Mac and Cheese with Peas and Tomatoes

So in the last few weeks I've had to give up my passion for concocting new recipes to make room for course work and law school applications. Don't get me wrong. I'm excited to finally get back to school, but I certainly miss exercising my culinary creativity. I think, unfortunately, new recipes will be few and far between until Christmas break, so bare with me.

Being away from home, I was really craving something deliciously savory and comforting. As far as I'm concerned, nothing says comfort food like a steaming bowl of creamy macaroni and cheese. Obviously the pasta and cheese were integral ingredients, but then I began to hear my mother's voice. "Eat your vegetables!" Who can say no to Mom? So I thought I'd add a few peas and fresh tomatoes to pretend like I was eating something remotely healthy.

First, the choice in pasta shape was absolutely crucial. I wanted a noodle that was going to soak up all of the cheesy goodness and become one with the vegetables. I decided upon a rotini pasta.  The crevices in the cork-screw shape were perfect for retaining a delicious sauce. While cooking the pasta, I tossed a mess of shredded, sharp cheddar cheese together with a bit of cornstarch, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. I opted to use corn starch as a thickening agent for the sauce. However, if you should find yourself without corn starch, you could instead stir together a roux made of equal parts melted butter and flour.

How to Make a Roux: http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/culinaryfundamentals/ss/roux.htm

In fact, the next time I make this recipe, I think I would sooner use a roux to thicken the cheese sauce. Often times if a sauce is not cooked long enough, the flavor of the corn starch doesn't entirely cook out. I also feel as though I'm sinning in the culinary world when I cheat with corn starch. All that aside, once the pasta was cooked, I drained the pasta and set it aside. In the same pot, I heated evaporated milk over low heat and incorporated the cheese mixture and a bit of Dijon mustard. The mustard cuts through the heavy cream sauce and brings a needed bite to the dish. Once the cheese was melted, I folded in some peas, diced tomatoes, and the cooked noodles. Now at this point, you could easily grab a fork and dig right in. However, I had one more trick up my sleeve to set this dish over the top. In a bowl, I combined panko bread crumbs with Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and a touch of olive oil. I poured the mac and cheese into single serve, over safe bowls and topped each dish with a sprinkle of bread crumbs. After about five to eight minutes under the broiler, the top of the macaroni and cheese was brown, crispy, and delicious.

I must say I was quite pleased with the dinner I had managed to create this evening. The mac and cheese was thick and creamy and the vegetables brought a necessary freshness to the dish! My comfort food craving was satisfied, and it couldn't have been any easier! And may I also point out, the entirety of the dish was all made in one pot in under an hour. Definitely a fantastic recipe for college students or those constantly on the go!

Mac and Cheese with Peas and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rotini pasta
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 tbsp cornstarch 
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 6oz evaporated milk
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 tbsp panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
• drizzle of olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a bowl, mix together cheese, cornstarch, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Over low heat, warm evaporated milk. Stir in cheese mixture and Dijon mustard. Once cheese has completely melted, mix in peas, tomatoes, and cooked noodles. In a separate bowl, mix bread crumbs with Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Spoon mac and cheese into two oven safe bowls. Sprinkle mac and cheese with bread crumb mixture. Place bowls on a baking sheet and broil for 5 to 8 minutes until the top is brown.

Serves 2

Chicken and Broccoli

So it's getting towards the end of the week, and the shelves in the fridge are starting to look sparse. After rummaging around, I came up with chicken breasts and a head of broccoli. So I thought to myself, "Self! What can I make with chicken and broccoli?" I tossed around ideas like a savory chicken and broccoli bread pudding, or perhaps a reinvented shepard's pie with roasted chicken pieces. And then the obvious dawned on me: chicken and broccoli! I couldn't believe it took me so long to come to that conclusion, but in any case, I hurried over to the grocery store to pick up just a few more ingredients to spice up this Asian-inspired meal.

I began by heating up a few tablespoons of olive oil in a wok. If you don't have a wok, don't fret! A deep pan will work just as well! Personally, I prefer slices of chicken, as opposed to chunks of chicken in my chicken and broccoli, so I sliced up a couple of chicken breasts and cooked them up in the wok with plenty of salt and pepper. I removed the chicken from the wok with a slotted spoon and set to the side. Also, I pour all of the olive oil and chicken drippings into a large measuring cup. Into the measuring cup, I added some soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, and slices of scallions. Scallions are also known as green onions if you happen to be confused at the moment. Additionally, I whisked in a bit of cornstarch to help thicken the sauce.

