Lovin’ the Nog

If you know me well, you are probably well aware of the fact that a small part of my love for Fall is because that's when egg nog first becomes socially acceptable during the year! I love egg nog. I recently came across a recipe that immediately reminded me of my little sis. She is disgusted at the notion of drinking raw eggs. Well, Jenna, this recipe is for you and for all you nog-lovers out there:

Egg(less) Nog

1/2 gallon cold milk, divided 

1 package (3.4 ounces) instant French vanilla pudding mix 

1/4 cup sugar 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

In a large bowl, whisk 3/4 cup milk and pudding mix until smooth. Whisk in the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in the remaining milk. Refrigerate until serving.

So Simple...

I had thought about making crunchy onion chicken earlier today, and wished I would have stuck with it when my glass pan full of a different chicken recipe exploded on me.  After an extensive cleaning-up session, we ended up having pancakes for dinner.  Here's the recipe that I should have made!

Crunchy Onion Chicken

2 cups french fried onions, crushed
1 egg, beaten
4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

You can probably guess what happens next.  Put the beaten egg in a shallow pan, and the french fried onions in another shallow pan.  Dip each chicken breast into the egg, coating both sides, then coat each side with the onions.

Place chicken breasts in a greased baking dish and bake 20-30 minutes or until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Enjoy!

Worth the Wait

I'm still here!  My family just got back from a wonderful vacation and things are settling down again.  So it's back to the grind for us, and back to the blog for me!

This meal is absolutely mouth-watering in my opinion.  My very favorite part is the aroma that's created while you're cooking it.  It tastes pretty awesome, too, but I can honestly say that it's the savory-sweet smell of cooking it that brings me back to it over and over again.

Golden Raisin and Almond Chicken
courtesy Rachael Ray


3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped (substitute about 1/2 tsp. dried thyme if needed)
Salt and Pepper
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
1/2 cup dry white wine (may substitute white cooking wine or chicken stock)
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
4 ounces sliced or slivered almonds
1 additional tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives


Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.  Season chicken liberally with half of thyme and salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet.  Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side until cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.


Return the skillet to the burner over medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and add the onions, celery, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the celery and onions are tender.  Add the white wine and cook until the pan is almost dry, 1 minute.  Add the chicken stock, raisins, and remaining thyme and continue to cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until there is only about 1/4 cup liquid left in the pan.  Turn the heat off under the pan.  Add the butter and whisk until it has completely melted.


Toast the almonds in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 tablespoon butter to the toasted nuts; melt and toss to coat.  Add the chives and toss to combine.


Top the whole or sliced chicken breasts with the raisin sauce and the buttered, toasted, almonds, then serve with salad and potatoes or bread.


4 Servings

*This recipe can be simplified in several ways, I've discovered.  Don't get stumped if you don't have the exact ingredients.  When I made this dish right after we got home, ingredients were scarce and time was short.  I cut up my chicken to help it cook a little faster, substituted dried thyme and dried onions, used the ground nutmeg, substituted chicken stock for the white wine and used Craisins instead of the golden raisins.  It still turned out super yummy!
Also, because I was short on time, I cheated and just kind of threw everything in after the chicken was browned on both sides, leaving the Craisins on top of the chicken so they didn't get too bloated from the chicken stock.  Guess what?  It tastes the same.  Just remove the chicken before you stir in the cold butter.  

Let me know what you think!

Need I Say More?

WHO DOESN'T LOVE CHOCOLATE?  THESE COOKIES ARE PACKED WITH IT, AND TO TOP IT ALL OFF THEY HAVE THE YUMMIEST, CREAMIEST, LIGHTEST PEANUT BUTTER FILLING IN THE WORLD!  

they take a little time, what with the assembly and all, but it's so worth it!  i've only made these once so far, and was brave enough (or stupid) to bake 100 cookies for a ward youth activity.  yup, that means that I actually had to bake 200 cookies!  did it all in one night, too.  like i said...stupid.  the thing that made it worth it was all the praise and hoarding of the cookies at the activity.  there's nothing more satisfying to hear than compliments to the chef!

chocolate-peanut butter whoopie pies

ingredients

• 1  12-oz. pkg. miniature semisweet chocolate pieces
• 2  Tbsp. milk
• 3/4  cup butter, softened
• 1/4  cup creamy peanut butter
• 1-1/2  cups granulated sugar
• 1  tsp. baking soda
• 1  tsp. baking powder
• 2  eggs
• 1/2  cup milk
• 1  tsp. vanilla
• 1/2  cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3  cups all-purpose flour
• 1  recipe Filling

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set aside 1/4 cup chocolate pieces to sprinkle on cookies. In microwave-safe bowl combine 1 cup of the chocolate pieces and 2 tablespoons milk. Microwave on 50 percent power (medium) 1 minute or until melted; stir once. Set aside.

