Tarantula Cookies

So in one of my best Martha Stewart moments I decided to bake Halloween goods for the squadron party on Monday - and I brought in the remaining ones to work this morning. They turned out really cool. The pictures is of the cookies right out of the oven before getting chocolate and chocolate sprinkles all over them. I totally simplified the process by brushing the chocolate instead of dipping them in chocolate...

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ingredients ::
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugaar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 bag (8 ounces) thin, short pretzel sticks
1 large bag (11 1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Chocolate sprinkles
Small red candies


preparation::
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well blended.

4. Gradually add the flour mixture and cocoa powder. Beat to form a smooth dough.

5. Roll a tablespoon-sized ball of dough, and place it on a baking sheet. Arrange eight pretzel sticks around the ball like spokes on a wheel. Press the tips of the pretzel sticks firmly into the dough ball. Continue with the rest of the pretzels and dough.

6. Bake until cookies start to brown around edges, about 7-10 minutes.

7. Lift the cookies from the baking sheets with a spatula, and place on wire cooling racks. Let cool completely. Place the racks on sheets of aluminium foil or waxed paper.

8. In a double boiler (or the microwave), melt the chocolate chips with vegetable oil.

9. Pour the melted chocolate over each cookie. Coat with chocolate sprinkles. Press in two red candy eyes on the front of the head. Eeek!

(Recipe from epicurious.com)

Rosemary Chicken with Marmalade Sauce

This is excellent; my mother-in-law made it a week or so ago. Although maybe it's a little late in the season to still be thinking about grilling, this dish is worth bundling up for and firing the up the grill one last time.

from Fine Cooking, Aug/Sept 2007
Serves 4-6

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2Tb minced fresh rosemary
2 tsp dark brown sugar
2 tsp salt (kosher suggested but not required)
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2Tb oil (olive or otherwise), plus more for grill
2.5 lb chicken thighs (boneless + skinless best) (2.5lb = 8pc large / 10pc medium / 12pc small)
1 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup rice vinegar

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In small bowl, mix 1 Tb rosemary, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. In shallow pan or plate, drizzle oil over chicken and toss to coat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with rosemary mixture.

Warm marmalade, vinegar, and remaining 1 Tb rosemary in small saucepan over low heat. Warm to just before boiling, then set aside.

Grill chicken, transfer to serving platter, top with marmalade sauce and serve.

Cranberry-Almond Wild Rice Salad

2/3 cup brown rice
2/3 cup wild rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 ounces dried cranberries
10 large basil leaves, sliced into ribbons (about 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup minced red onion
3 tablespoons flaked or slivered almonds, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

For the dressing:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine brown rice, wild rice and chicken broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until all water is evaporated and rice is fully cooked, about 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.

When rice is cool, add dried cranberries, basil, red onion, almonds and orange zest; mix to incorporate.

For the dressing:
Combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, orange juice, mustard, honey and salt in a metal bowl and whisk to incorporate.

Pour over rice mixture and toss to incorporate. Serve at room temperature.

Yields about 6 servings.

NOTES:

• The dressing is a little bit too much for this quantity of rice, so either hold some back for a salad or make more rice. You can also use the quick-cooking long-grain and wild rice in the box, but omit the seasoning packet.
• I modified this recipe from one I found online that calls for orange segments. I substituted the cranberries. The client isn't a big orange fan, but the zest and the dressing add just a hint of orange flavor. You could also substitute pistachios for the almonds.

Fresh Fennel Whitefish

Mindy has been going crazy with the postings, so I thought I had better get a word in....

Here is a really easy, yummy fish recipe that you cook in a foil pouch. So you can do it in the oven or on the grill. I adapted it from a recipe in The New Basics (the Silver Palette ladies).

1 small fennel bulb
1 TSB, plus a little more for brushing, olive oil
1 med onion cut in strips
1 clove garlic slivered
about a 1 lb piece of fish - a nice cold-water whitefish works great. I've used haddock and other similar fishes with great success.

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Brush with oil and set aside.
• Cut fennel into 1/2 inch strips.
• Saute the fennel, onion, and garlic in oil until golden, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Lightly salt and pepper fish. Put the fish on the foil and spoon the fennel mixture on top of the fish. Cover with a second sheet of oiled foil. Fold and pinch the edges shut.
• Bake until the fish is sizzling and cooked, about 30 minutes.

Scrambled Eggs w/ Poblano Chiles and Cheese

Scrambled Eggs w/ Poblano Chiles and Cheese- Bon Appetit July 04
I'm not a scrambled egg lover, but these were sooo YUMMY!!! They could also be served in a tortilla for a breakfast burrito.

