Chick-Fil-a Knockoff Sandwiches

I have made these now 3 times and the third time they were very close.  The first time I made them the chicken was too thick.  I fileted the breasts making them thinner but they were far too big around.  The second time, I added  flour because the recipe didn't have enough corn statch but that didn't work very well.  

This third time, I cut the breast in about half, and the I fileted the thinner end into two pieces and the thicker side was fileted into 3 pieces.  These were the perfect size.  The other change I made the third time, was from my tempura days, I decided to double the corn starch the recipe called for and I added Baking Powder - that made all the difference in the world.  Instead of 2 breasts, I graduated to 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts which netted 18 peices of chicken.  My son ate most of it!  I think I got 1 sandwich from that batch.  

Harris Teeter sells Boneless Chicken Breasts for $1.99 a pound and you can't beat the quality, no hormones used, and the pieces for the sandwich ends up somewhere around $.35-$.40 each!  Not bad.  

First, rinse and filet the chicken breasts.  Add no more than 9 or 10 pieces to a 1 gallon Zip lock bag.  For each bag: add 1/2 Cup Dill Pickle Juice, I like Mount Olive Hamburger Dills.  Marinate for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Meanwhile get dry ingredients ready.  1/2 Cup Corn Starch, 2 tsp Paprika, 1 tsp Baking Powder, 1 tsp Salt, and 1 tsp Pepper.  In a bowl, beat 1 Egg with 2 TBL Buttermilk.  After marinating, open bag and squeeze the open end, so the chicken remains inside, and drain the juice. To the bag add the egg mixture and massage.  Let it sit for 5 minutes.  Again, pour out any excess liquid and add the dry ingredients.  Zip the bag closed and massage the dry ingredients until you know the chicken is coated.  In the meantime, heat a pot (I use my iron pot) with 4" Canola Oil until 375 on a thermometer.  Preheat oven to 275.  Add a cooling rack to a sheetpan.  Add 4-5 pieces of chicken to the oil.  Once it begins to look opaque around the edges, flip each piece over.  Cook until the same golden brown.  Place on the ready cooling rack and place in the oven. Let the oil get back to temperature before adding more pieces.  Continue cooking until all the chicken is done.  

For serving, lightly butter and brown a Soft Style Hamburger Bun. Add chicken and top with pickles.  Enjoy!!

Pictured, I made dish of Baked Beans that my sister C turned me on to and is posted here on my blog. Go to the search tab on the top right corner and type in Baked Beans  and it should come up.  

Baked Cheesy Stuffed Paccheri

I made this recipe up.  I wanted to make a different presentation than what I have done in the past.  I used to get large penne pasta from World Market in Louisiana and loved them, but they stopped carrying them.  I was in a World Markets in NC and found Paccheri that worked just as well, so I'm back in business! 

Recipe to come soon!

Mini Baked Crab and Corn Dip Cups

I better put this in here before I forget what I did!!  I bought 8oz of Fresh Crab Meat and a 1 package of Wonton Wrappers and that was enough to inspire me to make up this finger food which was served during the Wild Card NFL games.  I made 24 cups and had enough filling to make an additional 8-10.  

Peel and cook in boiling water 2 Ears of Fresh Corn for 2 minutes and quickly rinse in cold water.  Remove corn from cob.  Place in bowl. 

Beat 3 oz Cream Cheese with 1/2 Cup Sour Cream.  Beat in 1 Egg.  Mix in 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese.  I used fresh, already grated Parmesan but you can kicked it up if you want to grate your own.  Add Salt & Pepper to taste and 1/2 tsp Thyme, 1/4 tsp Paprika.  Stir in Corn and 8 oz Crab, lump is best but don't get claw meat  

Preheat oven to 375.  Melt 2 Tbl Butter.  Using a Cooking Spray, lightly coat the cups of a mini 24 cup pan.  Using a biscuit cutter, cut 24 Wontons in rounds.  Add a wonton to each cup and butter the inside with melted butter.  Add filling until just slightly below the top of the cup, these will rise a little.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the filling looks set and the cups are browned.  Serve at once.  

NOTE: You can add either sauteed Minced Shallots or thinly sliced Scallions to the mixture for additional flavor.  I opted to go without but next time I will add one of them.  The crab flavor is more prominent without these flavors.  

Linguine Carbonara

We had 2 snow days which has extented our New Year Holiday and left me motivated to try some new dishes! I figured Pasta Carbonara is perfect dish for a cold winter night.  

This one was pictured in Williams-Sonoma's Christmas catalog and caught my eye.  They used to print the recipes within the pages but now you have to go online and their test kitchen posts all of their ideas in their recipe section.  I had to do a bit of hunting but finally located the one I was looking for.

They used a fat spaghetti shape and I used Linguine.  I think both are suitable.  I read all the time about adding reserved pasta water to dishes but this is the first time I actually did it.  My family competely loved this dish and I can still imagine the delicious flavors, even now, so needless to say, this recipe is a keeper!  

