Source: The Wednesday Chef
Ingredients:
1 medium head broccoli
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Flaky salt to taste (I'm not that fancy and just used regular table salt)
Red pepper flakes to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander (I don't have ground coriander, so I just skipped this)
1/2 lemon (I happened to have half a lime in my fridge instead, so I subbed it for the lemon and it was great!)
Directions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the broccoli into bite-size florets. Toss with the olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, cumin and coriander. Spread out on a sheet pan and put in the oven for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, take the pan out and toss the broccoli around. Put the pan back in the oven for 10 additional minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and squeeze the lemon over the broccoli. Toss well and eat immediately.
Notes:
I saw this recipe yesterday and decided that this would be my dinner for one (and a half) while Gregg was gone to a conference overnight. (I actually had a grilled cheese, too, but that's beside the point.) I love broccoli but I've never roasted it before and this was quite delightful. I'll be remembering this one for another time when broccoli is sitting lonely in my fridge.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Chicken Alfredo and Asparagus Pizza
Source: mostly from my head, but I did go here for the sauce inspiration
Ingredients:
pizza dough for one pizza (I always use this recipe from my mom's recipe box - just use half for one pizza)
cornmeal (to spread on the bottom of your pan)
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
pinch of cayenne (I didn't have this so I just sprinkled in some black pepper to taste)
pinch of nutmeg (really - don't leave it out - I think the nutmeg makes the sauce!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup grated Parmesan (I just used the stuff from the can, but I'm sure fresh grated would be awesomer!)
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, grated
1 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 large chicken breast, diced
3-4 large button mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 roma tomato, diced
Directions:
Sprinkle baking sheet or pizza stone with a thin layer of cornmeal. Roll prepared pizza crust to fit your pan and place dough carefully on pan.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, and add the flour. Cook on medium-low heat for 3 minutes. Whisk in the cold milk, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Turn off heat and whisk in the salt, cayenne, nutmeg, and Parmesan. Let cool while you prep the asparagus and chicken.
Blanch the asparagus for 1 minute in boiling salted water and rinse with cold water until completely cool. Drain well. In a small frying pan, heat a little oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and saute in the hot oil for 3-5 minutes, till cooked through.
Spread the white sauce evenly on the pizza dough. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the pizza. Top with asparagus, chicken, mushrooms and tomatoes.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, till crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
Notes:
Friday nights are pizza nights at the Blanchard casa, and last week I was feeling a little tired of our usual red-sauce supreme-ish (i.e. throw on whatever toppings we have) pie. We had some asparagus in the fridge and I thought I'd whip up a white sauce to go along with it. This is what emerged. And boy was it delicious!
Ingredients:
pizza dough for one pizza (I always use this recipe from my mom's recipe box - just use half for one pizza)
cornmeal (to spread on the bottom of your pan)
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
pinch of cayenne (I didn't have this so I just sprinkled in some black pepper to taste)
pinch of nutmeg (really - don't leave it out - I think the nutmeg makes the sauce!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup grated Parmesan (I just used the stuff from the can, but I'm sure fresh grated would be awesomer!)
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, grated
1 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 large chicken breast, diced
3-4 large button mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 roma tomato, diced
Directions:
Sprinkle baking sheet or pizza stone with a thin layer of cornmeal. Roll prepared pizza crust to fit your pan and place dough carefully on pan.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, and add the flour. Cook on medium-low heat for 3 minutes. Whisk in the cold milk, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Turn off heat and whisk in the salt, cayenne, nutmeg, and Parmesan. Let cool while you prep the asparagus and chicken.
Blanch the asparagus for 1 minute in boiling salted water and rinse with cold water until completely cool. Drain well. In a small frying pan, heat a little oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and saute in the hot oil for 3-5 minutes, till cooked through.
Spread the white sauce evenly on the pizza dough. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the pizza. Top with asparagus, chicken, mushrooms and tomatoes.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, till crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
Notes:
Friday nights are pizza nights at the Blanchard casa, and last week I was feeling a little tired of our usual red-sauce supreme-ish (i.e. throw on whatever toppings we have) pie. We had some asparagus in the fridge and I thought I'd whip up a white sauce to go along with it. This is what emerged. And boy was it delicious!