I chopped up a head of broccoli and tossed the pieces into the hot wok with slices of onions and minced garlic. I also added slices of fresh ginger. I really enjoy utilizing fresh ginger when cooking up Asian dishes. Ginger brings a flavorful warmth to the dish. If you've never worked with ginger before, it's really quite easy. Fresh ginger can be found in the produce section of your local super market. Snap off a piece about the length of your middle finger, and you should be good to go for the recipe. Peeling this root often looks like a task, but I simply remove the peel with a spoon. The peel of the ginger is incredibly thin and comes off quite easily. Additionally, I like to cut the ginger into long, thick slices for easy removal before serving. While I love the flavor of ginger, I do not enjoy chewing on fibrous pieces of this root while eating my chicken and broccoli.

Once the broccoli was heat through, I poured the soy sauce mixture over the vegetables and tossed in the chicken. In a separate pot, I boiled water and cooked off lo mein noodles. I usually like to serve chicken and broccoli with some type of starch to soak up the delicious sauce. While some favor a bed of rice, I usually opt for noodles. Take your pick and make this dish your own!

Finally, I tossed the cooked lo mein into the chicken and broccoli. If you'd like, feel free to garnish the dish with a sprinkling of green onions. Additionally, you could toss in some matchstick carrots or bell peppers and transform this dish into an Asian stir-fry. You could also substitute thin slices of beef for the chicken. It is ultimately easy to make this recipe your own to please all the palettes in your home.


Chicken and Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb chicken breasts, sliced thin
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• juice of 2 limes
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 3 scallions, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 large head of broccoli, chopped
• 2 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced
• 8oz lo mein noodles

 Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in wok over med-high heat. Sautee chicken in wok until cooked through. Remove chicken pieces and reserve. Pour any chicken drippings into a large measuring cup. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, and lime juice to the measuring cup. Whisk in cornstarch. Add scallions. In wok cook onions, garlic, broccoli, and ginger until onions are translucent and broccoli is heated through. Pour soy sauce mixture over the broccoli and toss in the cooked chicken. Cover and cook for several minutes until the chicken is heated through. In a separate pot, boil water and cook lo mein noodles according to the package instructions. Toss the noodles with the chicken and broccoli.

Serves 4

Stuffed 2XL Brownies

It's hard to beat a warm chocolate brownie. I think just about anyone can agree with me that everyone loves a good brownie. The best part about these scrumptious little baked goods is the ease of preparation. Today you can find an assortment of delicious pre-packaged brownies mixes. Add oil, eggs, and water and all of a sudden you have a pretty fantastic and fresh chocolate dessert. Serve with a bit of ice cream or whipped cream and you've really got something.


Since brownies come together so quickly, I don't mind putting in a little extra effort to push the recipe right over the top! Lately, I've really enjoyed mixing up cheesecakes, so I thought I'd look to incorporate a cream cheese element into the brownies. Additionally, I wanted some sort of sweet caramel flavor thrown into the mix.

I started with a couple of boxes of chocolate fudge brownie mix. After whisking in the standard eggs, oil, and water, I could have easily had a great dessert. But I decided I'd make it a stellar dessert! So I creamed together cream cheese, eggs, a bit of sugar, and a splash of vanilla extract. I wanted to avoid an overly sweet cream cheese filling. The brownie mix is plenty sweet, and I wanted a tangy creamy element to combat the overly sweet chocolate fudge brownie. I poured half of the brownie batter into a 13x9" pan. Then I spooned the cream cheese filling onto the brownie batter. Using a butter knife, I swirled the cream cheese into the brownie batter, but I wanted to make sure that the brownie batter and cheesecake filling still remained two separate entities. I decided I'd sprinkle a few butterscotch chips onto the brownie batter to add a caramel like element to the stuffed brownies. Finally, I poured the remaining brownie batter into the pan. Now as these are "double XL" brownies, they did take a good long while to bake, as well as a while to cool. But I promise your patience will be rewarded!



Stuffed 2XL Brownies

Ingredients

• 2 19.5oz packaged brownie mix
• 1 cup oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 eggs
• 16oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together brownie mix with oil, water, and 4 eggs. Using an electric mixer, cream together cream cheese, 2 eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Pour half of the brownie batter into a greased 13x9" pan. Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly over the brownie batter. Sprinkle butterscotch chips over the pan. Pour remaining brownie batter over the top of the cream cheese. Bake for 90 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cover pan with aluminum foil for the last 30 minutes to avoid burning the top of the brownies. 

