garlic toast. That is one of his favorites. Usually special occasion food just is whatever sounds really good at the time. Like we have had a herb crusted roast, roasted veggies with balsamic vinegar, salad, homemade rolls for one anniversary. We had ham with a brown sugar orange juice glaze, creamed potatoes, green beans with roasted red peppers and garlic Parmesan homemade rolls for Christmas. So it really just is decided based on what we are craving or what is the tradition for the occasion.
Favorite comfort food: Take out Chinese! But I guess that is not something I make...well I do make Chinese dishes but usually that is not something I make for comfort food. Comfort food for me....right now has been a casserole I made called Meatball Sandwich Casserole. Nachos are another thing that is comfort food for me. Those are also quick fix meal because just browning ground turkey with taco seasoning and then the fixing is something we always have in fridge and pantry.
Dessert: I love to bake so I am not sure there is a favorite. I really like to make my Mom's homemade chocolate chocolate chip cake. It is very yummy! Some other: sour cream cookies, cinnamon chocolate brownies, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate buttermilk pie, and cream puffs.
*I use an indoor grill - like the George Forman but the one I have is a Hamilton beach with removable grill plates and also other plates for a griddle that I use to make grilled cheese sandwiches or panini's. It is another kitchen appliance that I really like and use a lot!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Monday, March 19, 2007
In the Kitchen
I was recently asked by a friend: What kitchen gadgets and appliances do you like the most? Do you have a wishlist of kitchen things you want add?
Things I have and love:
Kitchen Aid Mixer - Michael bought it for me....it was a really good deal on Amazon and I use it all the time. Christmas time especially it gets a work out because I make lots of Christmas goodies as gifts. But it does get used quite a bit throughout the the year.
Bread Machine - I was always scared of making bread. Then I got a bread machine from my Mom & Dad for Christmas one year. I just find recipes online and throw them in on the dough cycle mostly, then shape them when they are done mixing/raising, and bake. I use it make dough for just white, whole wheat, rye, light oat bread and then rolls, breadsticks, french bread, sweet breads, pizza/calzone dough and such. It is great too because I can walk away after I get everything in and do lots of other things while it mixes, kneads and goes through first rising. It saves so much time!
Silicon Pastry Brushes - I know this will sound like a strange one but I use them for brushing egg whites on bread to give them that nice shiny/crunchy outside, use them for bbq sauce on chicken, sauce on a meatloaf, frosting cookies or cinnamon rolls. Everything I use with them they just brush on so easily and mess free. The brushes go into the dishwasher. It is not like the straw old brushes that break off if you don't keep them conditioned. Anyway I got the set I have the dollar store once and now look for them every time I am there to give for gifts because they regularly go for 8 to 17 dollars for a 2 pack - in kitchen gadget sections of departments stores and I got a 2 pack from Dollar Tree for well a dollar.
Glass Pitcher - Not really a kitchen tool but something I use it all the time and really like a lot. I have it on the table for dinner with water in it. I always have water glasses along with wine glasses we always seem to go through lots of water. And even more so when entertaining. So I don't have to get up and down from the table having that pitcher of water on the table always is a nice thing.
Cloth napkins - Not really a kitchen. I have several sets that go with our dinnerware and they are so great just to throw into the washer and dryer. Nice that saving on paper. They just look nicer too even when setting down to a just some leftovers still feels like a nice meal.
Flexible Cutting Mats - I just get mine at wal-mart but I love those things....they come with usually 3 colors (mine are green, blue, clear) I don't like to cut raw or ready-to-eat foods all on one cutting board even though it is thoroughly washed between. So with these mats I can use the blue strictly for raw foods and the green for ready to eat foods like veggies.
I would like to have:
Pizza stone - just every time I have seen those used on cooking shows I think it makes the crust look so much better.
Knives - I want a good set of knives. Right now there is just such of odd knives in the drawer. But never seem to have the one for the job I am doing at the moment.
Kitchen aid mixer attachments - the pasta attachment I think would be great. Because we like pasta and just heard lots of good things about it.