Pizza
Source: a tattered and well-used recipe card from my mom's files
Ingredients / Directions:
In a bowl add 2 cups 110 degree water, 1/2 Tablespoon sugar and sprinkle over 2 Tablespoons active dry yeast. Proof 5 minutes.
Then add:
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon oil
1/2 Tablespoon salt
About 4 cups flour (I like half wheat, half white, but you do what you think's best. You've just got to watch the amounts - don't want to add to much! I usually add about three cups and stir it in, then knead in more as it's needed to create a soft, but not sticky, dough.)
Knead dough. Let dough rise in bowl, covered with a clean dish towel, for about 20 minutes, till doubled. Divide into 2 sections. Roll out on a floured surface to fit your pan. Place on pizza pan that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover with tomato sauce, spices (oregano, basil, onion powder and garlic powder) (or you could just use premade spaghetti or pizza sauce), cheese, and other desired toppings (be flexible - think pepperoni, ham, sausage, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, olives, pineapple, etc.). Bake at 435 degrees for about 15-18 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and edges of crust are browned.
Makes enough for 2 large pizzas.
Notes:
I've been making this pizza dough forever! Many, many sleepovers and parties with friends in high school and college involved this pizza. Many, many Friday nights growing up at home involved this pizza and a movie (usually Star Wars). We Blanchards have kept up a weekly Friday-night-pizza-and-a-movie tradition of our own, and it's always with this pizza. It's a keeper!
Ingredients / Directions:
In a bowl add 2 cups 110 degree water, 1/2 Tablespoon sugar and sprinkle over 2 Tablespoons active dry yeast. Proof 5 minutes.
Then add:
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon oil
1/2 Tablespoon salt
About 4 cups flour (I like half wheat, half white, but you do what you think's best. You've just got to watch the amounts - don't want to add to much! I usually add about three cups and stir it in, then knead in more as it's needed to create a soft, but not sticky, dough.)
Knead dough. Let dough rise in bowl, covered with a clean dish towel, for about 20 minutes, till doubled. Divide into 2 sections. Roll out on a floured surface to fit your pan. Place on pizza pan that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover with tomato sauce, spices (oregano, basil, onion powder and garlic powder) (or you could just use premade spaghetti or pizza sauce), cheese, and other desired toppings (be flexible - think pepperoni, ham, sausage, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, olives, pineapple, etc.). Bake at 435 degrees for about 15-18 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and edges of crust are browned.
Makes enough for 2 large pizzas.
Notes:
I've been making this pizza dough forever! Many, many sleepovers and parties with friends in high school and college involved this pizza. Many, many Friday nights growing up at home involved this pizza and a movie (usually Star Wars). We Blanchards have kept up a weekly Friday-night-pizza-and-a-movie tradition of our own, and it's always with this pizza. It's a keeper!
Thursday, April 4, 2013
"Unbelievable" Carrot Cake
Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe, with a few alterations made based on some of the comments (to reduce oil amounts, etc.)
Ingredients:
for cake:
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat + 2 cups unbleached all-purpose)
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 lb. medium carrots (6 to 7 large carrots), peeled
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
3/4 cup applesauce
for icing: (Mel says she doubles this if she's frosting a 9-inch layer cake, but for the 9x13-inch cake I made, a regular batch was more than enough to frost the top - in fact, I didn't use it all)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
5 Tablespoons butter softened to room temperature
1 Tablespoon sour cream, light or regular
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Grease and flour a 9X13-inch baking pan or 2 9-inch round pans.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in large bowl; set aside. In a food processor fitted with large or fine shredding disk, shred carrots (you should have about 3 cups); transfer carrots to bowl and set aside. You can also shred by hand on a box grater if you don't have a food processor.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or in large bowl and using hand-held mixer), beat granulated and brown sugars, eggs and applesauce on medium-high until thoroughly combined, about 45 seconds. Reduce speed to medium; with mixer running, add oil in slow, steady stream, being careful to pour oil against inside of bowl (if oil begins to splatter, reduce speed to low until oil is incorporated, then resume adding oil). Increase speed to high and mix until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 45 seconds to 1 minute longer. Turn off mixer and stir in carrots and dry ingredients by hand until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.
Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake until toothpick or skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 32 minutes for 9-inch round pans and 40 minutes (mine was done in ~35) for a 9X13-inch pan. Let cakes cool for about 10 minutes in the pan and then invert them onto a cooling rack to cool completely (the 9X13-inch cake can be cooled completely in the pan if you don't plan to invert and ice all the sides). At this point, once the cakes are cooled, they can be wrapped in plastic wrap and put in a ziploc bag and placed in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature prior to frosting.
When cake is cool, mix cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla at medium high speed in clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment (or in large bowl using handheld mixer) until well combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until very fluffy, about 1 minute. Frost and eat! (The cake looks extra fancy with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts or pecans on top, if you have them.)
Notes:
The week before Easter about a million different carrot cake recipes popped up on the food blogs and pinterest boards that I follow. All those carrot cake pictures swirling around the internet must have infiltrated my brain, because I decided that I simply had to make carrot cake myself. So I did. Oh my holy moley is this a good one. So moist and tender and delicious! And I think Gregg and I are going to be in trouble - because we've got the whole thing to eat by ourselves. Good thing Toasty is here to help, too. ;)
Ingredients:
for cake:
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat + 2 cups unbleached all-purpose)
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 lb. medium carrots (6 to 7 large carrots), peeled
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
3/4 cup applesauce
for icing: (Mel says she doubles this if she's frosting a 9-inch layer cake, but for the 9x13-inch cake I made, a regular batch was more than enough to frost the top - in fact, I didn't use it all)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
5 Tablespoons butter softened to room temperature
1 Tablespoon sour cream, light or regular
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Grease and flour a 9X13-inch baking pan or 2 9-inch round pans.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in large bowl; set aside. In a food processor fitted with large or fine shredding disk, shred carrots (you should have about 3 cups); transfer carrots to bowl and set aside. You can also shred by hand on a box grater if you don't have a food processor.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or in large bowl and using hand-held mixer), beat granulated and brown sugars, eggs and applesauce on medium-high until thoroughly combined, about 45 seconds. Reduce speed to medium; with mixer running, add oil in slow, steady stream, being careful to pour oil against inside of bowl (if oil begins to splatter, reduce speed to low until oil is incorporated, then resume adding oil). Increase speed to high and mix until mixture is light in color and well emulsified, about 45 seconds to 1 minute longer. Turn off mixer and stir in carrots and dry ingredients by hand until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.
Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake until toothpick or skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 32 minutes for 9-inch round pans and 40 minutes (mine was done in ~35) for a 9X13-inch pan. Let cakes cool for about 10 minutes in the pan and then invert them onto a cooling rack to cool completely (the 9X13-inch cake can be cooled completely in the pan if you don't plan to invert and ice all the sides). At this point, once the cakes are cooled, they can be wrapped in plastic wrap and put in a ziploc bag and placed in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature prior to frosting.
When cake is cool, mix cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla at medium high speed in clean bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment (or in large bowl using handheld mixer) until well combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar and mix until very fluffy, about 1 minute. Frost and eat! (The cake looks extra fancy with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts or pecans on top, if you have them.)
Notes:
The week before Easter about a million different carrot cake recipes popped up on the food blogs and pinterest boards that I follow. All those carrot cake pictures swirling around the internet must have infiltrated my brain, because I decided that I simply had to make carrot cake myself. So I did. Oh my holy moley is this a good one. So moist and tender and delicious! And I think Gregg and I are going to be in trouble - because we've got the whole thing to eat by ourselves. Good thing Toasty is here to help, too. ;)
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Cornmeal Crescent Rolls
Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Directions:
Heat the milk to just below a boil so bubbles are just appearing around the edges (this is called scalding milk). Add the cornmeal and cook and stir until thickened, lowering the temperature if needed so the mixture doesn’t boil. Pour the cornmeal/milk mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl and let cool until lukewarm (I'd say don't wait too long, because you want it warm enough to melt the butter, but not hot enough to kill the yeast). Add the yeast, butter (not melted - it will melt from the heat of the cornmeal mixture) and sugar (if you dissolved active dry yeast with a bit of water and sugar until it foamed, add it now). Mix. Add the salt and eggs. Mix well. Add the flour gradually until a soft dough forms. Knead for 5-8 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl covered with lightly greased plastic wrap or a towel and let rise until doubled.