Makes 24 brownies.

Vegetable Stew with Fried Polenta

Fogo de Chao is one of my all time favorite restaurants. For anniversaries, graduation celebrations, and birthdays you'll find me and my family munching on an assortment of delectable Brazilian steakhouse specialties. While the tender meats and exotic fruits and vegetables are a treat in it of itself, I particularly enjoy the sides of fried polenta squares endlessly brought to the table. For those poor souls that may not have experienced the joys of polenta, it's essentially a thick and creamy Italian version of grits. It a luxurious side served hot and bubbly. However, like most foods, giving the polenta a quick pan fry only enhances the side dish. The polenta squares have a golden brown and crispy crust and a soft and fluffy center. While I could easily make a meal out of this polenta, I find my body appreciates a few vegetables along side the starch.

This afternoon I prepared a vegetable stew to serve atop a few squares of fried polenta. Oddly enough, even while on a diet, I can still gobble up a bowl full of this meal simply due to the fact that majority of this dish is a flavorful mix of vegetables! While polenta is traditionally Italian, the cornmeal mixture is honestly the perfect palette for any combination of flavors. I wanted to reach outside of my comfort zone and experiment with a few herbs that I do not traditionally cook with.

First, I whisked cornmeal into a pot of salted and boiling chicken stock, water, and a splash of cream. Be incredibly careful when combining the cornmeal with the hot liquid. It is imperative that you continually whisk the cornmeal to avoid any lumps. However, the polenta is prone to bubbling and spattering. Make sure you lower the heat when adding the cornmeal. You may even want to remove the pot from the heat to avoid succumbing to polenta injury. Additionally, I stirred a spoonful of cream cheese and a handful of pecorino romano cheese into the polenta. Finally, I poured the mix into a 13x9" pan and allowed the polenta to chill and set up.

In a large pan I sauteed eggplant, bell peppers, yellow squash, tomatoes, and garlic in a bit of olive oil. I seasoned the vegetables with rosemary, salt, pepper, and a few bay leaves. A splash of wine moistened the vegetables. I continued to cook the stew for another few hours until the vegetables were soft and the flavors had married.

I coated a cast iron skillet with a blend of canola and olive oil. I liked to use olive oil for the flavor and canola oil to stand up to the high heat. After removing the polenta from the fridge, I turned the loaf out onto a a large cutting board and sliced it into twenty equal squares. I dusted each polenta square lightly with corn starch I had seasoned with salt. Be sure that each polenta square is only just coated in the corn starch. As the starch doesn't offer much flavor, I am simply using it only to form a thin crispy layer on the surface of the polenta. I fried the squares in batches of four or five to keep from over-crowding the pan. In order to keep the squares warm, I kept the polenta on baking racks in an oven set to 200°F.

Finally, I finished the stew with a cup of frozen peas and splash of cream. I served the vegetables over a few squares of the polenta. The polenta was crispy and creamy and served as a delicious sponge to soak up the stewed vegetable juices. You could also look to serve a homemade bolognese meat sauce atop the polenta squares, or perhaps your family might prefer the vegetable stew over a scoop of rice or spaghetti noodles. Additionally, if you feel so compelled you could beef up the dish a bit and add pieces of pan seared chicken breast or sausage to the vegetable medley. This dish is easy to truly make your own and tailor to you taste preferences. You would really have to try hard to mess this one up!



Vegetable Stew with Fried Polenta

Ingredients:

for the Polenta

• 3 cups water
• 2 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup cream
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 3/4 cup corn meal
• 1 tbsp cream cheese
• 1/4 cup pecorino romano
• 3/4 cup corn starch
• olive oil and canola oil for pan frying

for the Stew

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 eggplant, chopped
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 3 yellow squash, sliced
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 dry bay leaves
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tbsp cream
• salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pot, bring water, stock, cream and salt to a boil. Gradually whisk in cornmeal and continue to stir until the polenta thickens. Stir in cream cheese and pecorino. Pour polenta into a greased 13x9" pan. Allow polenta to set up and chill. 

In a deep pan, heat oil. Sautee all vegetables (except peas) and garlic. Add rosemary, bay leaves, and white wine. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Cook on low heat for at least one hour. Immediately before serving, add peas and cream. 

