Monthly Archives: February 2015

Recipes - Entrees

Chicken Cacciatore

This old recipe of mama’s, found in my “Missouri to Maui” cookbook, is a fine winter supper! I posted this recipe here several months ago but the photo was  junk and it didn’t show what a tender and juicy dish this really is. I have rice cooking now, for me, because I enjoy this dish over a bed of white rice (Mahalo, Nanea, for the gifted short grain rice you sent; I’ve saved a stash of it for a dish with a plentiful gravy or sauce!) My valentine will get garlic toast with her serving later tonight as mama isn’t a rice fan like I am. This dish is great also for serving with skillet cornbread with sauce  just made for bread or rice for sopping up every spoonful.

Because I am saving the chicken breasts for another use, I used just six pieces of chicken today. The meat comes out fork-tender flavored a little spicy with stewed tomatoes, white wine, and just a dash of red pepper. Mama will say that her “mouth is hot and too much pepper” but I make this with the amount called for in the recipe and love the boost of  the 1/4 tsp. of red pepper flakes.  The tang only complements the  rice or bread you serve it with. My chicken today had the skin on and I cooked it that way; you can remove the skin if you want or use skinless boneless chicken breasts.

You will need your high-sided electric skillet for easy sautéing of the vegetables and having plenty of room for the chicken to cook evenly. I adjusted the temperature down  and cooked it only 35 minutes after adding the chicken back to the skillet since I had no really thick pieces.  Serve it warm with plenty of sauce.

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients

1/4 cup cooking oil
1-1/2 to 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or pieces
1/2 cup flour
2 cups onion, sliced in chunks
1/2 cup green pepper, sliced 1” pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-(15 oz.) can stewed tomatoes, undrained, snipped smaller
1-(8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. salt

Directions Heat oil in large electric skillet set on medium heat. Rinse chicken; dry with paper towels, then coat with flour. Brown chicken in hot oil until golden on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken to plate and set aside. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic to skillet; cook, stirring, over medium heat until tender. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, red pepper and salt. Stir well. Return chicken to skillet, spooning some of the sauce on top of each piece. Cover, reduce heat and simmer approximately 45 minutes; add water or white cooking wine if sauce becomes dry. Serve warm with hot rice, cornbread or toast.

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Bakery Miscellaneous

Cherry Pistachio Biscotti

Today’s mission was to use more of the pistachio nuts on hand.   At $8.50 for a 12 oz. package those nuts are destined for a more interesting use than eating raw. When I found this recipe online for biscotti using dried cherries and pistachios I knew I had just found  my ‘pistachio use’ winner of the day!

Biscotti are twice-baked cookies with a dry, crisp texture perfect for dunking in coffee; they are a cross between a biscuit and a cracker in many ways.  Today’s recipe used both vanilla and almond extract for a delicate flavor with the dried cherries adding  a sweet chewiness and the pistachios supplying crunch.  The dough is very stiff so sprinkle your counter and dust your hands with flour as well for rolling and shaping the biscotti log.  You bake the dough in log form first, allow it to cool slightly, then slice it and bake again.  The length you bake the second time determines how dry the slices become. I like biscotti dry and firm so it holds up for dunking.

With snow in the forecast for southern Missouri, I feel ready. Biscotti, hot coffee, and a good book; let it snow, let it snow indeed!

Cherry Pistachio Biscotti

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Wesson oil
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
1-3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries

Directions

In a small bowl, beat sugar and oil until blended. Beat in eggs, then extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in separate bowl, stir to sift; gradually add to sugar mixture and beat well. The dough will be stiff. Stir in pistachios and cranberries and blend well.

Sprinkle counter liberally with flour and turn dough out on counter. With floured hands, roll and shape the dough into a 12×3”rectangle. Pat and roll and flatten the ends of the log as you work. Lift the log and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until set and firm to the touch.  Remove from oven and place pan on wire rack.  Turn oven temperature to 325.

When biscotti log is cool enough to handle, 15-20 minutes, transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a sharp knife into 3/4-in. slices. Place cut side down on fresh parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes then turn the slices and bake another 7 minutes or until firm and dry. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen biscotti.

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Recipes - Side Dishes

Blistered Green Beans

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Following this week’s cookie marathon it was definitely time for this girl and her mama to get some fresh vegetable action!  I first tried this recipe last summer, looking for different ways to use fresh green beans, and it was good then, but even more delightful in February after spotting fresh beans in our market.

Not a long prep, but do save 30 minutes for it.  Only trim the beans, spread in your pan coated with olive oil and seasonings then while they roast prepare the orange peel, use your nut chopper to chop the pistachios evenly, mince garlic and parsley you’re all set. The pistachios are a great addition, but they are hard so chop them small for ease in eating; they are a great contrast in texture to the soft beans.  The beans roasted 20 minutes, not the 15 called for in the recipe; don’t worry about the wrinkles, they will be there by the time the beans are tender and it’s just the result of their cooking up hot in the olive oil.  The roasting provides  the base of the dish’s flavor.