Divide the dough into three portions and roll each into about an 8-10 inch circle. Brush the top lightly with butter. Cut into 8 wedges and roll each wedge up starting from the wide end so it forms a crescent roll shape. (I divided the dough in half because I used half for the Chicken Pillow recipe, then rolled the rest into a big circle, about 1/4" thick, and cut it into 12 wedges. I forgot to brush with butter before rolling into crescent shapes, but I think they'll be fine when I cook them. I placed the rolls on a cookie sheet - closer than I would have if they were going to be rising - and immediately put them in the freezer for a couple hours. Once they were hard, I popped them in a ziplock bag, ready to be grabbed and thawed when needed.)
Place each roll on a lightly greased baking sheet, spacing about 1-2 inches apart to allow for rising. Cover lightly with greased plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise until doubled.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. Brush with butter while still warm.
Notes:
While I haven't baked mine up yet (besides the one that didn't have enough filling left to become a Chicken Pillow), I have full confidence that these will be most delicious rolls. I love my regular crescent recipe, but the cornmeal base of these intrigued me, and I must say, they were very fun to make.
Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2/3 cup yellow corn meal
1 1/2 Tablespoons instant yeast OR 2 Tablespoons active dry yeast softened in 1/2 cup water + 1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (I think next time I'd use salted butter or increase the salt added just a titch)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
5 ½ – 6 cups flour (I used 1/3 - 1/2 whole wheat)
Directions:
Heat the milk to just below a boil so bubbles are just appearing around the edges (this is called scalding milk). Add the cornmeal and cook and stir until thickened, lowering the temperature if needed so the mixture doesn’t boil. Pour the cornmeal/milk mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl and let cool until lukewarm (I'd say don't wait too long, because you want it warm enough to melt the butter, but not hot enough to kill the yeast). Add the yeast, butter (not melted - it will melt from the heat of the cornmeal mixture) and sugar (if you dissolved active dry yeast with a bit of water and sugar until it foamed, add it now). Mix. Add the salt and eggs. Mix well. Add the flour gradually until a soft dough forms. Knead for 5-8 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl covered with lightly greased plastic wrap or a towel and let rise until doubled.
Divide the dough into three portions and roll each into about an 8-10 inch circle. Brush the top lightly with butter. Cut into 8 wedges and roll each wedge up starting from the wide end so it forms a crescent roll shape. (I divided the dough in half because I used half for the Chicken Pillow recipe, then rolled the rest into a big circle, about 1/4" thick, and cut it into 12 wedges. I forgot to brush with butter before rolling into crescent shapes, but I think they'll be fine when I cook them. I placed the rolls on a cookie sheet - closer than I would have if they were going to be rising - and immediately put them in the freezer for a couple hours. Once they were hard, I popped them in a ziplock bag, ready to be grabbed and thawed when needed.)
Place each roll on a lightly greased baking sheet, spacing about 1-2 inches apart to allow for rising. Cover lightly with greased plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise until doubled.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. Brush with butter while still warm.
Notes:
While I haven't baked mine up yet (besides the one that didn't have enough filling left to become a Chicken Pillow), I have full confidence that these will be most delicious rolls. I love my regular crescent recipe, but the cornmeal base of these intrigued me, and I must say, they were very fun to make.
Chicken Pillows
Source: a mix of Mel's Kitchen Cafe and my friend, Marcy, plus some additions and alterations based on what I had/needed
Ingredients:
for the filling:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 - 1 1/2 pounds) (I actually probably had less than this - all I had in the freezer were two puny little breasts and it worked.)
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, light or regular, softened to room temperature
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 green onion, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
for the rolls and coating:
1/2 batch buttery crescent rolls (I used Mel's Buttery Cornmeal Crescent Roll Recipe - and they were amazing! I actually made a whole batch, but only used half for this recipe and the other half I formed into crescents and froze before their second rise - now when I need rolls I'll just pop them out of the freezer a few hours before, let them thaw and rise, and bake as usual.) (Note: you don't have to make homemade dough if you don't want to/have time to - just use a couple cans of refrigerated crescent rolls from the store - I won't tell.)
