Recipes

Ingredients
12 eggs
¹⁄₂ pound bacon, cut into pieces
1 bunch green onion, cut into 2 inch lengths
¹⁄₂ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon white vinegar

Instructions
1. To hard-boil eggs: Place eggs in a large pot. Add water to cover by two inches. Add baking soda. Bring water to a boil and boil for 12 minutes. Immediately remove pot from heat, pour off hot water, and cool eggs with cold water and ice. Cut in half and remove yolks.

2. Heat large skillet over medium heat.  Add bacon and sauté until fully cooked and starting to crisp.  Drain on paper towels or in sieve set over bowl. 

3. Process egg yolks, bacon, green onion, mayonnaise, dry mustard, and vinegar in food processor until smooth.  Transfer mixture to ziptop bag, remove corner with knife, and pipe mixture into egg whites. 

Note: Store egg carton on its side in the fridge the day before hard boiling to help center egg yolks. 

Comments
I really love deviled eggs but I haven’t made them in at least 5 years.  I wanted something more exciting than the basic deviled eggs recipes I was finding, so I decided to give bacon and green onion a try.  According to Art, these were the best deviled eggs he had ever eaten.  I think I’d have to agree!  These were very scrumptious eggs, lots of great flavors.

Person - Gwen

Ingredients
1 ¹⁄₂ cup panko
³⁄₄ cup sesame seeds
1 ¹⁄₂ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

For the sauce
¹⁄₂ cup mayonnaise
¹⁄₄ cup honey
¹⁄₄ cup mustard

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425*F.  Place parchment paper on baking sheet. 

2. Mix panko and sesame seeds in large shallow dish.  Combine mayonnaise, mustard, onion, and chicken in a large bowl.  Stir to coat chicken.  Transfer chicken to panko mixture and toss to coat. 

3. Spread chicken pieces on prepared baking sheet, working in batches if necessary.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through. 

4. Combine sauce ingredients in small bowl.  Serve sauce with chicken bites. 

Comments
This recipe is from allrecipes.com and I found it while searching for an appetizer recipe involving chicken for Junk Food Day 2011.  I didn’t see a reason to pre-cook the chicken and that worked out just fine.  The chicken bites were delicious and we gobbled them up.

Internet - allrecipes

Ingredients
-- 1 ¹⁄₂-Pound Loaf –
1 ¹⁄₈ cups fat free milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons molasses
1 ³⁄₄ cups bread flour
¹⁄₄ cup rye flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal or polenta
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon gluten
1 teaspoon salt
2 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons bread machine yeast

-- 2-Pound Loaf –
1 ¹⁄₂ cups fat free milk
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons molasses
2 ¹⁄₄ cups bread flour
1 ¹⁄₄ cups whole wheat flour
¹⁄₃ cup rye flour
3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal or polenta
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons gluten
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon bread machine yeast

Instructions
1. Place all ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Set crust on medium and program for the Whole Wheat cycle; press Start. (This recipe is not suitable for use with the Delay Timer.)

2. When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. Let cool to room temperature before slicing. 

[no photo]

Comments
This recipe is also from the fantastic Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook. Sadly I don’t have a picture of the finished product since it was one of two loaves I baked to take to my parents’ for Christmas.  It was fantastically grainy.  I used whole wheat and cornmeal from my parents’ local market.  This is a great multi-grain bread for both toast and sandwiches!

Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook

Ingredients
-- 1 ¹⁄₂-Pound Loaf –
1 ¹⁄₈ cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 ¹⁄₂ cups whole wheat flour
1 ¹⁄₂ cups bread flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon gluten
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons salt
2 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons bread machine yeast

-- 2-Pound Loaf –
1 ¹⁄₂ cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons maple syrup
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons gluten
2 teaspoons salt
2 ³⁄₄ teaspoons bread machine yeast

Instructions
1. Place all ingredients in the pan according to the order in the manufacturer’s instructions. Set crust on medium and program for the Basic or Whole Wheat cycle; press Start. (This recipe is not suitable for use with the Delay Timer.)

