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I was trying to find a recipe earlier and I couldn't (took too long, dumb computer, etc...). Anyway, I decided that we really need to have a search box on the blog. Ladies, what do you think? :)

Brats with Spicy Stewed Peppers

INGREDIENTS:
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow bell pepper
1 medium jalapeno chile pepper
1 medium red onion
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
5 fresh bratwurst
5 large hot dog buns

DIRECTIONS:
Remove and discard the stems and seeds from the bell peppers and jalapeno pepper. Cut the bell peppers lengthwise into 1/3-inch strips. Finely chop the jalapeno pepper. Cut the onion in half through the stem and root ends. Cut each half crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Melt the butter in pan. Add the peppers, onion, fennel seed, salt, and pepper. Mix well with tongs. Cook the vegetables in the pan over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until they are tender and golden brown in spots, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the vegetables are tender, add and mustard. Mix well with tongs.

Prepare Brats per the directions on the packaging

Put the Brats in the buns, cover with the pepper mixture, top with condiments of choice (I prefer ketchup) and enjoy.

YUM!

Zesty Chicken Enchiladas (ala Jane Griffith)

The Griffith family had us over for dinner a few months ago and they served some amazing enchiladas. Jane was kind enough to share the recipe. I was surprised that the yummy enchiladas were so good and yet so easy to make. Here you go!

1-2 lb shredded chicken
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
16 oz jar mild Green Salsa
1 c cream
1 1/4 c Grated Jack Cheese
8 6-inch tortillas (I like flour, the recipe suggests corn)

1. In large bowl, combine chicken, tomatoes, mild Green Salsa, cream, 1 cup cheese, 1/2 of the tomatillo sauce, and 1/2 tsp salt and pepper.

2. Warm tortillas according to the package directions. Spread remaining green sauce in 9x13 baking dish. Roll the chicken mixture in the tortillas and place in baking dish.

3. Top with remaining cheese (and maybe a little extra:)) Bake 350' for 10-15 minutes, or until the enchiladas begin to brown.

Brownie Pudding

Brownie Pudding

1 c all-purpose Flour

1/2 c Sugar

2 Tbsp unsweetened Cocoa Powder

2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 c Milk

2 Tbsp Cooking Oil

1 tsp Vanilla

3/4 c Sugar

1/4 c unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1 1/2 c Water, boiling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt until well blended. Add milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir until smooth. Turn into un-greased 8x8x2 inch baking pan. Combine sugar and cocoa. Gradually stir in boiling water. Pour liquid mixture evenly over mixture in pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until cake tests done.

Serve warm (hot) over vanilla ice cream.

Pistachio-Parmesan Chicken

This week Ben and I are taking our "Anniversary/I-desperately-need-to-get-out-of-Provo-before-I-start-school-again-this-summer Vacation." Since we're crashing at Greg & Darlene's house, we decided to cook dinner for them tonight. The menu: Pistachio-Parmesan Chicken, Roasted Vegetables, and rye bread, with Brownie Pudding for dessert.

Pistachio-Parmesan Chicken

6 Tbsp unsalted Butter

3/4 c finely chopped unsalted Pistachio nuts**

1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 c all-purpose Flour

2 tsp Salt

2 Eggs

4 large chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)

Preheat oven to 375. Place butter in roasting pan and melt in oven 4-5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a shallow dish, mix together pistachios, cheese, flour, and salt. In another shallow dish, beat eggs with fork to slightly foamy consistency.

Dip chicken pieces first in pistachio mixture, then in eggs, then back into pistachio mixture, coating generously. Place in melted buter in roasting pan.

Bake uncovered (at 375) for 45 minutes. Spoon juices from bottom of pan over chicken; bake 15 minutes more, until golden in color.

**Note: Chop pistachios in food processor or blender. If using salted pistachios, omit the salt from the recipe.

Roasted Vegetables

This is one of my favorite summer dishes. It's perfect as a side dish, mixed in with pasta, or even on top of pork chops. The colors are just as amazing as the flavor, and sometimes I can't decide if I want to eat it or just look at it! It's very versatile, and quite a matter of taste, so here are some basic guidelines - feel free to mix it up a little. (I made it for four the other day, so these are the measurements I used.)

Roasted Vegetables

1 sm. Zucchini
1 sm. Summer Squash
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Green Bell Pepper
1/2 bunch Asparagus
2 Red Onions
olive oil
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper


Preheat oven to 375. Cut up vegetables into large pieces (peppers and onions about 1 inch square, zucchini/summer squash around 1/4 inch thick, asparagus about 2 inches long, etc). Toss with a few Tbsp olive oil - everything should be coated well, but you don't want a ton left in the bottom. Salt and Pepper to taste and mix well to blend.

Spread out evenly on a cookie sheet (with sides). Depending on how many veggies you use, it may take up two cookie sheets. (*Note: putting foil on the sheet first makes for easier clean up). Bake for 30 min-1 hr, or until for tender, mixing 2-3 times. Immediately turn the oven to Broil and cook until veggies are caramelized and edges look slightly charred.

(here's a before shot; sadly I forgot to take a picture after I cooked it)

More Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been looking for my special chocolate chip cookie recipe. Everyone has to have their unique take on the old classic right? Change a couple of the dimensions, and bam! its a whole new thing. I tried these last night for a party and the reviews were great!

A few notes on the recipe first. I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips-- I think it makes a big difference. I buy a bunch when I see they're on sale and freeze them until I need em. Second, baking them for 8 minutes is key so set that timer! You may think they aren’t done at this point, but after sitting on the pan a couple of minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack, they will be just right.

My Signature Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter (must be room temp!)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs (room temp)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (feel free to throw in the whole bag if you like them super chocolate-y…why not?)