1/4 cup (half stick) butter, melted
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
for the sauce:
1 can cream o' chicken soup
~2 Tablespoons sour cream (I just sort of eyeballed this)
~1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (I just sort of eyeballed this)
~3/4 can water (just use the chicken soup can and add until the sauce is the consistency you want)
Directions:
Make the buttery crescent rolls according to the recipe, but pause after the first rise.
While the dough is rising, cook and shred the chicken (or use already cooked, shredded chicken). In a medium bowl combine the chicken, celery, green onion, cream cheese, garlic powder and salt and mix until well combined. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
Once the dough has doubled in size, deflate the dough and separate into two pieces (if you made a full batch - if you halved it from the beginning, just use all the dough you've got). Roll each piece of dough into a 13X20-inch rectangle and cut each rectangle into 12 pieces (cutting lengthwise in half and then each half into six pieces). One by one, flatten each dough piece slightly and spoon about 1/4 cup of the chicken/cream cheese mixture into the center. Fold up all the sides and pinch them together to seal well. (Mine turned out horrible looking, but after all was said and done, they actually looked fine and tasted even better.)
When all the chicken pillows have been formed, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a bowl or flat dish (like a pie plate). One by one, dip the top of each chicken pillow in the melted butter and then in the crumb/Parmesan mixture. Place seam side down (whoops - didn't do it that way!) about 2 inches apart (and mine were much closer together, but they were totally fine) on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 18-20 minutes, until the chicken pillows are lightly golden brown and the dough is baked through.
While the rolls are baking, prepare the sauce. In a medium saucepan or microwave safe bowl, mix the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheese and water to desired consistency and temperature. Stir well - it should be creamy and smooth and hot.
Serve the rolls warm from the oven with the sauce drizzled over the top. Makes ~12 chicken pillows (I only got 11 filled rolls with my filling, but I think with a titch more chicken it would have been 12 for sure).
Notes:
I had tried these before with the store-bought crescents in a tube, and they were great, but after my sister mentioned she had made this particular recipe and I remembered that I had pinned it a long time ago, I decided to finally give them a whirl. Oh yum! I would have made the sauce in Mel's recipe had I had enough milk, but alas, it's grocery day and last night all I had was the 2 cups needed for the roll dough. (Next time, for sure!) The cream o' soup was a fine replacement, though. And these little leftover pillow pockets of goodness will make a mighty fine lunch for me today. (Can't wait!)
Ingredients:
for the filling:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 - 1 1/2 pounds) (I actually probably had less than this - all I had in the freezer were two puny little breasts and it worked.)
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, light or regular, softened to room temperature
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 green onion, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
for the rolls and coating:
1/2 batch buttery crescent rolls (I used Mel's Buttery Cornmeal Crescent Roll Recipe - and they were amazing! I actually made a whole batch, but only used half for this recipe and the other half I formed into crescents and froze before their second rise - now when I need rolls I'll just pop them out of the freezer a few hours before, let them thaw and rise, and bake as usual.) (Note: you don't have to make homemade dough if you don't want to/have time to - just use a couple cans of refrigerated crescent rolls from the store - I won't tell.)
1/4 cup (half stick) butter, melted
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
for the sauce:
1 can cream o' chicken soup
~2 Tablespoons sour cream (I just sort of eyeballed this)
~1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (I just sort of eyeballed this)
~3/4 can water (just use the chicken soup can and add until the sauce is the consistency you want)
Directions:
Make the buttery crescent rolls according to the recipe, but pause after the first rise.
While the dough is rising, cook and shred the chicken (or use already cooked, shredded chicken). In a medium bowl combine the chicken, celery, green onion, cream cheese, garlic powder and salt and mix until well combined. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
Once the dough has doubled in size, deflate the dough and separate into two pieces (if you made a full batch - if you halved it from the beginning, just use all the dough you've got). Roll each piece of dough into a 13X20-inch rectangle and cut each rectangle into 12 pieces (cutting lengthwise in half and then each half into six pieces). One by one, flatten each dough piece slightly and spoon about 1/4 cup of the chicken/cream cheese mixture into the center. Fold up all the sides and pinch them together to seal well. (Mine turned out horrible looking, but after all was said and done, they actually looked fine and tasted even better.)