2. When the baking cycle ends, immediately remove the bread from the pan and place it on a rack. let cook to room temperature before slicing. 

[no photo]

Comments
This recipe is from the fantastic Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook. Sadly I don’t have a picture of the finished product since it was one of two loaves I baked to take to my parents’ for Christmas.  It was delicious, both as toast and for sandwiches.

Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook

Ingredients
1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
8 ounces penne or ziti, about 2 ¹⁄₂ cups
3 cloves garlic, minced
¹⁄₄ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
¹⁄₂ cup half and half
8 ounces broccoli florets, cut into 1-inch pieces
¹⁄₂ cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

Instructions
1. Cook sausage in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain sausage on paper towel-lined plate.

2. Cook onion and bell pepper in sausage fat until softened, about 8 minutes. Add penne and cook, stirring oven, until pasta is lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, broth, and half and half and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften, about 8 minutes.

3. Arrange broccoli on top of pasta and continue to cook, covered, until broccoli is bright green and tender and pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Off heat, stir in sausage, Parmesan, basil, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Comments
This recipe is from the 2008 Cook’s Country Annual and it falls into the category of “recipes Lance loves.”  Why does Lance love this type of recipe?  Because it only uses one skillet.  A dishwasher’s dream!  I’m also a big fan of one-skillet meals because they tend to be nice and simple, great for a busy evening or to end a busy day. 

I thought all the flavors in this dish were great, Art enjoyed it in leftover form a few days later, and I’ll be making it at some point in the future when I need a quick weeknight meal.

Cook’s Country 2008

Ingredients
For the meat sauce
1 onion, chopped
6 ounces pepperoni, sliced
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon tomato paste
5 cloves garlic, minced
¹⁄₄ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 (28 ounces each) cans crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper
_
For the manicotti_
3 cups ricotta cheese
2 ¹⁄₂ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 ¹⁄₂ cups provolone cheese, shredded
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon pepper
¹⁄₄ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
16 no-boil flat lasagna noodles (This is one box of the Barilla kind.)

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375*F. Pulse onion and pepperoni in food processor until coarsely ground. Add beef and pulse until thoroughly combined.

2. Transfer beef mixture to large saucepan and cook over medium heat, breaking up mixture with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer 1 cup beef mixture to paper-towel lined plate and reserve. Add tomato paste, garlic, and pepper flakes to pot with remaining meat mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (At this point, sauce can be refrigerated in airtight container for 3 days.)

3. Combine ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, 1 cup provolone, egg, salt, pepper, basil, and reserved meat mixture in large bowl. Pour 2 quarts boiling water into 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Soak noodles until pliable, about 5 minutes. Drain noodles on kitchen towel. Pour off water and dry baking dish.

4. Spread half of meat sauce over bottom of baking dish. Top each soaked noodle with ¹⁄₄ cup cheese filling, roll, and arrange, seam-side down, over sauce in baking dish. Spread remaining sauce over manicotti. Cover with foil and bake until bubbling around edges, about 40 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and provolone. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. 

Comments
This recipe is from the 2009 Cook’s Country Annual and it’s the second time I’ve used America’s Test Kitchen’s method for making manicotti.  Regardless of the recipe you use, this method for making and filling the noodles is, hands down, the best ever.  It’s so very simple. 

Sadly, I’ve had the realization over recent months that I really don’t care that much for manicotti and lasagna.  I guess there’s something about the ricotta-based filling that is unappealing to me.  Oh well, everyone else loved them!

Shown here with Garlic Toast.

Cook’s Country 2009

Ingredients
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped fine
6 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin
12 ounces portobello mushrooms caps, gills removed, halved and sliced thin
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
¹⁄₄ cup all purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup beef broth
1 cup white wine
¹⁄₂ cup half and half
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions
1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken, until deep golden brown, about 6 minutes. Flip and brown on second side, about 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot.

2. Cook onions in remaining fat until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms, thyme, and ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have released their juices, about 10 to 15 minutes. Uncover and cook until liquid evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, about 7 to 15 minutes.

