My Cooking Adventures

My neighbor and I came up with our own little hamburger concoction one night that turned out to be the best burgers we'd all ever had!

*There's no picture because I didn't think to take one last night. They look like normal burgers, but they taste like heaven!

Really Good Burgers

2 lbs ground beef
3/4 cup Barbecue sauce
2 slices of bread, torn into pieces (we used whole wheat bread, and cut off the crusts)
2 Tbsp Tony C's spice
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt

Prepare a charcoal grill.

Mix all of the above together in a bowl, using hands. Patty out burgers, round in shape, about an inch thick and about 3 inches in diameter. Place on grill for about 5-6 minutes per side. Sprinkle each burger with Tony C's right after placing on the grill, and immediately on other side after flipping. Once removed from grill, let cool for about one minute. Serve with trimmings of choice!

Spicy Chicken Strips

From: Amber

Ingredients
- 1 lb thin sliced chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into long 1-inch wide strips
- 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
- Spices (about 1-2 tbs each): garlic powder, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes
- Dried parsley
- Option: ¼ c finely shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup flour
- Cooking spray

Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray
- Mix bread crumbs with spices; add in cheese if you are using it and mix
- Dip chicken strips in flour, then egg, then bread crumb mixture; put the strips on the cookie sheet
- Bake for 7 min, flip the strips and bake for 7 more minutes; then turn the broiler on for 1-2 min

Today I felt the strong urge to bake. Well, to be honest I'd been feeling the urge since yesterday, so last night I made the dough for Deborah's Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cookies, and chilled it overnight. This afternoon, I baked them, and boy did they turn out looking oh-so-yummy!

Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cookies




From: Deborah

INGREDIENTS:
For cookie dough:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 sticks butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For topping:
1 (14oz) bag of individual caramel candies, unwrapped
2 tablespoons water
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons Crisco shortening

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with a handheld mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Form dough into a flat disc, wrap with plastic wrap and chill in fridge until firm, at least 4 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. In a medium saucepan combine caramel candies and water over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until caramel is melted and mixture is smooth. Reduce heat to low.

4. To prepare cookies - take heaping teaspoons of chilled cookie dough and form loosely into balls. Place on baking sheet 2 inches apart. Return remaining dough to fridge to stay chilled until ready for the next batch. Using a small spoon or your fingertip, make an indentation in the middle of each cookie and spoon 1 teaspoon of caramel sauce into each indentation. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

5. Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on sheets 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

6. In a small bowl combine chocolate chips and shortening. Microwave for 15-30 seconds, stopping to stir once halfway thru. Drizzle chocolate across surface of cookies and allow to cool until chocolate is set.

Saturday night I cooked dinner for my mother and my youngest sister, since my dad and my brother had all gone away for a "boys weekend". I had just bought Giada's new book, Everyday Italian, and decided to try her Chicken Saltimbocca. I knew my mom liked spinach, and my sister would say she didn't. But I was going to try this dish with spinach anyways, and my sister was going to try it, whether she wanted to or not! I figure she has to try it sometime. That's how I started liking spinach, onions, garlic, etc. I just forced myself to eat foods that contained them as ingredients, and next thing I knew, I enjoyed their flavors! Both of these recipes were somewhat easy. The pasta did take longer to prep than I thought, so just give yourself plenty of time if you ever decide to make this dish (which I hope you do; it was super yummy!).

Oh, and as for pictures, I was too shy to take pictures that night, so I just now took a picture of the chicken, after it's been storing in the fridge. I don't have a good picture of the pasta, but just imagine the best-looking, ooey-gooey pasta you can, and that's it!

Chicken Saltimbocca

6 (3-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded to evenly flatten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 paper-thin slices prosciutto
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 (14-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Place the chicken cutlets flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay 1 slice of prosciutto atop each chicken cutlet.

Squeeze the frozen spinach to remove the excess water. Season the spinach with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, toss the spinach with 1 tablespoon of oil to coat.