Glass storage containers - we do leftovers. Michael likes them and I have plastic sets and they get so icky, so have to throw them out and thinking of all that plastic in the landfill doesn't make me feel good. So I would really like to switch to a glass set with lids.
Things I have and love:
Kitchen Aid Mixer - Michael bought it for me....it was a really good deal on Amazon and I use it all the time. Christmas time especially it gets a work out because I make lots of Christmas goodies as gifts. But it does get used quite a bit throughout the the year.
Bread Machine - I was always scared of making bread. Then I got a bread machine from my Mom & Dad for Christmas one year. I just find recipes online and throw them in on the dough cycle mostly, then shape them when they are done mixing/raising, and bake. I use it make dough for just white, whole wheat, rye, light oat bread and then rolls, breadsticks, french bread, sweet breads, pizza/calzone dough and such. It is great too because I can walk away after I get everything in and do lots of other things while it mixes, kneads and goes through first rising. It saves so much time!
Silicon Pastry Brushes - I know this will sound like a strange one but I use them for brushing egg whites on bread to give them that nice shiny/crunchy outside, use them for bbq sauce on chicken, sauce on a meatloaf, frosting cookies or cinnamon rolls. Everything I use with them they just brush on so easily and mess free. The brushes go into the dishwasher. It is not like the straw old brushes that break off if you don't keep them conditioned. Anyway I got the set I have the dollar store once and now look for them every time I am there to give for gifts because they regularly go for 8 to 17 dollars for a 2 pack - in kitchen gadget sections of departments stores and I got a 2 pack from Dollar Tree for well a dollar.
Glass Pitcher - Not really a kitchen tool but something I use it all the time and really like a lot. I have it on the table for dinner with water in it. I always have water glasses along with wine glasses we always seem to go through lots of water. And even more so when entertaining. So I don't have to get up and down from the table having that pitcher of water on the table always is a nice thing.
Cloth napkins - Not really a kitchen. I have several sets that go with our dinnerware and they are so great just to throw into the washer and dryer. Nice that saving on paper. They just look nicer too even when setting down to a just some leftovers still feels like a nice meal.
Flexible Cutting Mats - I just get mine at wal-mart but I love those things....they come with usually 3 colors (mine are green, blue, clear) I don't like to cut raw or ready-to-eat foods all on one cutting board even though it is thoroughly washed between. So with these mats I can use the blue strictly for raw foods and the green for ready to eat foods like veggies.
I would like to have:
Pizza stone - just every time I have seen those used on cooking shows I think it makes the crust look so much better.
Knives - I want a good set of knives. Right now there is just such of odd knives in the drawer. But never seem to have the one for the job I am doing at the moment.
Kitchen aid mixer attachments - the pasta attachment I think would be great. Because we like pasta and just heard lots of good things about it.
Glass storage containers - we do leftovers. Michael likes them and I have plastic sets and they get so icky, so have to throw them out and thinking of all that plastic in the landfill doesn't make me feel good. So I would really like to switch to a glass set with lids.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Triple Chocolate-Chip Cookies
I made these cookies to send out to a friend. I think they came out a little crisper then I desired but they were still great for a chocolate fix! I think I would cut the sugar down next time to maybe help them not crisp up as much. Here in the altitude sugar sometimes creates a crispy texture.
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk-chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Heat oven to 350° F.
Cream the butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed. Lower to medium speed and add the egg and vanilla. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. On low speed, add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. Beat until fully incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Form the dough into approximately 1 1/2-inch balls. Place on parchment- or foil-lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until centers are just set, about 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.
Yield: Makes 3 dozen cookies
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk-chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Heat oven to 350° F.
Cream the butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed. Lower to medium speed and add the egg and vanilla. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. On low speed, add the dry mixture to the butter mixture. Beat until fully incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Form the dough into approximately 1 1/2-inch balls. Place on parchment- or foil-lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until centers are just set, about 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.
Yield: Makes 3 dozen cookies
