Chicken and Pasta with Cream Sauce

Tonight was my first alumni event for work, which happened to be at a Capitals hockey game So dinner tonight was actually chicken strips and freedom fries (and a Bud Light when I got home – watching people eat and drink for 5 hours while you’re sipping on water would make anyone crave a beer). But last night’s dinner was worth documenting. I’m proud to say that I came up with this recipe all by myself. You start with a simple roux and turn it into alfredo sauce.
Cook Note: Rotisserie chickens are such a perfect substitution for cooking chicken at home. I use it for chicken salad, chicken for pasta, chicken on pizza…really anywhere you use chicken. Plus, you don’t have to fret if it’s cooked through or seasoned all the way, because it always is!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
2 cups whole milk
1/2 lb pasta
pinch dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic salt
pepper to taste
1 cup leftover rotisserie chicken, diced
parmesan, finely grated
green onion

Boil a pot of water, add pasta and cook per directions. Make a roux by melting butter in a skillet over medium heat, adding the flour and whisking until combined. Once mixture turns a blonde color, add in milk while whisking constantly. Whisk until sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. Add in spices and chicken. Top with parmesan and green onion.

Toasted Coconut, Toffee, Chocolate Chip Cookies

These should be titled OMG cookies, because they’re OMG delicious. They take chocolate chip cookies to a different, chewier level. Next time you need to bake a batch of cookies for a friend, work or yourself, do yourself a favor and make these. I must look like a serious glutton making sweet after sweet – I promise I do make real food too. Like tonight’s simple supper of rotisserie chicken with pasta in cream sauce with a side salad. But the cookies stole the show. I’m bringing these bad boys into work tomorrow to cheer people up after this miserable weather is doing its best to beat us down. Sleet, really?

This masterpiece is from Two Peas and Their Pod. The recipe is as follows:

1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract (I left it out)
1 large egg
1 cup Heath toffee bits (or chopped up Heath Bars)
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange coconut in a single layer on the pan. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until coconut is lightly toasted, stirring once. Set coconut aside to cool.

Line another baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add brown sugar and butter. Beat at medium speed until creamy and smooth, about two minutes. Beat in vanilla extract, coconut extract, and egg. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in toasted coconut, toffee bits, and chocolate chips.

Drop spoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until cookies start to brown around the edges. Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire racks.
|
What have I done?

Cinnamon Sugar Layer Bread with Vanilla Icing

Oh bread, why must you be so fickle? Luckily my third attempt using dry active yeast was a success. I didn’t want to give up on this recipe because it just looked so good. So after yesterday’s fluke, I went back to the store to buy more flour and vanilla extract and tried again! The cause for the failure was not “reactivating” the “dry active” yeast in warm water (110-115 degrees) rather than just adding it to the flour mixture like you would “instant” yeast.

The recipe is spelled out here. It’s an intensive process but a good learning experience. I watched a couple youtube videos on How to Knead Bread – very helpful.

Another fun cooking skill I learned was to brown butter. It smells amazing, giving the butter a nuttier flavor and brown color.
Roll the dough out really thin (with my new rolling pin – yay!)
The browned butter and cinnamon/nutmeg/sugar mixture is spread onto the prepared dough.

Then cut the dough into six strips. Stack. Slice that into six squares. Place in bread dish all in a row.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Watch it puff.

Try to let it rest 15-20 minutes before ripping into it. I brought this over to a friend’s house for our Monday night dinners. It went just fine with the quesadillas and salsa salad.

My spin to the recipe was making a vanilla icing to drizzle on top of the cinnamon bread. Just like a delicious, flat cinnamon roll.

Vanilla Icing

1 cup confectioners sugar
1 1/2 – 2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp butter, softened
1/4 tsp vanilla extract (I threw in a little vanilla bean because I had it around)
dash of salt

Granola–Revisited

Spring break is great, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a whole lot better when all of your friends are on it with you. Now the 7th day of spring break, I’m at a loss for things to do. When this happens, I usually turn to the kitchen. Today’s project was a new and improved batch of homemade granola.

Two things to mention in this picture: new bamboo cutting board and sheet pan I got at Marshall’s yesterday! I L-U-V that place. I also found cute flats and a garlic press, it’s a one-stop-shop. I would’ve gone even more crazy, but I had to carry these things home by metro, bus and walking.

This granola I discovered, surprise!, on a blog: Mehan's Kitchen.

3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup shaved coconut
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp butter
1/8 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp honey (or agave nectar)
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt

Combine in a large bowl and spread out onto a pan covered with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 22-25 minutes, tossing granola around pan half way through to ensure even baking.