3. Stir in flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in broths and wine and bring to boil.  Return chicken and all accumulated juices to pot.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until meat registers 160*F, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to serving platter and tent with foil.

4. Add half and half to pot and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken. Serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from the 2008 Cook’s Country Annual and I served it with egg noodles.  It would work well served over rice or other pasta.  The guys both found this very tasty and enjoyed leftovers. For some reason my palate is off lemon at the moment and I found it to be too lemony, which is strange since lemon is usually a flavor I love.  Maybe I’ll enjoy it more next time.

Cook’s Country 2008

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 ounces cream cheese
¹⁄₄ cup green salsa
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
¹⁄₂ teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
¹⁄₂ teaspoon onion powder
¹⁄₄ teaspoon garlic powder
3 teaspoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons green onions, sliced
4 ounces pepperjack cheese, chopped or shredded
12 taco size flour tortillas

Instructions
1. Heat oil in large skillet and cook chicken 5-10 minutes a side, or until cooked through.  Remove from skillet, allow to cool, and chop or shred. 

2. Heat oven to 425*F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and spray with cooking spray. 

3. Place cream cheese in microwave safe bowl and cook for 20-30 seconds, or until soft and easy to stir.  Add salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. Stir to combine.  Add cilantro, green onion, chicken, and pepperjack cheese.  Stir until well combined. 

4. Working one tortilla at a time, place ¹⁄₄ cup chicken mixture on the lower third of tortilla then roll as tight as you can.  Place seam side down on baking sheet.  Repeat process with all remaining tortillas and filling, leaving space between taquitos. Spray tops lightly with cooking spray. 

5. Place sheet in oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until crisp and turning golden brown. 

Comments
This recipe is from the blog The Girl Who Ate Everything.  I bookmarked it a while back and just recently decided to give them a try.  We were all thrilled with the results.  I used some Salsa Verde from my parents’ local market and the flavor was fantastic.  I was especially happy that these were baked instead of fried as the taquitos in restaurants usually are. 

Shown here with Pico de Gallo.

Internet - The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients
4 pints grape tomatoes, quartered
2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced (Optional)
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt to taste

Instructions
1. Combine the tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, garlic, bell peppers, onion, and lime juice in a large bowl.

2. Stir the mixture to combine all the ingredients. Allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving.  Taste, and add salt as needed.

Comments
This recipe is from epicurious.com and it’s the first time I’ve made pico before.  Truth be told, I’m not completely sure what the difference between pico and fresh salsa is, but this was still great even if I don’t know the distinction.  I had a bit of trepidation about the amount of bell pepper in the recipe, but I’m glad I followed it as written because the bell pepper was quite lovely. 

Be warned, this recipe does make quite a lot of pico.  I’d say we ended up with at least 4 cups, probably closer to 6.  The red bell peppers I used were huge…

Shown here with Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos.

Internet - Epicurious

Ingredients
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
3 (about 8 ounces each) russet potatoes, scrubbed and each cut into thick wedges or slices
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons salt
³⁄₄ teaspoon pepper
¹⁄₂ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 475*F. Combine garlic and oil in large bowl, or microwavable container, and microwave until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer 5 tablespoons oil, leaving garlic in bowl, to rimmed baking sheet, tilting sheet to coat. 

2. Add potatoes to bowl with remaining oil mixture and toss to coat. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, or cover container with lid, and microwave until potatoes are translucent around edges, 3 to 6 minutes, shaking bowl to redistribute potatoes halfway through cooking.

3. Combine cornstarch, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in small bowl. Sprinkle over hot potatoes and toss to coat. Arrange potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet and bake, turning once, until deep golden brown and crisp, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from the 2008 Cook’s Country Annual.  I cut the potato slices a bit too thin and some got burnt, but overall they were great.  The fries were very flavorful from the garlic infused oil, the fresh garlic, and the garlic powder.  I will definitely be making these potatoes in the future.  The time in the microwave really helps to cut down on overall recipe time. 

Shown here with Pan-Seared Cod with Herb Butter Sauce.

Cook’s Country 2008