Cream butter, brown sugar and white sugar together in a mixer. Then add the eggs, one at a time. Beat until creamy. Add the vanilla.

In another bowl mix the dry ingredients together before slowly adding them to the creamed mixture. When combined, stop the mixer and add the semi-sweet chips. Mix up and then drop by the teaspoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Mold them into a ball as best as you can with the spoon for a more shaped cookie.

Bake on 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Take them out of the oven and allow the cookies to cool in the pan for a couple of minutes. Then, carefully place the cookies on a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Irish Colcannon and Soda Bread

I'm very proud of my Irish heritage and a few years ago I had a wonderful opportunity to spend some time in Ireland. While I was there I found a wonderful little cookbook that not only has great traditional recipes, but also has a little bit of a history of each recipe as well.

Colcannon

Colcannon is a mash made of white vegetables, typically served at the midday meal. At Halloween, coins are wrapped in foil and buried in the colcannon for children to discover as they eat. If you're used to a typical St. Patrick's Day dish of Corned Beef and Cabbage, try the Colcannon instead next time. It's definitely worth it, in fact, it's so good you should make it more often than just March 17!

1 medium-sized head white cabbage
2 medium-sized parsnips
3-4 medium-sized onions
8-10 medium-sized potatoes
salt and pepper
1 pint water (2 1/2 cups)
4 oz butter (1/2 cup)

Cut cabbage into four, remove stumps and wash each leaf thoroughly in salt and water. Put four or five outer leaves aside, chop the remaining leaves finely. Wash and scrape parsnips, remove skins from the onions (I also peeled the potatoes). Cut parsnips, onions and potatoes into half inch slices. arrange a layer of potatoes on the bottom of a saucepan, cover with a layer or parsnips, then a layer of onion, the a layer of cabbage; season well, continue layering the vegetables and again season well. Pour water over the vegetables and cover vegetables completely with the outer leaves. Put the lid on the saucepan, bring to the boil and cover; simmer until cooked, 25-30 minutes. Strain off any excess water. Remove the outer leaves of cabbage. Mash the vegetables well, add the butter and mix well. Put into a serving dish. Serve hot with plenty of creamy butter. Serves 4-6.

Soda Bread

1 lb flour (4 cups)
pinch of salt (1/4 tsp or so)
1 level teaspoon breadsoda (baking soda)
10 fl oz buttermilk or sour milk (1 1/4 cups)

Preheat oven to 400F. Sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl. Pute the breadsoda into the palm of the hand and work with the back of a spoon to get rid of lumps. (You don't actually have to do this part... it's cool to see how it used to be done though.) Add to the sieved flour and salt. Make a well in the and add the milk. Mix until it forms a loose dough. (I actually had to add about 1/4 c more milk) Mix well and form into a circle; make a cross-cut on the surface and place on a lightly floured baking sheet; put into the oven. The bread is baked when it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom (about 40-45 minutes). When baked, place on a wire rack to cool.
**Be careful not to over mix the dough because it will become very tough.
**If you don't have buttermilk, add 1 Tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice per 1 c milk and let stand for 5 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these for work today, very yummy!

Cream Well:
1 c. butter (room temp)
1 c. brown sugar
¾ c. white sugar

Add:
2 eggs (room temp)
1 T vanilla
Cream for 4 minutes

Add:
3 c. flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. soda

Blend mixture slowly and thoroughly
Add: 2 c. chocolate chips (I do lots more... probably over 3 cups, but that's me, eyeball it)
Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes.

The BEST Carrot Cake.

As promised to Darlene, here is my carrot cake recipe. Now, before you go and say that you don't like carrot cake, you have to try this one. This recipe has converted many a carrot cake hater, and I'm willing to bet that you'll love it too!

Carrot Cake

2 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
2 c sugar
1 1/4 c canola oil
4 large eggs
3 c grated peeled carrots
1/2 c coconut

And for those that do love the nuts and raisins,
1 c coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1/2 c raisins (optional)


Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 9-inch cake pans and line the bottom with waxed paper. Grease and flour the paper. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in medium bowl to blend. In a separate bowl, mix oil and sugar until well blended. Stir in carrots and coconut. (If using nuts and raising, add them now as well.)

Divide batter between pans. Bake layers about 40 minutes each, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks, peel off waxed paper and cool cakes completely.

Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting

1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 stick (1/2 c.) butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 bag powdered sugar (to taste)

Blend together. If too thick, add milk 1 tsp at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.


**Note - I like to top it with chopped pecans (instead of putting them in the cake).

Breakfast in Heaven

I'm pretty sure in heaven this is what breakfast will be:

Pancakes
2 cups flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 ¾ cup buttermilk (or milk with 4 tsp. vinegar/lemon juice)
2 Tbs. butter-melted
1 egg
¼ c. sour cream
3 Tbs. honey
-Combine dry and wet ingredients separately in 2 bowls, then add wet to dry.
Add more milk if needed.

Homemade Syrup
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
-Place all ingredients except vanilla in large saucepan,bring to boil,boil for 7 minutes (mixture will foam) Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

*I owe Christie Palmer credit for both recipes. She's my kitchen soul mate.

Tuscan Chicken

3 ½ lb Chicken *flattened (I like to use chicken pieces, they cook faster)
Kosher Salt
1/3 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 C Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon Minced Garlic
1 tablespoon minced Rosemary
Fresh ground black pepper

Sprinkle Chicken with Kosher Salt on each side.
Combined EVOO, Lemon Juice, Garlic, and Rosemary and 1 teaspoon of pepper in a glass bowl. Add the chicken to the bowl and cover with mixture.

Add chicken and oil mixture to sauce pan and cook on medium heat until cooked through, it will take about 15 minutes.