I'm Making These!

I love having a place to put all the recipes I want to try and have tried and love. I'm pretty sure this will be one that I love, especially since I have homemade pepper jelly! :)

Brie Kisses

• 1/2 to 2/3 lbs Brie cheese (wedges are fine)
• 1 (17.3 oz) box frozen puff pastry
• Hot pepper jelly

Cut the brie into 1/2-inch squares (leave the rind on if you like). Place on a dinner plate and put the cheese in the freezer while you thaw the puff pastry for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Unfold the thawed pastry, press together seams and roll lightly with a rolling pin to smooth it out. Cut each sheet into fourths, then cut each fourth in half. Cut the halves in half to make 16 squares per sheet.

Lightly spray a mini-muffin pan with nonstick spray. Fit a piece of dough into each cup, pushing into the cup but leaving the edges sticking up. Place a dab of pepper jelly in each cup, then top with a piece of cheese.

Bake at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Serve warm. (Can be prepared ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake, or you can bake them and re-warm about 10 minutes at 350°F before serving.)

Servings:

 

32 Notes:  I made then with Phyllo dough, trying to be tricky and they were a MESS! I twas much better with the Puff Pastry Dough!

Something for the Summer...

I want to make this this summer. I hope it's good guess I'll have to wait until our backyard is no longer a dirt mound before I find out! :) I'll also have to hide the fourth ingredient from the hubby who isn't such a fan of mustard (and many other things for that matter :P).

Chicken Fruit Packets

Just five ingredients combine on the grill for a super quick and easy main dish.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 firm pears, cored and sliced
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced
• 1/2 cup honey mustard salad dressing
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

Cut chicken into 1" pieces. Heat coals on grill or prepare gas grill. Divide chicken, pears and apple among four 18x12 inch sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with garlic and thyme. Fold foil over chicken and fruit. Fold edges over 1/2" and repeat. (If you are preparing this in the morning, brush the pears and apple with a little lemon juice so they don't turn brown). Make sure you allow space on sides of the packet for circulation and expansion during cooking. Place packets on grill and cover.

Grill 4-5 inches from medium heat 10-15 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and no longer pink when cut in center. Place packets on plates, cut large X across top, and fold back foil to serve. Serves 4

Chicken Pastina Soup

This is hands down every one of my kids' favorite soup (and we grown-up kids love it too)! I grew up eating a version of this whenever I was sick and so the tradition continues...

Picture is worse than ever since I had to use phone because the camera was dead!

1 Medium yellow onion chopped fine
2 Stalks celery chopped
2 Carrots chopped
1 Carrot grated/shredded
1-2 Chicken breast(s)
2-3 Cups Pastina (round bebe like pasta)
4 Quarts chicken broth (I use bullion paste and water to make mine)
Salt/Pepper to taste

Put 1 Tbls olive oil in large pot. Add chicken breast and cook until chicken is almost done (in a pinch I've been known to throw frozen breast in the pan and it works just fine). Add onion and celery and saute until translucent. Add chopped carrots (we have a lot of carrots in the soup because I LOVE carrots-don't use as many if you're not such a fan) and saute for about 3-4 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer for about 20 minutes. Add Pastina (or another small pasta noodle) and shredded carrots and cook over medium heat for about 12-15 minutes or until the pasta is tender. The Pastina soaks up A LOT of liquid and a little goes a long way (again, my kids love the pasta part so I add a bit more than I normally would), especially if you cook slowly and all the starches are released. I usually add a couple cups of broth at the end to increase the amount of liquid. Serve with warm bread OR yummy ham and cheese melts! Enjoy!

Notes:
When we were first married I would heat the leftover soup and add dumplings to the top. Delish! (This was when I had a lot more broth and not as much Pastina, oh well.)

Crockpot Pork or Turkey with Apple Gravy

This is some easy, yummy stuff. Perfect for a Sunday after Church. I found the original recipe in Better Homes and Gardens, I think?! Since then, as always, I've tweaked it to my liking.

I need to practice my food photos!

1 3 lb Turkey Breast (I like to use the Foster Farms already seasoned and netted, ready to go turkey breast, but any will do)
OR
1 3 lb Pork Roast or Tenderloin
3 Medium Apples (I use Fuji or anything with a good firmness, again your preference) peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 Packet of Instant Turkey or Chicken Gravy
1 Cup Water
2 Tbs Flour
1/4 Cup Water


Combine the water and gravy packet in crockpot and mix. Add the  sliced apples and place the turkey breast or pork tenderloin or pork pot roast on top. Cook on HIGH 5-6 hours, or LOW 7-8 hours.

Remove the meat and set aside. Pour gravy juices and apples into a pan. Puree apples into the gravy with a wand blender or put in a Cuisinart or a Blender and blend until smooth. If removed to blend, return gravy to pan.