6 T butter, divided
1 c. onion, chop
2 garlic cloves, chop
½ t. oregano
14.5 oz petite diced tomatoes in juice
¼ t. chili powder
2 lb poblano chiles, seed, dice
½ c. green onions, chop
½ c. cilantro, chop, divide
8 lg eggs, beaten
1 c./4oz queso fresco/feta, crumble

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and oregano and sauté until onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice and chili powder. Cover and simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors. Transfer sauce to blender; puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Return sauce to pan and keep warm. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add chiles; sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add green onions and 1/4 cup cilantro. Add eggs and cheese. Cook until eggs are softly set, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Divide eggs among 4 plates. Spoon sauce over; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro. Y:4

Bread Cake

Bread Cake- Yoko Prakash

This recipe was given to me by our former DO's wife. She was an AWESOME cook. The "cake" is a stacked sandwich which is cut in wedges....BEWARE though...the ingredients need to be drained very well and it can be a little time consuming....FYI Patri:)

32 oz pkg frozen bread dough, thaw
2* 10 oz pkg frozen spinach, thaw
14 oz can artichoke hearts, quarter
12 oz jar roasted red peppers
6 oz pitted olives, slice
1 lb mushrooms, slice and sauté
1 T olive oil
8 oz thinly sliced salami
8 oz thinly sliced provolone cheese
8 oz thinly sliced ham
1 lg egg
1 T water
Cut one bread loaf in half crosswise. (I have found that if you sprinkle dough with a little flour and let it sit for abou 10 min it’s easier to roll out). Roll 1 half on lightly floured surface into 10” circle. Cover dough, set aside. Press together remaining 1.5 loaves. Roll out onto lightly floured surface into 12” circle. Fit dough into lightly greased 9” springform pan, allow edges to overhang. Saute mushrooms in oil in skillet for 8 min. DRAIN all ingredients VERY VERY WELL (spinach, artichoke, pepper, olives, mushrooms). Place half of salami in dough lined pan; top with mushrooms, olives, half of cheese, & half of ham. Top with spinach, peppers, remaining salami, remaining ham, artichokes and remaining cheese. Stir together egg and water. Brush on overhanging pastry edges. Fold edges over cheese; top with remaining pastry round. Tuck edges into pan; press to seal. Brush top with remaining egg mix. Bake at 350 on bottom rack for 30-35 min. Cover with foil, if needed to prevent excessive browning. Bake 15-20 min more. Cool in pan on wire rack. Remove pan and cut in wedges.

Spicy Brownies

Spicy Brownies - Midwest Living Aug 07
2 c. sugar
1.25 c. flour
¾ c. cocoa powder
4 t. cinnamon
1.5t. ground anise or Chinese 5 spice
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper (I would increase)
¾ c. cooking oil
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla

Line 13x9 pan w/ foil; lightly grease foil ( I didn’t do this). Set aside. In large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, ground anise/5 spice powder, baking powder, salt and cayenne. In med bowl, whisk together oil, eggs and vanilla; add egg mix all at once to flour mix. Stir w/ wooden spoon just til combined. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 min or til toothpick comes our clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 24 brownies.

Larb

Larb
This recipe came from my mom. She took a cooking class when they travelled to Thailand from a chef there....so it really is authentic:)
1 c. ground chicken meat
2 c. chicken stock or water
1 c. diced shallot( I used extra green onion)
4 T green onion
1 t. Chili powder or chili flakes
4 T roasted rice powder* (cut down to 3 T it was too grainy)
4 T lime juice
2 T fish sauce
¾ c. cilantro, chop
1/8 c. mint leaves
Heat up 2 c. water/stock. Quickly add ground meat. Mix constantly. Stir until chicken is cooked. Drain excess liquid. Add remaining ingredients, except mint(I added the mint in for the flavor). Mix well. Garnish with mint. *Rice powder: bake white rice in oven (I think I did it at 350, but I don't know how long. It was browning) Then put in food processor and ground into powder.

Chipotle Beef with Lime Crema

chipotle beef chili with lime crema Bon Appétit September 1999 Makes 6 to 8 servings.

3 pounds ground beef ( I cut it down to 2-2.5 lb)
3 cups chopped onions
6 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cup chili powder ( I cut it down to 1/4-1/3 c. and then used 6 T chipotle chiles instead)
2 14 1/2-ounce cans beef broth
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes with added puree
1/2 cup stout or dark beer
2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle chilies
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
2 15 1/2-ounce cans black beans, drained, rinsed

1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon grated lime peel
Corn tortilla chips

Heat heavy large pot over high heat. Add beef; sauté until cooked through, breaking up meat with spoon, about 8 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Add onions and garlic to same pot. Sauté until onions are tender, 8 minutes. Add chili powder. Sauté until fragrant, 3 minutes. Add beef, broth, tomatoes, stout and chilies. Cover partially; simmer until chili is thick, stirring often, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
Gradually stir cornmeal into chili. Stir in beans. Simmer until heated through. Season generously with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over medium heat.)
Whisk sour cream, lime juice and lime peel in small bowl. Season with salt.
Spoon chili into bowls. Spoon lime crema atop chili. Serve with chips.