Turn polenta out onto a large cutting board. Slice into 20 to 24 equal squares. Lightly dust each square in cornstarch that has been seasoned with salt. Coat bottom of large cast iron skillet with olive oil and canola oil. Fry polenta squares in batches until each side is golden brown. Keep polenta warm on a wire rack in an oven set to 200°F. 

Serve vegetables over polenta squares.

Serves 5-6.

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Pancakes

Occasionally there comes a time every few months when you crave breakfast for dinner. There seems to be something rebellious and bad-ass about eating chocolate chip waffles and sausage links for dinner as opposed to breakfast. Maybe that's a bit of a stretch. But often times families are just moving too quickly to sit down and enjoy breakfast's bounty. Accommodate your schedule and avoid depriving yourself of omelettes and yogurt parfaits!

This evening I decided I'd play with a pancake recipe. Far too frequently I am guilty of adding water to an instant pancake mix and calling it breakfast. While pancake mixes have their time and place, tonight I wanted to make something special and over the top. Banana pancakes are always a hit, and what accompanies bananas better than cinnamon and brown sugar? Well, I suppose chocolate chips are a pretty good pair with bananas. But if you'll note the title of this blog post, it's pretty apparent that I opted to create a Cinnamon Swirl Banana Pancake recipe.

First I beat together egg yolks, vanilla and a touch of sugar. I also added sour cream, just as one might add buttermilk for a tangy pancake. On a cutting board, I sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of salt over a few bananas. Ideally, I would use bananas that have been given the chance to ripen and brown a bit. However, since the bananas I had purchased were still fairly yellow, I decided I'd sprinkle any salt needed for the pancake batter over the bananas in order to draw out the moisture and work as an abrasive ingredient to help break down the flesh of the banana. Using a pastry cutter, I mashed the bananas until they were fairly smooth. Feel free to leave a few chunks if you would prefer a few banana pieces in your pancakes.

I added the mashed bananas to the egg yolk mixture along with the zest of an orange. In another bowl, I whisked together flour and baking powder. Alternately, I added the flour mixture and milk to the egg yolk batter. Be sure to start and end with the dry ingredients when stirring together your pancake batter. Finally, I whipped the remaining egg whites until stiff peaks formed and gently folded the whites into the pancake batter. Whipping eggs whites for pancake batters help to ensure fluffy and light pancakes; this trick applies to waffle batter as well! If you don't intend to immediately cook up your pancakes, set your batter in the fridge to keep the egg whites from falling.

In a measuring cup, I stirred together melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Initially the mixture will be a bit runny. In order to swirl the brown sugar into the pancake, allow the butter a chance to solidify so that the mixture can form and smooth paste. Add a splash of milk if the brown sugar is too thick. If you're thinking of skipping out on a component of these pancakes, don't miss out on this cinnamon, brown sugar swirl! When the pancake cooks, the brown sugar and butter create a deliciously crunchy crust. Not to mention the flavor that the cinnamon brings to the pancake party!

After slicing up a few more bananas, I threw them into a hot pan with butter, brown sugar, and a bit of cinnamon. I allowed the bananas to brown and caramelize. Be sure the sugar does not burn.

Finally, I grease a hot griddle and got to pancake cooking. I poured about one-third of a cup of the batter onto the griddle. Then I swirled a bit of the brown sugar mixture into the pancake. I found that it was easiest to pour the brown sugar mixture into a plastic bag, cut off the tip, and pipe a thin ribbon into the pancake batter. Once bubbles rose to the top of the pancake, I flipped and cooked until the second side was golden brown. I topped stacks of the cooked pancakes with slices of the caramelized bananas.

Like any good  breakfast (or in this case dinner) I served the pancakes with slices of cooked bacon and a beautiful fruit salad. The pancakes were certainly a cinnamon-y crowd pleasing meal. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, its always a good time for pancakes!

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, separated
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 bananas
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• zest of an orange
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 bananas, sliced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Whisk together egg yolks, sugar and vanilla. Add sour cream. On a cutting board, sprinkle 3 bananas with salt. Using a fork or pastry cutter, mash bananas. Add zest and mashed bananas to the egg mixture. In another bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the egg yolks. Add the milk. Mix in the remaining flour. In another bowl, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into the pancake batter. Chill until ready to cook.

In a small bowl, melt 4 tbsp butter with 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp of brown sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon. Set aside and allow to thicken.