Combine the flour and water and mix until smooth. Slowly add flour mixture to gravy while stirring over a medium heat until gravy achieves desired thickness. If it isn't thick enough repeat the flour and water procedure and proceed! :)
Place meat on serving plate and pour some gravy over the top. Slice meat, serve and enjoy!

**If you use a pork roast, tenderloin or turkey breast without seasonings, rub 1/2 tsp salt and pepper and 1 tsp sage onto the top of the meat, fat/skin side up.

Serving Suggestions:
We like to have mashed potatoes with this (of course!) or Lemony Baked Potato Slices (recipe to come soon!). It is also really good with the traditional Thanksgiving sides like Cranberry Sauce and Stuffing and (my favorite thing with mashed potatoes and gravy), Peas!

Last Night's Dinner Plate!

Side Note:
My mom taught me that when you add flour and water instead of Cornstarch and water (something that will also thicken the gravy-a lot quicker, in my opinion) to thicken, you will achieve a nicer gravy that will not become gelatinous (not so lovely) when refrigerated.

Perfect Pancakes!

Our family LOVES pancakes and all things syrup, especially the man of the house, so I came across a recipe about a year ago and tweaked it to make these DELISH pancakes!

1 1/2 Cups Flour
3 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Sugar

1 Egg
1 Cup Milk (or enough to make the batter to desired thickness)
3/4 Cup Applesauce
OR
1/4 Cup (3 Tbls) Melted Butter
OR BOTH :)

Simply mix all the above ingredients together to form a batter of the thickness you like (more milk yields thinner pancakes). The applesauce is my version of a slightly healthier pancake, but adding butter as well is even yummier!
After I made the healthier version Elijah said that those were the best pancakes I'd ever made! :) SCORE!

Variations:
I like to thinly slice apples and put them on the top of the batter after I first pour it in the pan. It makes the tastiest apple pancakes you've eaten!

If you prefer bananas or blueberries they are also delish when prepared this way.

I've also made the pancakes and then added bananas at the end with whipped cream and syrup.

Serving Suggestions:

We like to use Trader Joe's Maple Agave Syrup, but any will do.
Top with whipped cream and devour!
Oh and Phil says, "Don't forget the butter."
My kids say, "No syrup. Spread a little butter and sprinkle some sugar and roll it up, please."- I love them this way as well!



Funny Insights:  
We always double the recipe and since we make these so often we need to buy the Costco version of baking powder, but I don't even know if they have it.
It will keep in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days. It will be a little discolored but just add some more milk and stir and voila you're back in business.

Let's Start Compiling

I love Lidia's Italy on KQED. I've eaten at one of her restaurants in New York two times and I dream about eating there at least once a week!  To test this new blog I'd thought I'd add a recipe from her website that I think sounds delish! In the future I will only add recipes that our family has made and/or eaten already, but I couldn't resist. Besides, now I won't forget where I found THIS yummy recipe! Here's the recipe:

Turkey Tetrazzinimain ingredients: turkey

recipe

user comments (0)

serves: 6 to 8 servings

What to do with the leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, in my house they love Turkey Tetrazzini. Turkey or Chicken Tetrazzini is a dish named after the famed Italian soprano Luisa Tetrazzini, who was also known as the Florentine Nightingale. She was a favorite with the San Francisco audiences and it is said that the dish was invented there for her. The history is charming but the dish is also delicious, economical, feeds a crowd and easy to make. Once the ingredients have been combine you let the oven do the rest and who does not like a bubbling baked pasta out of the oven studded with bits and pieces of turkey.

2½ cups chicken stock
5 tablespoons butter, plus more for the baking dish
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound assorted mushrooms, sliced
6 sage leaves, chopped
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
pinch nutmeg, freshly grated
½ head broccoli, in small florets
1 pound spaghetti
5 cups leftover turkey, shredded, without skin and bones
1 cup Grana Padano, grated
¼ cup bread crumbs, dry

Butter a 9-by-13 Pyrex or similar sized baking dish. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta. In a small pot, heat chicken stock. In a large straight-sided skillet over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. When butter is melted, add the mushrooms and season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Cook until mushrooms lose their moisture and are browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sage and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Scrape mushrooms into a bowl.

In the same skillet, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-low heat. When butter is melted, stir in flour to make a smooth paste. Cook and stir until light tan in color, then season with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Whisk in the hot stock, making sure to get out all the lumps. Increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the milk and nutmeg. Bring back to a simmer and cook until the raw flour taste is gone, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the spaghetti to boiling pasta water. Cook until the spaghetti are very al dente, drop the spaghetti in the broccoli for a few minutes and drain broccoli and spaghetti well. Add turkey, spaghetti and broccoli to the sauce and stir to combine and heat the turkey through. Off heat, stir in 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Pour into the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining grated cheese and the bread crumbs. Sprinkle over top. Bake until top is browned and bubbly, about 30 minutes.