The crema is a must! It added really good flavor to the soup. I didn't think that there was that much heat to the soup, but I like it hot. However, for people who don't like a "spicy" soup it would cut the heat.

Enjoy!

Penang Curry

Ok, Patri....here's one of....(how many do I owe you now?) I'm on the wrong computer for the rest of them, but we'll consider this a good start:)

Penang Curry

You need:
1 cup of chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 c. cocnut milk (I used half of the can:)
1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
2 to 3 tablespoons of penang curry paste
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
sugar to taste
2 lime leaves, finely shredded
10-15 basil leaves, finely shredded

Place a wok over medium high heat, and warm the coconut milk, but don't let it boil. Add the curry paste, and stir it until the oil begins to seperate out and form a thin film, to bring out the maximum flavour. Add the remaining ingredients except the lime and basil leaves, and simmer until the sauce is absorbed and thickened, then add the leaves and stir fry briefly before serving. Garnish with julienned red chillies, with steamed white rice, and the usual table condiments.

Sorry, I can't remember which site I swiped this from. I will hunt it down and post it later:)

Crockpot Eggplant and Tomato Stew

This is totally awesome. I served it with corn bread and a green salad with arugula, lettuce, fennel, oranges, and pears.

1 large eggplant -- cut in 1/2" cubes
2 cups chopped tomato
1 1/2 cups sliced carrot
15 ounces garbanzo beans, canned -- drained
15 ounces red kidney beans, canned -- rinsed and drained
1 larg chopped onion
1 cup sliced celery
3 cloves garlic -- minced
3 cups vegetable broth
6 ounces tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano -- crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried basil -- crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 bay leaf

1. In a 3 1/2, 4 or 5-quart crockpot, combine eggplant, tomatoes, carrots, beans, onion, celery and garlic.

2. Combine vegetable broth, tomato paste, oregano, basil, pepper, crushed red pepper and bay leaf. Pour over vegetables.

3. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Discard bay leaf. Makes 6 servings.

Garlic herb marinade

OK, while this recipe is a bit summery, it was 86 degrees here today. And I was making split pea soup. Long, slow simmered split pea soup. Blech.

We're having grilled shrimp marinated with this recipe for dinner, accompanied by rosemary polenta.

This is a Barefoot Contessa recipe (I LOVE Ina!!!!!) that I've been using for about 6 months now. It's great on shrimp and yummy on chicken too. The recipe makes enough for 2 pounds of protein. It's easy to divide or multiply.

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, small-diced
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 lemon, juiced

Combine all the ingredients and allow them to marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Chili Queens

Mindy and I cooked dueling hot chilis yesterday afternoon for the squadron's annual chili cook off hoping that at least one of the two would defend my co-title from last year of BEST HOT CHILI. I HEART cooking with Mindy, so that was the real treat of the day.

Mindy's Chipotle Beef Chili defended the co-title of BEST HOT CHILI and it was really yummy and chipotle-ish - for someone (Mindy) who doesn't like chili she kicked some serious chili ass and her pot was empty pretty quickly.

My chili won BEST OVERALL CHILI! Dethroning once and for all the two year title holder. Even though John said mine wasn't going to win because it was too weird... Who listens to him anyways?! I stuck to my guns and made Green Chili with Pork from where else but epicurious! The beauty of it is that it takes all of 30mins to make - which means it will end up in our standard recipe pile.

I will post my recipe and make Mindy post hers!

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Green Chili with Pork
(4 main course servings)

ingredients::
1 medium white onion, quartered
2 (3- to 4-inch) fresh jalapeño chiles, stemmed and quartered, including seeds*
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (14 fl oz)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 lb ground pork
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (14- to 15-oz) can white hominy (also called pozole), rinsed and drained
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

preparation::
Purée onion, chiles, and garlic with 1/2 cup chicken broth in a blender.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown pork, season meat with salt and pepper or Adobo while browning, stirring and breaking up clumps with a fork, just until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot.

Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to pot and heat over moderately high heat until hot, then carefully add purée (it will spatter), cumin, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened and most of liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes.

Add pork, hominy, cilantro, and remaining 1 1/4 cups broth and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Serve chili sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and cheese.

*For more heat add 1/2 or 1 jalapeño extra to the recipe.