Monster Smoothie

Ahh great workout this morning. The gym was basically deserted and I took my time on the machines, and even ran a bit! My breakfast of a cup of joe and a serving size bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats started me off on the right foot. Why is it that I live such a healthier lifestyle when I don’t have to work? I’m trying to take advantage of it while it lasts. For lunch I tried something that I’ve been curious about for a while: a spinach smoothie. It was shockingly good. I couldn’t even taste the spinach, except that it gave a fresh taste to the banana and yogurt mixture. I gulped down a salad-sized amount of spinach in a small glass. A great way to sneak in vegetables!

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
1 vanilla yogurt
2 handfuls of spinach
Splash of fruit juice (or milk)
Ice – optional: if you want a thicker smoothie
I added shaved coconut to the top, which gave the smoothie a nice chewiness.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are my redemption for the blow to my baking ego this morning.

I summoned the courage to make croissants out of my Tartine cookbook and had laid out the two day, multistep process to bake them. Unfortunately, these were doomed from the beginning. In the first step of making the “preferment” – a mixture of milk, yeast and flour – I must have not dissolved all of the yeast into the milk because the result was grainy and tough. Arg.

So, this brings me to the peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, which happen to be perfect, thank-you-very-much.

One batch made 50 small cookies. The recipe is from The Pastry Affair.

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup peanut butter (I used chunky)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and peanut butter. Beat until smooth. Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop small spoonful’s of dough onto a greased baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until light golden brown. 

Lemon Roasted Chicken

This may look similar to last night’s plate… but I couldn’t say no to leftovers. Recipe courtesy of Simply Recipes.

Ingredients:

3-4 pounds chicken parts (thighs) skin-on, bone-in

2 Tbsp lemon zest

• 1/3 cup lemon juice
  
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  
• 2 Tbsp fresh chopped thyme
  
• 1 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  
• 1 teaspoons salt
  
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
  

• 2-3 Tbsp melted butter
  

Place lemon juice, lemon peel, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, whisk to combine. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut into each chicken piece one or two times by about 1/2 an inch. (This will help the marinade penetrate.) Place the chicken pieces and most of the marinade in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Reserve the remaining marinade for basting. Rotate the bag so that all chicken pieces are coated with the marinade. Seal the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator (in case of leakage). Let marinate for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 425°F. Remove chicken from marinade and place in a single layer in a large baking dish, skin side up. Use a pastry brush to brush a little melted butter on to each piece of chicken. Bake for a total of 50 to 55 minutes, until the skins are crispy brown, and the chicken is cooked through, juices running clear (breasts have an internal temperature of 165°F and thighs 175°F). Half-way through the baking, at about the 25 minute mark, baste the chicken pieces generously with reserved marinade. Let rest for 10 minutes after baking.

The chicken was super flavorful. This recipe was a good find! Sadly, mom left early this morning and wasn’t able to enjoy the rest of our leftovers. I miss her already!

Stovetop Mac & Cheese

The past couple days were so fun. Mom and I covered a lot of ground on her trip, from the Crime and Punishment Museum (seriously creepy) to the Mall (lawn version, not retail) to Alexandria’s Old Town and a lot in between. I took her to Le Pain Quotidien, which I realize is a chain but is one of my favorite breakfast/lunch places. She loved it so much we went twice! We ordered the seasonal special tartine, which had tuna salad with pickled onions and melted white cheddar. We regretted splitting. We shared a mixed berry tart for dessert, and agreed that fruit tarts are one of – if not the best – desserts out there.

For her last night, I wanted to make dinner. I found a recipe for mac and cheese in my Food & Wine magazine that used marscarpone cheese (which I happened to have left over from another recipe). You just make a basic roux with flour, butter, paprika and milk.

Add the marscarpone, cheddar, fontina cheese and salt (and I added a few dashes of cayenne pepper for spice). Dump in the cooked whole wheat noodles, and keep over heat until bubbling.

It was creamy and comforting, just like mac and cheese is supposed to be. We had it with broccoli topped with gorgonzola and a simple salad.

Unfortunately, all Sunday I could tell I was coming down with something…and sure enough I was up almost all night feeling terrible and feverish. At least I’m on spring break and don’t have to go to work this week!

Crostata with Apples, Gorgonzola and Walnuts

Yay! My mom came from far and wide to visit me for the weekend. So, as I do with most things, I started planning way in advance for what we were going to do, where we were going to go and what we were going to eat. When I was at the gym last week I saw Giada (per usual) make her apple, gorgonzola and walnut crostata, and I penciled it into the planner for Thursday night’s dinner.

This would have been just fine if my mom’s plane had arrived on time, but that would’ve been too much to ask. Her plane was 4 hours delayed and the costata turned into breakfast on Friday.

The recipe was actually more brunch-like so no harm, no foul.

Giada gives instructions on how to make this crostata here. It may seem a little scary at first, but you can always cheat by buying a premade pie crust and rolling it out in place of homemade crust. (Though I don’t recommend this as the dough was one of my favorite parts).
Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  
• 3 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  
• 4 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices
  
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  
• 1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
  
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  
  



For the crust: In a food processor combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is finely chopped and the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the mascarpone cheese and lemon juice and pulse a few times. Add the ice water and run the machine just until the mixture is moist and crumbly, but does not form a ball. Do not over mix. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Press into a disc, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For the filling: Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the apple slices, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are softened, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, walnuts, and Gorgonzola.