2. In bowl beat butter and peanut butter with electric mixer until combine. Add sugar, soda, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; beat to combine. Add eggs, 1/2 cup milk, vanilla, and melted chocolate; beat until combined. Beat in cocoa powder and flour until combined. Stir in remaining chocolate pieces. Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with reserved chocolate. Bake 9 minutes or until tops are set. Cool on sheets 1 minute. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely. To assemble, spread flat sides of half the cookies with Filling; top with remaining cookies.

3. Filling: In bowl beat 1 cup softened butter, 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 cup marshmallow creme, and 2 cups powdered sugar with electric mixer until combined. If needed, beat in 2 tablespoons milk until spreading consistency. Makes 30 servings.

More Italian…

This recipe is a big hit at my house.  It’s one of those meals that there are never any leftovers of.  This recipe came from necessity—I could never find a recipe for Parmesan Chicken that I really loved.  Either the flavor wasn’t quite up to par or the chicken wasn’t crispy enough.  This recipe more than compensates for both.  Enjoy!

Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, cut into about 2-inch pieces (chicken tenders work well also)

Preheat oven to 450°F.
In a bowl, combine the minced garlic with the melted butter. In another bowl mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, salt, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Dip chicken pieces into garlic butter, then into crumb mixture to coat.
Place coated chicken pieces on to a 9x13 baking dish. Try to leave a little room between each piece. Drizzle with remaining garlic butter and bake uncovered 10 minutes, flip chicken when browned on the bottom; bake until cooked through.
Serves 4-6

*Note:  the last time I made this I used my countertop skillet and it worked wonderfully.  If you choose to pan-fry the chicken, be patient!  Allow the chicken to become a dark-brown color on the bottom before turning it over.  You want it crispy, don’t you?!  Also, be sure to resist any temptation to put a lid on while cooking—the breading will go soft and mushy.

Molto Bene!

I came across this very authentic Italian salad that I really love.  I made it for the first time on Memorial Day for a fun little shin-dig we had with some friends.  I received many compliments, so I hope it’s share-worthy!

Tomato & Garlic Crouton Salad
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus ¼ cup
3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ loaf ciabatta bread, cut into small cubes
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 pints red and yellow, grape and pear tomatoes, sliced in ½
1 cup halved, sliced kalamata olives
½ pound perlini mozzarella
8 basil leaves, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small skillet over medium-low heat, add 3 tablespoons olive oil, butter, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook to infuse the butter and oil with the garlic, about 4 minutes.

Add the cubed bread to a large bowl, pour the butter and garlic mixture over the bread and toss to coat.  Transfer to a sheet tray and bake until crisp, about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool.

In a small bowl whisk together remaining olive oil and red wine vinegar and set aside.

In a large serving bowl, combine the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, croutons, basil and the oil and vinegar mixture.  Gently toss to coat all the tomatoes and croutons.  Let the salad sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe courtesy Brian Boitano

Welcome Home

Gosh, it’s been a while!  We’ve been doing a lot of crazy at our house and I’m sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted. 
Today, I have a super yummy recipe that I’m sharing in honor of one of my favorite soldiers.  I love him because he loves my food :) and because he’s a great uncle to my kids.  He just finished his tour in Afghanistan and arrived home just this week!  We’re so proud of his service and dedication and wish him the best of luck in the future.  This one’s for you, Andy!

Chicken Florentine

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips or cubed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Flour for dredging
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons shallots, sliced (onion may be substituted)
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine (or chicken stock)
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 10 oz. fresh spinach, washed (comes in a bag)

Directions

Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat lightly. Shake off any excess flour. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, salt and pepper and cook until brown. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep it warm.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until the shallots are translucent, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, about 1 minute. Add the wine. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and boil until the sauce reduces by half, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices to the sauce, and turn the chicken to coat in the sauce.  Add the spinach and stir until wilted.  Serve over cooked pasta of your choice. 
As always, let me know how it turns out!