Arrange an even, thin layer of spinach atop the prosciutto slices. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over each. Beginning at the short tapered end, roll up each chicken cutlet as for a jellyroll. Secure with a toothpick.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice, and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Simmer the cooking liquid over high heat until it is reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 5 minutes. Season the cooking liquid with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove toothpicks from the chicken. Drizzle the reduced cooking liquid over the chicken and serve immediately.


Farmer's Pasta

Butter, for greasing pan
2 tablespoons (or more) olive oil
6 ounces pancetta, chopped (I used bacon instead)
4 teaspoons minced garlic
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
7 cups whole milk
8 ounces Fontina cheese, grated
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
6 ounces provolone cheese, grated
1 pound rigatoni pasta
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups fresh coarse bread crumbs
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling


Butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a small bowl. Pour off all but 1/4 cup of the pan drippings (if necessary, add more oil to the pan drippings to equal 1/4 cup total). Reduce the heat to medium. Add 3 teaspoons of garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in all the Fontina, mozzarella, Parmesan, and provolone cheeses.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook until almost al dente, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. (The pasta will continue cooking in the oven.) Drain pasta and add directly into the cheese. Add the parsley, basil, and pancetta and toss to coat. Season the pasta mixture, to taste, with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared dish.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat. Add the bread crumbs and toss to coat. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the pasta mixture. Drizzle the top with extra-virgin olive oil and bake until the sauce bubbles and the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 20 minutes.

**Note: I forgot to take a picture of my meal after it was prepared and before we ate it, so I pulled this picture from the website. Honestly though, mine actually look just like this picture! I'm so impressed! :)**

I found this recipe on Martha Stewart's website, and it just looked so good. I will say that I actually used pork loin chops, instead of just plain pork chops, so mine did not have the bone-in. But they turned out just fine. I have to admit though, that I won't use celery again. I would probably just leave it out, instead of trying to find a substitute. It just didn't mesh quite right with the rest of the stuffing. It was too crunchy.

Pork Chops with Herb Stuffing

Serves 4

1 cup cubed (3/8 inch) rustic bread without crusts
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon mixed chopped parsley and thyme
2 1/4 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons chicken stock
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 bone-in pork chops, (9 ounces each), cut horizontally to the bone
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry sherry

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast bread cubes on a baking sheet until golden, about 7 minutes. Heat butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add celery; cook 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl. Reserve skillet. Toss bread, herbs, 1/4 teaspoon coriander, and 3 tablespoons stock with onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

Stuff chops. Using a fork, mix and mash garlic, 2 teaspoons coriander, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon oil; rub onto pork. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pork until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes; flip, and transfer skillet to oven. Cook until pork registers 155 degrees. about 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate; cover.

Add sherry and 1/2 cup stock to skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until reduced by half. Serve with pork.

I found the recipe on AllRecipes.com, and it was absolutely delicious!

Picnic Pasta Salad

Yields: 6 servings

1/2 pound seashell pasta
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste


Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Rinse with cool water. Drain well.

Meanwhile, combine chopped vegetables, sugar, oil, mustard, mayonnaise, vinegar, and shredded Cheddar cheese in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Stir in pasta. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours before serving.

Oh heavenly...In recent years I have come to love pecan pie. So when Ina did a recipe on her "Take Out Lunch" episode for pecan squares, I knew I was going to try them out as soon as possible. And let me be the first to say (because I'm eating one right now), they are delicious! And I didn't even get them quite right. Mine came out a little runny (the pecan mixture), but I think it's because I used half & half instead of heavy cream. I didn't realize it wasn't the same thing until it came time to use it, and that's all I had. Oh well, it got the job done! **Oh and beware--this recipe calls for a lot of butter and pecans! Read over the ingredients carefully before beginning and make sure you have enough of everything!

Pecan Squares

From: Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa)
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 20 large squares

Crust:
1 1/4 pounds unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1 pound unsalted butter
1 cup good honey
3 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 pounds pecans, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, beat the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, until light, approximately 3 minutes. Add the eggs and the vanilla and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the batter with the mixer on low speed until just combined. Press the dough evenly into an ungreased 18 by 12 by 1-inch baking sheet, making an edge around the outside. It will be very sticky; sprinkle the dough and your hands lightly with flour. Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is set but not browned. Allow to cool.

