August 16, 2013

We did get some of that freezer cooking done this week, glad to be able to check something off my "to do" list!  In addition to restocking some basics, I also took an inventory of what is in there so it will be easy to meal plan each week.  Do you do that?  It is so helpful for me to have an idea each week of what we are going to eat.  Even when there aren't tons of activities, classes and meetings planned in a given week I find comfort in knowing what we are going to cook.  For me it makes the 4 o'clock hour a little smoother because I don't have the "what's for dinner" question hanging over my head.  

This week the only recipe that earned keeper status was my Aunt Helen's peach cobbler.  The kids and I had it for the first time when we traveling up the east coast, and my oh my, it was delicious!!! It is very straightforward, and the peaches are the shining stars.  The peaches out here have been great the past few weeks so it was a great time for us to make it at home.  I made a slight alteration using my own version of Bisquick for the biscuit topping, and took the easy way out by dropping the dough onto the cobbler instead of rolling it out, but we loved it.  The peach flavor is fantastic, and when paired with vanilla ice cream it really was divine.  So cheers to Aunt Helen for sharing this recipe - it has been a long time favorite of her boys, and now my kids are enormous fans of it as well!

Happy Cooking!

New Recipe
Peach Cobbler

Peach Cobbler

Ingredients
* 1 cup sugar
* 4 tbsp flour
* 1/2 tsp cinnamon
* 3 cups fresh peaches, in chunks or slices
* 1 cup DIY Bisquick
* 1 tbsp sugar
* 1.5 tbsp melted butter
* 1/4 cup milk

Note: 1/2 recipe of Bisquick Shortcake (recipe below) can replace final 4 ingredients from above

Bisquick Shortcake ingredients
* 2 cups Bisquick
* 2 tbsp sugar
* 3 tbsp melted shortening
* 1/2 cup milk

Directions
1. Mix sugar, flour and cinnamon.  Blend this with the fresh peaches.
2. Pour the peaches into a greased 8x8 casserole or utility dish
3. Mix the final four ingredients together.  Chunk off pieces and "plop" it onto the fruit.  Don't worry about gaps, the dough will expand.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 400 F, or until lightly golden brown.  Serve hot, with ice cream or fresh whipped cream, if desired!

Notes
We had my Aunt Helen's famous peach cobbler while traveling the US this summer.  It was a hit with the kids, and who doesn't love a fabulous fruit dessert!  The original recipe calls to roll the shortcake dough into the shape of the dish you are using, and place it over the fruit and prick it with a fork.  I decided it would be easier and more rustic to just put heaps of biscuit dough on the fruit.  It turned out great this way, but the original method was delicious as well! I have only made it with my DIY Bisquick, so if you have that on hand for making waffles, use some for this dessert and you won't be disappointed!

August 9, 2013

We are back from vacation!  After driving over 3,300 we are back home, and back to the kitchen.  It was a fabulous trip, and now that it is August, school is on our minds.  The kids head back August 21, and my classes begin August 26, and preschool begins the Thursday after Labor Day.  It will be time to hit the books before we know it.

Given that we got back in the middle of this week, we only really tried out some new dishes for dinner one night.  While traveling home one night in the hotel the kids were watching Food Network and saw a Pioneer Woman program.  They thought her potatoes looked amazing, so we tried those this week, and they were unanimously voted to keeper status.  To go along with them we grilled boneless pork chops.  We tried a new method, so while it isn't a true recipe, it is worth documenting.  The chops were keepers with beautiful grill marks and were extremely moist and juicy.  We will definitely grill them again using the same method.

We did have a non keeper recipe this week.  Peanut butter brownies.  The final product tasted pretty good, but they didn't get fully cooked through even though I continued to add additional time, and you should have seen my kitchen!  So many bowls and utensils... we are definitely not going to make these again.

With school on the horizon it is time to stock the freezer with lunch box cookies and easy weeknight meals.  Is there anything you like to make and have on hand to make your weeknights run smoother?

Happy cooking!

New Recipes
Easy Grilled Boneless Pork Chops
Pioneer Woman Potatoes

Easy Grilled Boneless Pork Chops

Ingredients
* 4 to 6 boneless pork chops, 1 -1.5 inches thick
* 1.5 qts water
* 3 tbs salt
* 1 tsp vegetable oil
* 1 tsp honey
* kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions
1. Cut about three slits through the layer of fat and silver skin on the edge of the pork chop.  This will help keep the pork chop from curling during grilling.
2. Dissolve the salt in the water.  Place the pork chops in the brine for 30 minutes and leave at room temperature.
3. After 30 minutes remove the pork chops and pat them dry with a paper towel.  Mix together the oil, honey and salt and pepper. Brush a little on each side of the pork chops.
4. Grill over medium heat for 4-6 minutes per side. Enjoy!

Notes
These turned out great!  It would be very easy to add seasonings to the oil/honey mixture so change it up and go wild!

Pioneer Woman Potatoes

Ingredients
* 2.5 lbs of potatoes, cleaned and cut into chunks
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1 cup diced sweet peppers, your choice of color(s)
* 2 tbsp olve oil
* 2 tbsp butter, melted
* 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
* 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
* kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
2. In a large bowl toss together all the ingredients.
3. Pour the potatoes onto rimmed baking sheets, bake for 20-25 minutes, shaking the pan twice during the cooking time.
4. Raise the heat to 500 F and bake until crisp and brown, approximately 10-15 minutes.
5. If desired sprinkle with additional salt and pepper just prior to serving.

Notes
When I raised the temperature to 500, it hadn't reached the final temperature before the timer rang.  But they still turned out great.  The kids loved these, and we adults appreciated the little kick of heat that the cayenne pepper brought to the party.  We will definitely serve these again!

Parmesan Garlic Chicken

Ingredients
* 1 lb boneless chicken breasts
* 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2.. Mix together the cheese, garlic and salad dressing mix.  Dip the chicken in the olive oil and then into the cheese mixture.
3. Place the chicken on a cooling rack sprayed with cooking spray placed on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 35-45 minutes until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.  Enjoy!

Notes
This was so easy to throw together, and we enjoyed it.  I think you probably could dip chicken in your favorite Italian salad dressing and then into the cheese and garlic if you wanted to make it even easier.  The range in cooking times is because the thickness and size of the chicken may vary.

July 26, 2013

We have a family gathering this weekend, and everyone brings a bottle of wine and their favorite cookies.  The cookies can be homemade or purchased- either way is fine!  I am not sure what I am bringing yet, though I am leaning toward the cookies and cream cookies - they really are amazing.  I don't think I will make a new recipe for the party, but perhaps I will get some good ideas from the others that are brought!

It has been a busy week, so only one keeper this week - and it is an easy one!  If you have the ingredients on hand for this, you can make this in about 3 minutes and then pop it into the oven.  PArmesan garlic chicken was a hit, and although it certinaly isn't a new idea to coat chicken in a mixture and bake it, this was a little different and very tasty.

New Recipe
Parmesan Garlic Chicken