Thursday, February 25, 2010

Buttermilk Pancakes


Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp table salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, and melted butter. Make well in center of dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients; gently stir until just combined (batter should remain lumpy with few streaks of flour). Do not over mix. Allow batter to sit 10 minutes before cooking.

2. Grease pan. Using 1/4 - 1/2 cup measuring cup (depending on how big you want your pancakes), pour batter into pan. Cook until edges are set, first side is golden brown, and bubbles on surface are just beginning to break, 2 to 3 minutes. Using thin, wide spatula, flip pancakes and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Serve pancakes immediately. Repeat with remaining batter.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Chicken Marsala

We love mushrooms at our house so I decided to make Chicken Marsala for Martin and Traves. This chicken turned out a lot sweeter than I expected, so if you like sweet chicken and mushrooms you'll love this!



Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, patted dry with paper towels
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2-4 slices of pancetta (or 2-3 slices of bacon) cut into 1" pieces
4 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
1 small clove garlic, minced (about 1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp tomato paste
3/4 cup marsala wine (sweet)
2 tsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened, cut into 2 pieces
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, set large heatproof plate on rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees. Place flour in shallow dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper; working one piece at a time, coat both sides with flour.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy-bottomed, 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook chicken until golden brown on first side, 2 to 3 minutes. Add remaining oil and using tongs, flip chicken; continue to cook until meat feels firm when pressed gently and second side is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to heated plate and return plate to oven.

3. Return skillet to low heat and add pancetta; cook, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits, until pancetta is brown and crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel-lined plate. Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium; cook, stirring occasionally and scraping pan bottom, until liquid released by mushrooms evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, and cooked pancetta; cook while stirring until tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 minute.

4. Off heat, add Marsala; return pan to medium heat and simmer vigorously, scraping browned bits from pan bottom, until mushroom sauce is slightly syrupy and reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 4 minutes. Off heat, add lemon juice and any accumulated juices from chicken; whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in parsley. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately.



Sunday, February 7, 2010

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

If there was a list of my top favorite chocolate chip cookies, this would definitely, hands down be on it ... most likely at the top! They are super delicious and my husband goes crazy whenever I make them. He's a major chocolate fanatic. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!



Super Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies:

3/4 cup butter flavored crisco
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp vanilla (the cheap kind. If you use the 100% vanilla use a lot less)
1 egg
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees
2. Combine the crisco, sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed until blended. Beat in egg.
3. Combine flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a separate bowl. Beat into mixture at low speed. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet
5. Bake 8-9 min. for chewy cookies, 11-13 min. for crisp.

Let cool and enjoy!

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Marinated Steaks



Marinated Steaks:

Steak (whatever cut you prefer)
Worcestershire Sauce
Fresh garlic, minced
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Poke the steaks with a fork all over the top and bottom and put in a bowl, ziplock bag or a small pan. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Pour some worcestershire sauce over the top. (A few tablespoons will work, just enough to coat them) and add a spoonful or two of minced garlic. Toss the steaks to coat and let them sit in the refrigerator for 1-4 hours. Pull them out and bring them to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Heat an oven safe skillet/frying pan until crazy hot. Add steaks and brown on both sides. Once browned, move into the oven to finish cooking. (You can transfer to a different pan if you need to). Cook as long as you like your steaks cooked. (Remember they need to rest before you can cut them so don't overcook them in the oven! They will continue to cook as they rest so pull them out a few degrees early).