I served it with a simple salad but you can pair this with all manner of things, a Grilled Veal or Pork Chop, Ribs, Boneless Chicken Breast, Italian Sausage, Cheese Toast, even Seared Scallops, but you get the idea, it's versatile! I can even invision adding Orange Zest to this dish for a new dimension.

This makes 4 servings and in my household more like 3 because 1 person, whom we shall not name, ate 2 of them!  Cut 6 Slices of Thick Smoked Bacon Crosswise into 1/2" Lardons.  (NOTE: Lardons are my new favorite Bacon shape!)  

In a preheated skillet, cook Bacon, stirring often, until crispy.  In the meantime, get a pot of water boiling for pasta and ready 2 Cloves of Garlic in the garlic press.  In a bowl, beat 2 Eggs and add 3/4 Cups Parmesan Cheese.  Mince 1 Tbl Fresh Parsley.  Once you remove the cooked bacon, press the garlic into the bacon fat and cook til fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.  Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and add to the dish with the bacon.  

When ready, cook 12 Oz Pasta til al dente and reserve about 1/2 Cup of Pasta Water.  Strain pasta and return to the pot.  Add the Egg and Parmesan Cheese mixture.  Toss to coat until cheese is melted.  Add pasta water as needed to create a sauce that just coats the pasta.  Top with the Bacon, Garlic and place in Pasta Serving Platter.  Serve onto pasta plates, grate additional Parmesan to order and top with parsley and freshly ground salt and pepper.  Enjoy!

My son took a photo using a filter and though I am typically against filtering my food photos and don't even edit them, I have to admit this one looks pretty appealing.  You be the judge.

Scratch Made Green Bean Bake

My sister, D, served green bean bake on Christmas.  Truth be told, after leaving home I never once made this dish nor had a hankering for it, nor have I ever even bought French's Crispy Fried Onions.   It was never my favorite dish when my mother made it, but when I saw my sister's version, it looked different from what I recalled and it definitely smelled better.  When it was served, it was the first thing I tasted and it was awesome.

I asked her about it and she said they made it from scratch.  Hers didn't have mushrooms and I couldn't find a recipe that omitted them.  I got in my head how I would make a quick sauce but came across recipes with cheese and really all manner of twists depending on what direction the recipe went.  With that, I called her to find out what she did.  There wasn't cheese in hers but there were some other ingredients that gave the dish flavor and though she didn't have mushrooms, she thought she would add them next time.

This is my made up version of scratch made green bean bake.  String 12 oz Green Geans and blanche for 1 minute, rinse in cold water when done.  Butter a casserole dish.  Remove stem and clean and dice 6 oz Baby Bellla Mushrooms.  Slice thinly 1 Medium Shallot.   I made my sauce in a low sided pot, large enough for everything before pouring it into the casserole dish. Heat a pot over medium heat.  Add 1 Tbl Olive Oil and 1 Tbl Butter.  Add shallots and mushroom and sautee for 3 minutes til tender.  Dust with 2 Tbl Flour and stir.  Add 2 Tbl Sherry.  Let the alcohol evaporate, about 1 minute.  Add 3/4 Cups Chicken Broth and cook for about 5 minutes, letting the sauce thicken without allowing it too boil, but it should bubble gently.  Add 2 tsp Worchestershire Sauce, I like Lea and Perrins.  Add 1/3 Cup Half and Half.  Let cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Add the beans and stir to coat and pour into prepared casserole dish.  Top with French's Crispy Fried Onions.  

Preheat oven to 375 and bake for 25 minutes until bubbling.  Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

I have a growing teen and though my husband and I had a serving each, our teen ate the rest.  So this can serve 4 but next time I plan to double the recipe.

Salty Pretzel Crust Cheesecake with Homemade Caramel Sauce

I had a hankering for a pretzel crust instead of the usual Graham Craker Crust.  Then I decided a caramel sauce would make a nice sauce instead of a berry sauce.  I'm bring this to my sister D's for Christmas dessert tonight.  Recipe and photos to come.

From Valerie's Kitchen - Leek and Bacon Flatbread

I caught an episode of Valerie's Kitchen and she made a simple flatbread for a party.  The ingredients sounded very good together and the results were amazing!  I normally make my own dough but I found a 1 Pound Ball of Fresh Whole Wheat Dough at the store on sale for $1 (normally $2.99), so I couldn't pass it up. It made two flatbreads.  

When we ski in Park City, we eat at a restaurant called the Silve Star Cafe.  They sell something like this at lunch for around $12 and I've had it many times.  I never thought to make my own but now I will. 

Either make your favorite dough and let proof or remove store bought dough from the refriegerator and place in an olive oiled bowl to proof - coat the dough lightly with oil.  Cover with wrap and place in a warm location.  It should take a least an hour rise and should double in size. 

In the meantime, remove the roots from 2 Medium Leeks.  Slice them thinnly until you get to the tougher dark green portion.  To an 8 oz containter of Creme Fraiche add Freshly Ground Nutmeg to season.  Saute the Leeks til tender.  Cut 6 Slices of thick Bacon into lardons (1/2" cuts along the short dimension) and sautee until crispy.  Grate 4 oz Gruyere Cheese.  