For the topping, combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, and zests in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat until the butter is melted, using a wooden spoon to stir. Raise the heat and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream and pecans. Pour over the crust, trying not to get the filling between the crust and the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. Cut into bars and serve.

Last night I made my famous Chicken Casserole. I'm sure everyone has made this very same casserole, or at least some version of it. I got this recipe from my mother a few years ago, when I was in college and wanted to cook something, anything. She said, "This is easy; you can't mess this up!" Well, she was right! It is very easy, and very hard to mess up. Now that I've started advancing in my cooking skills, since those rowdy college days, I'd like to start seeing what kinds of spins I can put on this traditional casserole. I didn't get too crazy this time; just added a simple flavoring to it that, in my opinion, made it taste oh-so-good! :)

Chicken Casserole

1 (12.5 oz) can of Tyson Premuim White Meat Chicken breast; drained (you can cook and cut up your own chicken, but for time-saving purposes, I have found this chicken to be just as delicious)
8 0z sour cream
1 can of Cream of Chicken
Ritz Crackers, about half a sleeve, crushed
Poppy Seeds
3 tablespoons of butter, melted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a square baking dish, place the chicken pieces along the bottom. In a separate small bowl, mix together the sour cream and the cream of chicken. Spread the mixture over the chicken in the baking dish. Top with the crushed Ritz crackers. Sprinkle poppy seeds over the casserole, lightly. Season the casserole with salt and pepper, about a teaspoon of each. Pour the melted butter over the top of the casserole, making sure to coat as much of the top as possible, without over-soaking. Bake in the oven at 325 degrees for 20-30 minutes (if using darker baking dish, cook longer), or until the casserole starts to bubble.

**Note: I realized when browsing through other blogs that I should be posting pictures of my dishes! Whoops! I'll start doing so asap! I promise! :)

Yesterday I made the most delicious cupcakes. I got the recipe from a nestie, just like the bread I made the day before. She had gotten creative with yellow cake mix when having some young kids over one day. She called it Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes. I was looking for something to do yesterday afternoon, and I decided my neighbors and my in-laws needed a nice dessert, so I should make them some cupcakes! :) So out came my mixer and all the ingredients! And it was actually very easy to make.

Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

Take one box of yellow cake mix, and instead of using all of the oil the box asks for, replace half of the oil with melted butter. Then add one teaspoon of vanilla. After scooping the mixture into the muffin pans, sprinkle cinnamon onto each one, and make swirls with a skewer. Bake for 20 minutes at 325 degrees.

For the cream cheese frosting, combine 1 stick butter, 1 brick cream cheese, about ¾ box powdered sugar and vanilla. Add milk to thin out at the end if needed to make a more icing-like consistency.

After I got my new KitchenAid mixer (yay!!), I wanted to try it out right away. I am a member of an online community of women called The Nest, and I frequent a board called, "What's Cooking?" I went to the board in search of recipes to try out with my mixer, and someone posted a great looking beer bread recipe from AllRecipes.com. I tried it out yesterday afternoon, and it is delicious! Here is the recipe; if you ever have the chance to try it, it is an absolute must! I'm going to make a loaf for my parents this weekend, it's that good!

Vickie's Beer Bread

Serves 12

INGREDIENTS
· 3 cups self-rising flour
· 3 tablespoons white sugar
· 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer, room temperature
· 1/4 cup margarine, melted

DIRECTIONS
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch baking pan.
2.In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and beer. Mix just until blended. Scoop into prepared baking pan. Pour melted margarine on top of loaf.
3.Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Now, if you only have all-purpose flour, like I did, you can make your own self-rising flour by doing the following (3 cups):
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt


For dinner last night, I had planned to make a meat loaf. The recipe called for dry bread crumbs. Instead of going to the store and buying bread crumbs in a bag, I just took a couple pieces of bread, and left them sitting out on top of the toaster oven, to get hard and stale. Then, I chopped them up into squares (I have a 3-cup food processor; if you have a larger one you might not need to chop up your bread to fit it in your processor) and put them into the bowl of my food processor. I chopped up the bread pieces until they were tiny little bread crumbs. It saved me a lot of money. I got this recipe for meatloaf (and this bread crumb tip) from my Better Homes and Garden Bridal Edition Cookbook.