In a pan, melt 1 tbsp spoon of butter with remaining brown sugar and cinnamon. Fry banana slices until golden brown and caramelized. 

Grease a hot griddle or pan (about 350°F) and ladle about 1/3 cup of batter onto the surface. Swirl 1-2 tsp of cinnamon, brown sugar mixture into the pancake. Once bubbles form on the surface, flip the pancake. Cook until the remaining side is brown. Serve with caramelized bananas and maple syrup.

Double Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

For whatever reason this week I've been in the baking mood. I get a great deal of satisfaction out of whipping up some delicious treats and watching family and friends excitedly dig in! Even the simplest recipes always seem to bring a smile to a loved one's face. Ultimately, this is why I cook.

After hearing about my Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie expedition, my best friend's mother hinted that she'd love to witness oatmeal cookie perfection. This awesome lady has been in my life since I was about twelve. To a certain extent, she has become a second mother, a strong role model, and an all-around pleasant person to swap life's stories with. This week she has been working late, and I thought an oatmeal cookie surprise might be a nice welcome home this evening. So this morning I got to work on the "perfect" oatmeal cookie.

As with most cookie recipes, I started by creaming together butter and brown sugar. Additionally, I added a fair bit of honey. Basically, I chose to approach this recipe similarly to the way I would approach my bowl of morning oatmeal; any flavors that I'd look to include in my oatmeal, I wanted to stir into this cookie dough. To the butter mixture, I added an egg and vanilla extract. I blended flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch into the wet ingredients. I figured the addition of cornstarch worked well in my chocolate chip recipe, so I thought I would use it again in the oatmeal cookie dough. The cornstarch helps to keep the cookie soft and puffy. Also, I chose to grate fresh nutmeg into the batter. As Rachel Ray would say nutmeg just makes people say, "Mmmm, what is that?" I personally think nutmeg brings a warm, sweet, spicy element to baked goods. Obviously to turn this batter into oatmeal cookies, I added a whole mess of oats. Now it's my belief that the perfect oatmeal cookie includes two crucial ingredients: raisins and chocolate chips. Not only did I fold in raisin, but I also mixed in both white and semi-sweet chocolate chips. I also think it would be delicious to substitute raisins for dried cranberries or cherries, but today I decided to be somewhat of a traditionalist. After spooning the dough onto greased cookie sheets using a small ice cream scoop, I topped each cookie with a bit of sugar to ensure a crunchy cookie top and threw the pans into the oven.

About fifteen minutes later, I had fluffy double chocolate chip oatmeal raisin cookies with crusty tops and soft chewy centers. I hope these delicious treats measure up to the expectations of my best friend's mother. But if not, even the worst cookie is better than the best piece of broccoli!

Hopefully you'll soon find a reason to surprise one of your own friends or neighbors with these pillows of love!






Double Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredient:

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
• sugar in the raw for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream together butter, sugar, and honey. Add egg and vanilla. Incorporate flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cornstarch. Fold in oats, raisins and chocolate. Spoon heaping tablespoons of cookie dough about two inches apart onto greased pans. Sprinkle each dough ball with sugar in the raw. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes until the cookies are golden brown and the centers have set. 

Makes 2 dozen cookies. 

Georgia Peach Pie

Pie. Who doesn't love it? Tender flaky crusts and deliciously, sweet fillings. The pie possibilities are endless. Fruits, nuts, chocolates, and custards. They all make for delectable pies!

This week I received my dessert inspiration from my mother. As a family, we decided to take a day trip to the Warner Robbins Air Force base in south Georgia. While on the road, we saw sign after sign encouraging us to purchase sweet Georgia peaches. Naturally a brilliant idea dawned upon my oh so wise mother. She recalled the absolutely delicious apple pie I have been making for Thanksgiving tables for years and thought I might be able to make a peach pie contender. Sounded like a scrumptious idea to me, so I obliged.

If you're having a rotten day, do yourself a favor and make pie dough. Nothing makes me happier than playing with soft, buttery pie dough! That may be a bit of an over-exaggeration, but it is incredibly therapeutic. Now I know, at this point, most of you are running for the hills at the mention of making your own pastry dough. While I understand the intimidation factor, I'm going to break down the techniques and hopefully make this easy as... pie!

Once you get over the ridiculously cheesiness of that last sentence, we'll get going on that pie dough.