When all the chicken pillows have been formed, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a bowl or flat dish (like a pie plate). One by one, dip the top of each chicken pillow in the melted butter and then in the crumb/Parmesan mixture. Place seam side down (whoops - didn't do it that way!) about 2 inches apart (and mine were much closer together, but they were totally fine) on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 18-20 minutes, until the chicken pillows are lightly golden brown and the dough is baked through.
While the rolls are baking, prepare the sauce. In a medium saucepan or microwave safe bowl, mix the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheese and water to desired consistency and temperature. Stir well - it should be creamy and smooth and hot.
Serve the rolls warm from the oven with the sauce drizzled over the top. Makes ~12 chicken pillows (I only got 11 filled rolls with my filling, but I think with a titch more chicken it would have been 12 for sure).
Notes:
I had tried these before with the store-bought crescents in a tube, and they were great, but after my sister mentioned she had made this particular recipe and I remembered that I had pinned it a long time ago, I decided to finally give them a whirl. Oh yum! I would have made the sauce in Mel's recipe had I had enough milk, but alas, it's grocery day and last night all I had was the 2 cups needed for the roll dough. (Next time, for sure!) The cream o' soup was a fine replacement, though. And these little leftover pillow pockets of goodness will make a mighty fine lunch for me today. (Can't wait!)
Friday, March 22, 2013
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Six Sisters' Stuff (I also saw an almost identical, just doubled, version of this recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oats (quick or old fashioned) (I used quick)
2 cups milk chocolate chips (I used less - probably not even a cup, though I didn't really measure - and semisweet, as always)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugars. Stir in peanut butter, vanilla and egg until well combined. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Fold in oats and chocolate chips and mix until combined. Roll into 1" balls and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. (I didn't really follow the order in these directions - instead I creamed the butter, sugars, egg and peanut butter with an electric mixer. Then I added the salt, vanilla and baking soda and beat it again for a couple seconds. Then I stirred in the oats and flour. And finally folded in the chocolate chips. They turned out great, so apparently the order doesn't matter. ;)
Notes:
I have really been wanting some chocolate chip cookies this week, but I knew it would be bad news if I made them early in the week since I've been home all by myself for the past few days, so I made myself wait till Friday afternoon to whip some up. I decided to try a recipe I've had pinned for a long time now, and all week I've been dreaming about the peanut butter and oatmeal chocolate chip combination I found. They make the house smell amazing while cooking, and they taste divine, especially while they're still a little warm and with a mug of cold milk. Mmmhmmm. This is where it's at! (Gregg better get home quick to help me out, because even though I waited all week, they might not last long!)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oats (quick or old fashioned) (I used quick)
2 cups milk chocolate chips (I used less - probably not even a cup, though I didn't really measure - and semisweet, as always)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugars. Stir in peanut butter, vanilla and egg until well combined. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Fold in oats and chocolate chips and mix until combined. Roll into 1" balls and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. (I didn't really follow the order in these directions - instead I creamed the butter, sugars, egg and peanut butter with an electric mixer. Then I added the salt, vanilla and baking soda and beat it again for a couple seconds. Then I stirred in the oats and flour. And finally folded in the chocolate chips. They turned out great, so apparently the order doesn't matter. ;)
Notes:
I have really been wanting some chocolate chip cookies this week, but I knew it would be bad news if I made them early in the week since I've been home all by myself for the past few days, so I made myself wait till Friday afternoon to whip some up. I decided to try a recipe I've had pinned for a long time now, and all week I've been dreaming about the peanut butter and oatmeal chocolate chip combination I found. They make the house smell amazing while cooking, and they taste divine, especially while they're still a little warm and with a mug of cold milk. Mmmhmmm. This is where it's at! (Gregg better get home quick to help me out, because even though I waited all week, they might not last long!)
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