For the Flatbread.  Preheat over to 425.  Cut dough ball in half and roll it thinnly keeping its oblong shape.  I like to use a pastry cloth dusted with flour to keep it from sticking.  Take a large sheet pan and turn it over.  Place the dough on the pan diagonally. Top with 1/2 of the Creme Fraiche.  Add 1/2 of the Grated Gruyere.  Add desired amount of leeks and bacon.  Grind Salt and Pepper to taste.  Bake in oven until the crust is golden and cheese browned slightly.  Remove from oven and drizzle with good quality Olive Oil.  

For Vegetarian, change up the toppings to suit your diet.

(Depending on what type you make, you can add things like Freshly Grated Parmesan, Red Pepper Flakes, Dried Oregano, Fresh Basil, etc).  Let rest for a few minutes and cut  diagonally as pictured.  Serve at once!

New Orleans Barbeque Shrimp on Baked Lemon Risotto Rounds

 Recipe to come!

Turkey Vegetable Soup

I've never done this before; traditionally we make Tetrazzini with our leftover turkey but this turned out delicious and made just over 3 quarts of soup - enough to have now for a few meals and also to freeze for a meal later. 

In a very large pot, over medium heat, add 2 TBL Olive Oil and sweat 1 Medium Sliced Onion and 2 Stalks of Celery, rinsed with the ends cut off and cut into 1" lengths.  Break or cut Turkey Carcass (hopefully with some meat left on it) into 3 or 4 peices.  Add the pieces to the pot.  Add Approximately 3 Quarts Chicken Broth until covered.  I topped with water so I didn't have to open another quart of broth.  Simmer with the lid off for around 35-45 minutes.  Strain the broth into a smaller pot.  Let the turkey cool so you can handle it and remove all the turkey from the bones and place in the broth.  Disgard everything else.  

You can freeze some or all at this point and you will finish it when you are ready to eat.  It was cold out, so placed my pot on my porch in order to cool quickly and to remove some of the fat, then froze some of the soup for a later meal. 

If having now (and when you thaw to use), simmer pot of Broth and Turkey.  Add 3/4 Cup Basmati Rice for 2 quarts of soup and let it cook in the broth til almost done.  In the meantime, rinse, remove ends and cut 1/2 lb Fresh Green Beans into 1" lengths and add these to the pot.   Peel and cut 2 Large Carrots to a 1/4" dice and add these to the pot.  Add 1 Cup of Frozen Peas to the pot.  Season with Salt and Pepper.  Really you can add what you want in the quantities you prefer.  

Once the vegetables are done serve with a Salad and Warm Crusty Bread or a Grilled Cheese Sandwich.  

Fresh Pumpkin Cupcakes

I love baking with fresh pumpkin.  Though I've only done it once, I prefer it to canned pumpkin.  The color is just gorgeous.  After buying souped-up Candy Apples at the NC State Fair, I decided to make cupcakes this weekend and decorate them in a variety of ways.  






Yesterday, I removed seeds and peeled the skin away from the pumpkin using a sharp knife

and then cut the flesh into large chunks.  I steamed the Pumpkin for about 10-15 minutes til tender and then once cooled, pressed the chucks through my ricer.  If you don't own a ricer, you can always mash.  This made enough for 24 Cupcakes, I froze 2 cups for a Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie, and still have enough to make cookies or pancakes.  A medium Pumpkin netted about 5 Cups for Pumpkin and cost $3 at a farmers stall.

Preheat oven to 375. 

In a mixing bowl, add 2 Sticks Butter (Room Temperature).  Add 1 1/2 Cups Fresh Pumpkin, 1 tsp Vanilla, and 1 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar.  Mix until smooth.  

To a bowl add 2 3/4 Cups Flour (NOTE: this will vary depending on how wet the batter is and how humid it is), 1 Tbl Baking Powder, 3/4 tsp Salt and 2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice.   Stir with a wire whip to combine.  Measure out 3/4 Cup Milk.  Add flour and milk to pumpkin mixture, alternating, flour and milk, beginning and ending with the flour.  

In a separate bowl, beat 3 Eggs until combined, add 1 1/2 Cups Sugar and mix on high until light ribbons and fold into batter.   

Ready muffin tins with foil liners.  Using a scoop, fill tin 2/3 full.  Place in hot oven and immediately reduce oven to 350.  Bake for 20-22 minutes.

Let cool before icing.

For Meringue Icing.  Set up double boiler using a bowl that will fit into a pot of simmering water.  To the bowl add, 3 Egg Whites, 1/2 Cup Cold Water, 1 tsp Cream of Tartar, and  1 TBL Sugar.  Place bowl into the pot and using a hand mixer, beat on high for about 15 minutes til whites "cook" by warming and hold their peak when you remove the beaters.  Once firm peaks are formed, remove bowl from the pot and place in an ice bath to chill.  Beat every few minutes until cool.  

Fill a pastry bag fitted with the desired tip and frost the cooled cupcakes.   Top as desired.  I used a variety of small candy as well as toffee peices and sprinkles.