Moo Goo Gai Pan

This is one of my favorite things to order at a Chinese restaurant. This was a good recipe, but I had to add quite a bit of salt. It's pretty quick cooking, but the oil really splattered out of the wok when I put the chicken in. I'll make it again, no doubt!

Ingredients:
3 boneless chicken breasts cut into bite size pcs
1/3 cup oil
3 slices ginger
2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
1/4 lb snow peas
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts (drained)
1 (8 ounce) can bamboo shoots (drained)
1/4 cup carrots julienned
4 green onions (sliced)
1/2 cup broccoli, florets (small)
Salt, to taste

Directions:
Preheat wok; Pour cooking oil and swirl oil around sides to coat. When oil is hot, add ginger and garlic; brown and then discard. Next, add the chicken and cook for 4 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine chicken stock and corn starch. Pour over chicken to thicken the sauce, reduce heat. Add in all the vegetables. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes. Salt to taste & season with soy sauce (optional), and serve over rice immediately.

June Daring Bakers Challenge

Braided Danish w/ Apple Filling

I've joined a group called the Daring Bakers, and this is my first post of the challenge. The Daring Bakers is a blogging group that encourages people to move outside of our comfort zone and bake something that we probably haven't ever baked before. This month's challenge was danish bread. I was really nervous at first because I've never worked with yeast before (except making a pizza). I followed the recipe to the "T," and it turned out great. I wish I had a way to post the smell while it was baking. My kitchen smelled like a French bakery. I used a cinnamon roll icing recipe to drizzle on the top of the braid.
The dough makes enough for 2 braids, and I chose to experiment with other pastries on the second dough.
This recipe comes from Sherry Yard's .......The Secret of Baking.
This you tube video helped me so much when making my dough:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg-zXn_YpLI&feature=related


A little about this pastry:
Danish dough is in the family of butter-laminated or layered doughs and is sweet and yeast-leavened. The Danish Braid allows for various fillings and toppings. You can make the fillings sweet or savory.

Terminology:
Laminated dough – is layered dough created by sandwiching butter between layers of dough
Detrempe – ball of dough
Beurrage – butter block
Turn – each “fold & roll” of the dough produces a single turn in a 3-step process where the dough is folded exactly like a business letter in 3 columns. Each single turn creates 3 layers with this method.

For YourConsideration:
Yard recommends the following:
Use well-chilled ingredients. This includes flour if your kitchen temperature is above 70 degrees F (~ 21 degrees C).
It is recommended that long, continuous strokes be used to roll the dough rather than short, jerky strokes to make sure the butter block is evenly distributed.
The 30-minute rest/cooling period for the dough between turns is crucial to re-chill the butter and allow the gluten in the dough to relax.
Excess flour accumulated on the surface of the dough after turns should be brushed off as pockets of flour can interfere with the rise.

When making cuts in the dough for the braid, make sure they are not too long and provide a solid base for the filling.

Ingredients:
Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough

For the dough (Detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage):
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

For the Apple Filling:
Makes enough for two braids:
4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:
Dough:
Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Butter Block:
1. Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.
2. After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.


Apple Filling:
Toss all ingredients except butter in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 - 8 minutes. Then add the apple mixture and sauté until apples are softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. If you’ve chosen Fujis, the apples will be caramelized, but have still retained their shape. Pour the cooked apples onto a baking sheet to cool completely before forming the braid. (If making ahead, cool to room temperature, seal, and refrigerate.) They will cool faster when spread in a thin layer over the surface of the sheet. After they have cooled, the filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Left over filling can be used as an ice cream topping, for muffins, cheesecake, or other pastries.


Danish Braid:
Ingredients
Makes enough for 2 large braids
1 recipe Danish Dough (see above)
2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves

For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.
2. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.

3. Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.



Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
1. Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.


2. Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

Other Pastries:

Pinwheel

Croissant

Finished Pasteries

On the croissant, I drizzled some almond icing (almond extract + powdered sugar + warm water) on top. I made a frangipane filling and placed in the middle of the pinwheel.

Frangipane:
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup almond paste
2 eggs, beaten
1 t. lemon rind, grated or finely chopped
2 t. flourCream butter.

Stir in almond paste or marzipan, a small portion at a time. Addbeaten eggs. Blend until smooth. Stir in lemon rind and flour. When mixture is smooth, store in the refrigerator orfreeze until needed.