Meatloaf

Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins
Makes: 8 servings

2 beaten eggs
3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or 2 cups soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf sage, basil, or oregano, crushed
1 1/2 pound ground beef, lamb, or pork
1/4 cup catsup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard

1. In a bowl combine eggs and milk; stir in bread crumbs, onion, parsley, salt, sage, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Add meat; mix well. Lightly pat mixture into an 8x4x2 loaf pan.
2. Bake in a 350* oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until internal temperature registers 160*F. Spoon off fat. In a bowl combine catsup, sugar, and mustard; spread over meat. Bake for 10 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Here's the recipe for the Ritz Parmesan Chicken (from KraftFoods.com). I made it for dinner tonight, and it was delicious! Although I do suggest packing on some extra cracker mix. That was the best part!

Ritz Parmesan Chicken
Total Time: 25 mins
Serves 4

1/4 cup KRAFT Mayo Real Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
25 RITZ Crackers, finely crushed (about 1 cup crumbs)
1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Mix mayo and lemon juice in medium bowl; set aside. Combine cracker crumbs and cheese in separate medium bowl.
DIP chicken in mayo mixture, then roll in cracker crumb mixture until evenly coated on all sides. Place on ungreased baking sheet.
BAKE 20 min. or until chicken is cooked through (170°F).

Ritz Hot Cheese Snacks
Total Time: 15 minutes
Makes: approx. 1 1/2 dozen snacks

2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, softened
1/3 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese
2 Tbsp. finely chopped green onions (I didn't use green onions, we're not fond of them)
18 RITZ Reduced Fat Crackers

PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Mix cheeses and onions.
SPREAD about 1 tsp. of the cheese mixture onto each cracker. Place on baking sheet.
BAKE 5 min. or until heated through.

I actually used regular cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and Ritz crackers. You won't find much if any "light" stuff in my house! But they turned out just the same, so no harm done! (Obviously just not as healthy!)


A great dessert that I made one night early this week that has lasted is Chocolate Pudding Pie. It's very refreshing, especially when it's as hot as it is right now. It's a fantastic dessert for family gatherings, also. Recipe is as follows (also on the side of the pudding box):

Chocolate Pudding Pie

1 box of Jello Chocolate Pudding
1 Pre-made Graham cracker pie crust
2 1/2 cups milk

Beat the pudding and the milk together in a bowl until there are no more lumps. Pour into the graham cracker crust. Refridgerate for at least one hour, until chilled.

To brief you real quick, I'm someone who up until recently thought putting frozen chicken nuggets and french fries in the oven was cooking! I love being in the kitchen, and making something fantastic. And then I love watching people eat it, and how their faces light up with satisfaction as they realize that they actually enjoy something I made! So this blog will be all about my adventures as a Beginner Cook, including recipes I've tried and whether they were successful or not (believe me, there will be some failures!). Enjoy!



Tonight I tried a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis, star of Everyday Italian on Food Network. I saw it on the Food Network website the other day; it was the video of the day, and I thought it looked pretty simple, for someone with such little experience as I have.

Chicken Piccata

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.


I was thinking tonight that I would love to take a cooking class. However, I live in such a rural part of the country, and I don't think that there are any offered in my area. At least, I couldn't find any online. But that would be so great, to be able to take a class to learn what all these terms mean! The good thing is, Food Network does have tutorial videos on its website that shows you some techniques if you're not sure. For example, I wasn't sure I remembered how Giada butterflied the chicken in the video the other day for the Chicken Piccata, so I went to FoodNetwork.com, and found a video tutorial about butterflying chicken. It showed me exactly what to do! It was great! But I'd hate to have to run to the internet every time I'm not sure what a term means. Maybe I'll just ask around locally and see what I can find out.