My flat-leaf parsley wasn’t looking too spry today so I used a bottled Herbes de Provence spice blend I have and that was just right though the fresh parsley would be good too.  Do let them settle a few minutes before adding the pistachios and orange peel garnish. The dish is savory with the olive oil and fresh garlic providing what is really a dressing so serve them warm for the best flavor.  They were a great lunch with yesterday’s leftover garlic-parmesan chicken wings from Logan’s and i’m sure that we will be saying hello later tonight for supper.

Blistered Green Beans

1 lb. fresh green beans, ends trimmed
2 T. olive oil
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup roasted and salted pistachios, coarsely chopped
2 T. orange peel, cut in thin shreds

Directions Preheat oven to 450. Place beans in a 15x10x1” jelly roll pan and drizzle with olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Spread beans in a single layer. Roast 15-20 minutes or until blistered and tender. Sprinkle hot beans with fresh parsley and garlic. Garnish with pistachios and orange peel. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir gently and serve warm or at room temperature.

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Bakery Miscellaneous

Betty’s Molasses Cookies


Day 3 Cookie Bake! My heart beats faster when I run across a recipe that is obviously well-used and treasured. This recipe came to me from mama’s recipe box and it to her from her close friend Betty Hopkins. Miss Betty’s Molasses Cookies made for a satisfying and wholesome end to cookie baking time today and I definitely see why mama insisted these cookies be included in my cookbook.  These proved to be a perfect cold weather stay-at-home-with-a book treat.

The buttermilk is in the dough, they aren’t glazed, and they have a soft, yet chewy, texture.  They bake round and tall and fill your kitchen with the aroma of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.  I love the dark raisins and the walnuts I used as they make  the cookies dense and satisfying; these are definitely cookies to sink your teeth into, and, needless to say, so perfect with a glass of cold milk (yes, for lunch). The molasses sweetly softens them but also makes for a sticky dough and these benefit from just a bit of shaping once they are on the cookie sheets. The spices layer with the molasses throughout and I have to say there really isn’t a thing that needs changing here, proving once again that old recipes are, like old friendships,  treasures indeed.

Betty’s Molasses Cookies

1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
2-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup raisins
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

Directions  Preheat oven to 400. In large mixing bowl, cream shortening, sugar, and the molasses with a wooden spoon until well blended. Add the egg and buttermilk and beat briefly with electric mixer. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl and stir with a fork to sift. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture gradually, blending well with a large rubber spatula after each addition. Fold in the raisins and the nuts. Bake on lightly-greased cookie sheets for 10 minutes. Store airtight. Yields 5 dozen.

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Bakery Miscellaneous

Lemon Sunshine Bursts


Day 2 of “use-up-the-buttermilk” cookie baking plan led straight to preparing these fabulous shortbread-type cookies on Wednesday. I added the “burst” to their name because the lemon zest in the cookie dough bursts through with every bite, and there is  NO gloomy winter day that isn’t brightened by taking the time to bake these flavorful morsels.

These are not at all sweet but they are buttery and crumbly and tangy all in one bite! Like all shortbread batters, the ingredients are simple: butter, sugar, vanilla, and flour. Set your butter out early to soften and don’t skip chilling the dough for 30 minutes once mixed; once chilled you can slice the logs easily before baking them resulting in pretty and uniform pieces to enjoy with a cup of tea and your book.  Allow the powdered sugar-fresh lemon juice glaze to dry before storing the cookies in an airtight container. The glaze does ‘sink in’ to the cookies and while you can’t see it, when you taste a cookie, you definitely will enjoy a pop of lemon.  If you love sunshine, lemons, and rich buttery flavor, this is the cookie for you!

Lemon Sunshine Bursts

Ingredients

6 T. unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup flour
2 T. buttermilk
1-1/2 tsps. finely grated lemon zest
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 T. lemon juice

Directions

In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add flour and beat until dough begins to form. Add buttermilk and beat well.  Add lemon  zest and salt, fold well, and stir until dough comes together. Divide dough into two parts. Roll each part into a log that is about 1.5″ wide. Wrap each log in plastic wrap. and chill dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Take dough out of refrigerator and cut into 1/4 inch” slices. Arrange cookies on baking sheets and bake until dry and turning golden at the edges, about 14 minutes.

Cool cookies completely. In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners sugar and lemon juice. When cookies are cool enough to handle, dip the top of each cookie in the glaze. Let dry for 10 minutes before storing, airtight.  Yields 2 dozen cookies.

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