Tomato Basil Soup

I got this recipe from the food network (from Sandra Lee). I doctored up the soup a little bit (changes in red), and it was better. It still has a small acidic taste from the tomatoes. Anyone have any recommendations on how to get the acidic taste down some??? It turned out good, but I had to double some of the ingredients.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 frozen diced onion (I used fresh)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup dry vermouth (I used cooking sherry b/c it's what I had on hand)
3 (15-ounce) cans roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
10 large fresh basil leaves, chopped, plus more for garnish (I used 20 leaves)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup cream (I used about 1 and 1/4 cups of fat free half & half)

Directions:
In a medium pot over medium high heat, saute diced onions and garlic in olive oil for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients except for cream. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove soup from heat. Working in batches, puree soup in blender. NOTE: When blending hot liquids, only fill blender bowl halfway and place kitchen towel over lid. Always start with lower blender settings before puree setting.
Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Return puree to saucepan, add cream and heat through. Serve hot, garnished with chopped fresh basil.

All-American
Mini Apple Pies

I got a recipe for these mini pies from a Time Life recipe card that was mailed to me. They were a perfect ending to the meal we had tonight. I love anything that's "mini," and these were really delish! They remind me of little apple pie cupcakes. Mama, Aubrey, and I had a nice midnight snack while watching a movie. Good times!

Ingredients:
2 medium tart baking apples (I used fuji)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 sheet refrigerated pie crust (1/2 box)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. Peel, core, and chop apples into 1/4-inch pieces. In medium bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour, and cinnamon, tossing gently. Set aside.

Open and unroll pie crust flat onto work surface. Using 4-inches-wide bowl or cup, cut our five circles, reserving scraps. Press each circle inside 5 spaces of muffin tin.

Evenly divide apple mixture into each prepared muffin cup. Cut reserved dough scraps into strips 1/4-inch wide. Top each pie with strips. Fill remaining empty muffin cup 1/4 way up with water.

Bake until bubbling, about 18 minutes. Let pies cool in muffin tin, then remove.

Nutritional Info: (per serving) - 270 Calories; 40g Carbs; 2g Protein; 5g Fat; 160mg Sodium; 10mg Cholesterol; less than 1g Fiber; 18g Sugar.

Creamy Polenta with Creole Shrimp


Mama came to visit Aubrey and me this week, and we wanted to have some good seafood to eat. This recipe is from Rachel Ray, but it took us more than 30 minutes to make. Most of the time came from peeling the shrimp (thanks Mama for peeling AND taking the "veins" out) and doing prep work. However, the cooking was done in no time. We really enjoyed this, and Aubrey explained it as a "gourmet" shrimp and grits.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
3 tablespoons butter, divided
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 ribs celery with green leafy tops, finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme, intact
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
Salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 to 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons hot sauce, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup beer
3 cups chicken stock, divided
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped frozen okra, optional
1 1/2 pounds peeled, deveined medium to large shrimp, tails removed
1 cup whole milk
1 cup quick cooking (sometimes marked "instant") polenta

Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When butter melts into extra-virgin olive oil, add garlic, onions, celery, bell peppers, thyme, bay leaf then season with salt and pepper. Cook veggies 7 to 8 minutes until tender, add in the Worcestershire, 1 to 2 tablespoons hot sauce (medium to spicy heat level) and the flour and cook 1 minute more then add in beer and cook it off, another 30 seconds or so. Whisk in 1 cup of stock then add tomatoes and okra, if using, and bring to a bubble. Add shrimp and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until shrimp turn pink and firm then turn off heat. Remove thyme stems and bay leaf.

Bring remaining 2 tablespoons butter, 2 cups stock, 1 cup milk and 2 teaspoons hot sauce, to a boil in a sauce pot. Stir in 1 cup quick cooking polenta. Stir constantly to mass the cornmeal.

Once the mixture thickens to the consistency of whipped potatoes, season the polenta with salt and divide among dinner plates. Serve generous ladles of shrimp and sauce on a bed of creamy polenta.

Louisiana Red Beans & Rice

I have to say that these are the best red beans & rice that I've ever had. Aubrey bought 7 pounds of Cajun link sausages (we've been eating it for days) the other day, and I've been searching for recipes. This recipe came from Tyler Florence on the Food Network, and I'll definitely be making it again. This is not a week day meal because it takes a good bit of time to cook, but it's perfect for a Saturday or Sunday supper and for large group gatherings.

Ingredients:
1 pound dried small red beans, picked over and rinsed
2 large smoked ham hocks
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 green onions, green part only, chopped, plus more for garnish
Red pepper sauce (I use Tabasco)
2 andouille sausages, cut into 3-inch chunks (I used the Cajun sausages, cut into 1/4-inch chunks)
4 cups cooked white rice

Directions:

Place the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak the beans overnight in the refrigerator.