Now then. Using a food processor, I mixed together flour and salt. I also added a touch of sugar to bring a little life to the pie crust. Then I pulsed in the most integral ingredients: butter and vegetable shortening. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have previously cubed and chilled the butter and shortening. Keeping the crust ingredients cold will make for an incredibly flaky crust. Additionally, if you don't own a food processor, you can opt to use a pastry cutter. (Look for something like this: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/stainless-steel-pastry-blender/) A pastry cutter will work just as well but will require a good bit of manual labor on your part. Now this next step is about the only tricky bit to making the perfect pie dough. While pulsing the dough, I drizzled in ice cold water and a splash of vanilla. The vanilla makes for a deliciously flavored crust. And again be sure the water is ice cold to make for a tender crust. Often times, the amount of water necessary varies day to day and depends on the humidity in the air. This week I needed about five tablespoons of water in addition to a table spoon of vanilla extract. When you try this recipe at home add enough water just until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl and resembles the consistency of course, wet sand. Remember, you can always add water, but you can't take it away!

Finally, I floured my counter top and poured the dough mixture onto my work surface. After flouring my hands, I gently and quickly formed a disk with the dough. I wrapped the disk in plastic wrap and chilled for several hours. When working with pastry dough, it is incredibly important to avoid over-working the dough. You should be sure to mix all ingredients until just combined; otherwise, you will end up with a tough pie crust. Additionally, be sure to chill your dough before baking. Again, keeping the dough cold will help to ensure a pleasant and tender crust texture. Please don't skip this step. I promised pie crust would be simply, not necessarily quick! Your patience will be rewarded.

Next, I began prepping the pie filling. First, I dropped each of the peaches into a large pot of boiling water. After sixty seconds I shocked the peaches in an ice water bath. The objective here is not to cook the peaches. Rather, allowing the peaches a quick soak in the boiling water will help to easily remove the peel. Using a combination of a vegetable peeler and a pairing knife, I peeled and sliced each of the peaches. I personally prefer thin slices of fruit in my pies, but feel free to slice the peaches a bit thicker if you so desire. In a bowl I combined the peach slices with lemon juice, cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla and honey. I really enjoy the flowery notes the honey brings to the pie, as well as the molasses undertones the brown sugar contributes. Then to thicken up the filling, I added a bit of flour. I don't really enjoy thick and gloppy fruit pies, so I tend to go a little light on the flour.

After allowing the pie dough to chill, I removed it from the fridge. As this is a double crust pie, I cut the disk in half. Using a rolling pin, I rolled each of the dough pieces into circles large enough to fill the entirety of a pie pan.When rolling out dough, start from the center and push the rolling pin out to the sides. Be sure to apply a consistent amount of pressure on the rolling pin to ensure an even crust thickness. Using a pastry scrapper, I gently removed one of the pie crusts from the counter and placed it in a buttered pie pan. I poured the peaches into the pie pan and topped with the remaining circle of pie dough. Using a combination of my fingers and a fork I sealed the edges of the pie crust. In my personal opinion, pies should look rustic and homemade, so I don't usually strive for perfection when crimping my pie crust. Finally, I brushed the top of the pie with a splash of cream, sprinkled it with a bit sugar, and cut a few slits in the center of the crust. Unless you prefer pie bombs, I suggest you poke a few holes in the top of your pie to allow steam to escape.

Now it was just a matter of waiting, two hours, for pie goodness! Remember if the crust is browning too quickly, cover the pie with aluminum foil. Also as difficult as it may seem, allow the pie to cool a couple of hours before serving. Personally, I topped my warm peach pie with ice cold vanilla bean ice cream, and subsequently ruined my diet.

While the flavors were delicious and the pie crust was right on point, I did notice that the peach filling was a bit runny. When you try this recipe at home, consider adding a touch more flour to reach your desired pie filling consistency. Additionally, if you're not a fan of peaches, feel free to substitute some of your favorite fruits. Apple slices are always a solid standard. I might also try adding a few frozen cherries to the peach mixture the next go around. Like I said originally, everyone loves a good piece of pie and it couldn't be any easier to make it your own! Enjoy!