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the inside of a 12 by 17-inch baking sheet and place on a work surface. Place the chilled dough on the parchment paper. Roll the dough out into an 11-inch circle, about 1/4-inch thick. Lift the parchment paper and transfer to the baking sheet. Spoon the apple filling into the center of the dough. Spread the filling evenly, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round. Pleat the edge of the pastry and pinch to seal any cracks in the dough.

Using a pastry brush, brush the crust with the beaten egg. Bake until the crust is golden, about 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

”This was the best thing I’ve had in like…six months” –Mom

Homemade Granola-Almost-Bars

I am the most suggestible person I know. Yesterday at the gym, Giada was making granola bars…so what did I do after the gym? I popped into WF and picked up dried fruit and almonds to make some granola bars! I don’t know if I should be calling them bars, as these didn’t quite hold their shape after I cut them – but they are quite delicious. (It’s been a decent substitute for not eating candy).

I used Giada’s recipe for homemade granola bars… but changed a few things:

2 tbsp butter
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup chopped roasted almonds
1 cup dried fruit (I used chopped prunes and dried cherries)
handful white chocolate chunks
2 tbsp flour

Melt the butter in a large pot, mix in honey, sugar and salt. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Press into an 8x8 baking dish lined with parchment and bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees. Wait until completely cool to cut into.

Greek-Style Tortellini Soup

I’m not going to say Day 1 without candy was easy, because it wasn’t. But I’m taking it one day at a time, like any 12 step program. I need to send a shout out to my mother for the delicious and easy dinner I made tonight. Anyone can make this recipe (and should make this recipe). Not to mention it could feed a family of 5. Cha-ching: leftovers.

Ingredients:

4 cups less-sodium chicken broth

2 cups water

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup lemon juice (2 lemons)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

dash –or 2- of crushed red pepper flakes

9 oz package 3-cheese tortellini

1 cup diced roast chicken (I bought a roasted chicken to save time)

1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, quartered

1 6 oz package fresh baby spinach

plain yogurt

Combine first six ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil and add tortellini. Cook until just tender, then add remaining ingredients (except yogurt). Serve with a scoop of plain yogurt on top.
A side of beer and bread compliment it nicely.

Spicy, lemony, YUM.

Tuna Salad with Crunch

Tuna is definitely one of my go-tos- if you haven’t picked up on that already. This recipe has morphed each time I make it, but the essential ingredients are:

2 cans white tuna
white beans
red wine vinegar
fresh lemon juice
dijon mustard
capers
onion
bell pepper
red pepper flakes
salt + pepper

To this I’ve added tomatoes, roasted red peppers, spinach, basil, shredded cabbage and/or pita chips. Tonight, I just went with a little shredded cabbage and pita chips. After determining an easy dinner, the more challenging decision came up: what to give up for Lent? Now, if you knew me 1-2 weeks ago, you may be surprised that I’m planning on even participating in Lent. Somewhere down the line of starting a new job at an Episcopalian school, working around children and attending chapel this morning, I’ve realized this might be something I should take more seriously. Religion is something I want in my life and I think the opportunity and drive have finally meshed. To answer my own question, I’m thinking I might give up candy (eek!). It’s a nice mixture of not impossible, but definitely wont be easy. We’ll see how it goes!

Chicken Tacos & Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don’t know why it’s taken me this long to embrace hard shell tacos. They’re so much better than soft!

Seeking out the flat bottomed taco shells would have been smart, because these guys didn’t like standing up.

Baking the tacos for a few minutes binds everything together very nicely.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 bell peppers, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground chicken
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 cup tomato sauce
2 tsp salt
hard taco shells

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, red peppers and green peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and just starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook a few more minutes. Add ground chicken, paprika, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and salt. Turn heat to high; use wooden spoon to stir and break chicken into small clumps until chicken is partially cooked, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, then turn heat down to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking chicken into smaller clumps, for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Taste to adjust seasoning.
Meanwhile, set taco shells into a square or rectangular baking dish so that they stand upright. When chicken is done, spoon mixture into each shell, spreading evenly. Bake filled tacos in preheated oven for 7-10 minutes, or until hot. Serve immediately with guacamole, shredded cabbage, cilantro and/or sour cream.

After dinner, Evan said that someday soon he’d like me to make chocolate chip cookies…He was in luck. I happened to have all of the necessary ingredients, and felt like chocolate chip cookies (which isn’t luck, that’s just how I always feel). I just used the handy-dandy recipe on the back of the chocolate chips and swapped in some white chocolate chunks.

And a thank you to Kathy for giving me these cute dish towels