Sangria

We had Brooke and Joe over for dinner last night, and I wanted a yummy drink to serve with my grilled chicken thighs and Brooke's delicious pasta salad.

Sangria was a hot topic on my cooking board a couple of days ago, so there began my inspiration. I found this really fruity one on Melissa's blog - Mrs Sac's Purple Kitchen. I loved the fruitiness of the drink; I thought too late that I should have added some strawberries. Oh well - next time! I also didn't have enough rum for the whole thing, so I used about 1/4 cup of coconut rum. I don't usually like coconut, but I loved the tropical taste it lent to the drink.

(I submitted this to Joelen's Sangria blogging event.)

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon
• 1 lime
• 1 orange
• 1 1/2 cups rum
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry redwine
• 1 cup orange juice
  

1. Have the fruit, rum, wine, and orange juice well chilled. Slice the lemon, lime and orange into thin rounds and place in a large glass pitcher. Pour in the rum and sugar. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours to develop the flavors.



2. When ready to serve, crush the fruit lightly with a wooden spoon and stir in the wine and orange juice. Adjust sweetness to taste.

Grilling Giveaway

Check out this blog for a cool grilling giveaway:

http://coconutlime.blogspot.com/

Caprese Salad

When Jen and I were both on maternity leave, we loved having lunch at Panera. One of our new favorite orders was a basil-tomato-mozzarella salad, and we were bummed when they took it off the menu for the fall.

I was determined to make this at home, and was really astounded at how easy and simple it is. It has become a go-to crowd pleaser.




Ingredients:

• 8oz fresh mozzarella, chopped
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinagrette dressing
• 24oz vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup fresh basil, coursely chopped or torn

Combine all ingredients in a bowl; adjust dressing and basil to taste. Voila!

Deep-Dish Brownies

I have found my new favorite brownies.

I needed a brownie recipe to use with the Death-by-Chocolate Trifle, so I posted a request on the cooking board. Boy, did those ladies deliver. As usual.

I added a ton to my starred posts, but decided to go with Kayte's Deep Dish Brownies; they seemed like the perfect little brownie to go in this trifle. (I doubled this recipe.)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I really wanted to use dark cocoa powder like Kayte did, but the store didn't have any.)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8 inch square pan.

2. In a large bowl, blend melted butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time. Combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually blend dry mixture into the egg mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let brownies cool, then cut into squares. Enjoy!

Death-By-Chocolate Trifle

I wanted to make a dessert to bring to my parents' house to celebrate my dad's birthday, and if you know my dad, you know that this Death-by-Chocolate Trifle is obscenely perfect him!

I had starred this recipe by Melissa a long time ago and couldn't wait to have an excuse to make it. It was pretty easy to do, and of course, looked decadent. And the taste?? Wow. There are truly no words for this deliciousness.

Ingredients:

• 9×13 pan of brownies, baked
• 1/2 cup of strongly brewed coffee (or Kahlua)
• 2 boxes of instant dark chocolate mousse, prepared
• Large tub of whipped topping
• 6-7 Crunch bars, crushed

Using a pastry brush, “paint” coffee over pan of brownies. You probably won’t use all of the coffee; you want the brownies to be moist, but still hold their shape. Cut the brownies in to small squares.

In a large trifle dish, layer just under 1/2 of the brownies, 1/2 of the mousse, 1/2 of the whipped topping and 1/2 of the toffee bars. Repeat the layers, ending with the toffee bars on top. You will have some extra of the ingredients leftover.

Cheesy Broccoli Polenta

Just like Ally did, I made this yummy side dish to go along with the Provencal Turkey. I've never made polenta before, but have been meaning to; thanks, Ally, for coming up with this one! It was so good - nice and creamy. Ryan went nuts over it!




Ingredients:

• 1 cup corn meal
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 box frozen broccoli thawed
• 1 tsp butter
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
• 2 Tbs. grated parmesan
• salt and pepper

Heat a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat. Add chicken broth and let it come to a boil. In a steady stream, add the polenta whisking the entire time. Keep whisking until smooth. Let cook about 15 minutes and add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Cook about 5-8 minutes longer and serve.

Turkey Provencal

Does turkey count as a true deviation from my chicken tendencies? ;)

I saw this Cooking Light recipe on Ally's blog and couldn't wait to make it. It came out nice and juicy - very tasty!

Ingredients:

4 turkey cutlets

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dried herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Sprinkle turkey evenly with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add turkey; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove turkey from pan; keep warm.

Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add broth and herbes de Provence; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until broth mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat; add butter and lemon juice, stirring until butter melts. Serve sauce over turkey. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Yield4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and about 2 tablespoons sauce)

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 248(30% from fat); FAT 8.2g (sat 1.8g,mono 4.5g,poly 1g); IRON 1.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 101mg; CALCIUM 32mg; CARBOHYDRATE 1g; SODIUM 376mg; PROTEIN 40.2g; FIBER 0.3g

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2005

Menu: July 7 - Greatest Hits, vol 1

My husband has been not-so-subtly hinting that I try making new recipes so often that there isn't usually a "second chance" for dinners he really enjoys. (Let's ignore the fact that I am always asking for his input when planning my meals and he never gives it...!)

So I decided that once every month or two, I will devote an entire week to old favorites. Here is round 1:

Monday: "Old School" Pork Chops and Butternut Squash Risotto
Tuesday: Dad's Mac and Cheese and Green Beans with Mustard Vinagrette
Wednesday: Cheeseburger Meatloaf and Garlic and Chive Mashed Potatoes
Thursday: Veggie Enchilladas
Friday: Grilled Chicken Thighs and Roasted Tomatoes
Saturday: Pizza Casserole
Sunday: Cheesy Baked Tortellini

There are a couple of things on here that aren't on my blog yet, but overall there won't be too many updates this week. Happy Cooking!

Orange Cream Pie

I love that the cooking board I frequent does quarterly recipe exchanges. In addition to increasing my culinary repertoire, I get to try out recipes that I wouldn't select on my own.

Like this one.

I was assigned to make an Orange Cream Pie. I was a bit apprehensive about it, because really? In my world? Oranges are healthy and a truly good dessert is NOT healthy, so how can a dessert with oranges be good? Follow my logic?

Well, this one surprised me. I don't know that it's something I'd make again, but it was pretty good. I made it for a 4th of July barbeque, and by the end of the night there wasn't much left.

The only thing I regret is not beating the cream enough for the filling. I beat it and added it to the jello, but then when I whipped it for the topping, it had a consistency MUCH closer to cool whip. I wonder if it would have tasted even creamier had I done it right...



Anyway, thank you to whoever submitted this! I have also decided to submit this to Joelen's Fruit Frenzy event... how fun! Wish me luck...

Ingredients:

PIE CRUST

• 3/4 cup crushed vanilla wafers or vanilla wafer crumbs
• 3/4 cup crushed graham wafers or graham wafer crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup margarine or butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

FILLING

• 1 (2 3/4 ounce) packet orange flavor gelatin
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon orange extract, divided
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  

TOPPING

• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 (10 fluid ounce) can mandarin orange segments, well drained
• 1/4 cup grated sweetened chocolate
  

PIE CRUST
In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine crushed vanilla wafers, crushed graham wafers and finely chopped pecans; mix well.

Add margarine or butter and blend using a pastry blender or a fork.

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

Prepare a 9 inch oven-proof pie dish by lightly spraying with a vegetable oil.

Dust with 1 tablespoon of flour.

Shake off any excess flour off pie plate (The spray and flour will prevent the shell from sticking to the pie dish).

Spoon wafer mixture into pie dish; press evenly to bottom and sides using a rounded soup spoon.
Bake in preheated 350 F oven for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool.


FILLING
In a medium-size mixing bowl, dissolve orange jello powder with 1 cup of boiling water.

Add 1/2 cup of cold water and let cool for about 15 minutes.

Add concentrated orange juice, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract and stir well to mix.

Place in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator for about 20 minutes or until just partially set; DO NOT LET HARDEN.

Remove from freezer and break up the jelly mixture using a whisk.

In a 2 cup measuring cup, add 1/2 cup whipping cream and using an electric mixer, beat until cream slightly thickens.

Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract and gradually add powdered sugar, beating until thickened.

Add whipped cream to the jelly and fold in, (DO NOT BEAT).

Pour mixture into the cooled pie shell.

Place pie in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator for about 1 hour or until pie filling is set.


TOPPING
In a 2 cup measuring cup add 1/2 cup whipping cream and using an electric mixer, beat until slightly thickened.

Add orange extract and gradually add powdered sugar and continue beating until thickened.

Before serving pie, spread whipped cream over entire top of pie.

Place and arrange orange segments on top of whipped cream creating a pattern if desired.

Sprinkle with grated sweetened chocolate.

Serve pie chilled, not frozen.

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies

Here's another awesome recipe from Jenny; this time, it's a cookie made with crumbled Oreos!!

Go look at her blog, though - they look much better. Mine were really flat and weird looking, and not nearly as pretty as hers. Still yummy, though...

Ingredients:

• 1 stick softened butter
• 6 Tablespoons sugar
• 6 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ¼ Cup flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 8 crushed Oreos
• 1 Cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter, and sugars until well combined. Add egg and vanilla until mixed well.

2. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl, stir to combine. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients then stir in oreos and chocolate chips until just combined.

3. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until cooked, but still soft. Let cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.