Drain the beans and put them in a large heavy pot with the ham hocks, adding just enough cold water to cover (about 2 quarts). Add the onion, celery, green pepper, cayenne, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, garlic, green onions, and several shakes of red pepper sauce; give everything a good stir to combine. Simmer, uncovered, until the beans are tender and starting to thicken, about 2 1/2 hours. You want the beans to be almost overcooked, like they are getting ready to burst. Stir the beans occasionally to prevent scorching on the bottom of the pot. Add about 1 cup of water toward the end of cooking if the mixture appears too thick or dry.

Mash about 1 cup of the cooked beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon, this makes the broth thick and creamy. Toss in the sausages and cook for another 30 minutes to heat them through. Adjust the seasoning, if needed. Serve the red beans in a wide bowl over some steamed white rice and garnished with chopped green onion.

Chicken Challipa

I got this recipe from the Junior League at Home cookbook. It came frome the Junior League of Cincinnati, OH's ...I'll Cook When Pigs Fly cookbook. Preparation is really easy, and you can clean up as it sits in the oven. The corn tortillas really make this dish, and the crunchy onions make a good addition, too! I think this would be easy to make and freeze for later use or for a friend. I split this recipe in half and had no problems.

Ingredients:
2 (10 and 3/4 ounce) cans cream of chicken or mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup sour cream (I used light)
2/3 cup milk
1 (7-ounce) can diced green chilies, drained
1 medium onion, diced
4 or 5 green onions, chopped
12 corn tortillas, quartered
4-6 chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded or cubed
4 cups (16-ounces) grated Longhorn (Colby) cheese (I used mexican blend)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Combine the soup, sour cream, milk, chilies, onion, and green onions. Spread a small portion of the sauce in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Arrange half of the tortilla wedges, overlapping slightly, on the sauce. In this order, layer all of the chicken, half the remaining sauce, half the cheese, the remaining tortillas, sauce, and cheese.
Bake, covered, for 30-minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325-degrees F, remove the cover, and bake for another 30 minutes.

Cheese & Chive Omelet

This was my first time making omelets, so I did lots of research on exactly how to make them. I found a video on Martha Stewart's website that was very helpful on step-by-step directions.
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/marthas-omelet-101?video_id=0&autonomy_kw=omelet
These turned out really good. I served them with fresh fruit and toast. I'm wanting to try these with egg whites, so if anyone has tried them, please let me know how they taste. I just figure that would cut down on the cholesterol.


Ingredients (for 1 omelet):
1 TBSP butter
3 eggs
1 TBSP milk
Pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup Mild Cheddar cheese, grated
1 TBSP chives, divided

Directions:
Melt butter in non-stick skillet on medium heat. Tilt pan to coat with butter.
Beat eggs and milk in medium bowl with a fork until you see air bubbles (a couple of minutes). Mix pepper with the eggs and pour into pan. Let eggs sit for about 30 seconds and start pushing eggs from the outside of the pan to the middle so the uncooked eggs run toward the outside. I shook the pan some just to make sure the runny eggs coated the pan.
Once eggs look like they are mostly solid, you can add the cheese and 2 tsp chives in the center of the eggs from top to bottom (see video).
Fold one half of eggs over the cheese mixture (like the first fold of a business letter. While sliding the omelet on a plate, let the pan help you do the last fold of the omelet on the plate.
Sprinkle the rest of the chives on top of the omelet.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

Aubrey and I visited my family this weekend, and Catherine (my sister) was making these chocolate covered peanut butter balls. They were so good and so rich. mmmm! She got the recipe from AllRecipes.com. She doubled the recipe and added nearly a cup more of peanut butter.

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package confectioners' sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon milk
8 (1 ounce) squares semi-sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon shortening

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, and milk (if needed for moisture) until blended. Shape mixture into half TBSP balls. Freeze eggs for 1 hour.
While the balls are freezing, cut semi-sweet chocolate into small pieces and place in top of double boiler with shortening. Melt over medium heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Stick a long-tined fork (or toothpick) in top of each peanut butter ball, dip it in melted chocolate to cover then drain on waxed paper.

Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup

Aubrey got his wisdom teeth pulled this morning and has been eating everything pureed. Instead of putting meat in the blender, I thought soup may be a little more appetizing. The picture below is NOT the pureed one. :-) This is one of my favorite soup recipes and one of my top rated comfort foods. Its a recipe from a tea room in Birmingham, AL called The Chocolate Biscuit. I'm not sure if it's still there, but it's where I had my high school graduation luncheon with my friends (hosted by my mom).



Ingredients:
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans chicken broth
2 cups cooked chicken chunks (I shredded the chicken)
4 cups water
4 teaspoon butter or margarine
2 teaspoon salt
1 pint half-and-half (I use fat free)
2 cups instant Minute Rice
Chopped chives for garnish

Directions:
Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add the rest of the ingredients minus the chives, and simmer for 30 minutes. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with chives.