Georgia Peach Pie

Ingredients:
For the crust

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 stick butter, cubed and chilled
• 1/2 cup shortening, cubed and chilled
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 5 tbsp ice water

For the filling

• 8 fresh peaches
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3-4 tbsp flour

• cream to brush pie top
• sugar in the raw for pie top
• cinnamon for pie top

In a food processor, blend together flour, salt, and sugar. Pulse in butter and shortening. Do not over work. Add vanilla. Gradually add ice water until dough just begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl and resembles the consistency of wet sand. Pour mixture onto clean and floured work surface. Pull dough together with hands and quickly form a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Submerge peaches in boiling water for one minute. Place peaches in ice bath until cool. Using a vegetable peeler, remove peach skin. Cut in half and remove pit. Slice each of the peach halves. In a bowl combine peaches, lemon juice, cinnamon, sugar, vanilla, and honey. Mix in flour and let stand for about 15 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Remove dough from fridge and cut in half. On a floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into a circle large enough to hang over the edges of a pie pan. Mold one piece of the dough into a buttered pie pan. Pour in peach mixture. Place additional pie crust over the top of the peaches. Using the tines of a fork, crimp the pie crust pieces together. Cut several small slits in the top of the pie. Brush with cream and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Place pie in oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 375°F. Bake for 2 hours. Cover with foil if crust begins to brown too quickly. Cool completely before serving.

Serves 8.

Side Note:

My family and I were so very excited about peach pie, we also decided to pick up a handful of delicious Georgia pecans for another pie. While I used the same pie crust recipe above, I adapted Tyler Florence's Bourbon and Chocolate Pecan Pie recipe. (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/bourbon-and-chocolate-pecan-pie-recipe/index.html) Rather than bake one large pie, I decided it might be cute to make individual tarts. I lined eight small, fluted tart pans with my crust recipe and filled each with a couple of tablespoons of chopped pecans and a ladle-full of Tyler's filling. I baked the pies for about thirty minutes. Not only is Tyler an absolute babe, but he makes a damn good pie.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies: Everyone seems to have his or her favorite recipe. Some are passed down through the generations, while others are read right off the back of a bag of Nestle Chocolate Chips. As for me, my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe could be found in a cookbook my mother gifted to me several Christmases ago. For years, I had been winning the hearts of many boys with batches of these cookies. However, I hadn't yet managed to impress one of the biggest food critics in my life, my brother. He wasn't a particular fan of my chocolate chip cookies. Sure, he would eat them, but what nineteen-year-old, hockey player wouldn't? However, he continued to complain about the inappropriate ratio of chocolate to cookie dough, as well as the flat nature of the cookie. Recently, he issued me a challenge to perfect the chocolate chip cookie. Those who know me are aware that I couldn't possibly turn down a challenge. For the last couple of weeks, I have been reading up on cookies and various baking techniques. I think today I finally created the perfect chocolate chip cookie.

As with any delicious cookie, I started by creaming together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Be sure the butter is softened but not melted. I've found that melting the butter usually leads to a thin and crispy cookie. I prefer a greater ratio of brown to white sugar. Brown sugar makes for a chewy chocolate chip cookie with a wonderful molasses taste. I added a couple of eggs to act as a leavening agent and a splash of vanilla for good flavor. I sifted flour, baking soda and salt into the butter mixture. Sifting the dry ingredients helps to the dough fluffy and smooth. After all of the cookie research I have done, I opted to add cornstarch to the batter as it is supposed to help keep the cookies thick and chewy. Finally, I folded in a couple of handfuls of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Some people might prefer milk chocolate, but when I think of a traditional chocolate chip cookie, it must have that semi-sweet chip! However, you can feel free to add your favorite chocolate pieces!

After a few minutes in the oven and allowing the cookies to cool, I had to find out whether I had risen to my brother's challenge. After setting him up with a few warm cookies and a glass of milk, I have finally managed to satisfy my brother's craving for the perfect chocolate chip cookie!

These chocolate chip cookies have a crunchy outer crust and a chewy, moist center. Even after allowing them to cool, the cookies are still thick and fluffy. And in my opinion, this cookie has the perfect ratio of chocolate to delicious, sweet dough. Next time you need to win the heart of your new squeeze or simply just want a taste of home, give this recipe a try!




Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Using a hand-mixer, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy and pale in color. Add eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Slowly incorporate flour mixture into the creamed butter. Mix in chocolate chips. Using a small ice cream scoop, spoon dough onto greased cookie sheet. Let about 2 inches between each dough ball. (If additional batches of dough remain, place in fridge while first batch bakes.) Bake for 12 minutes until the cookies are golden brown. Do not overcook. Allow cookies to cool on the sheet for several minutes until the cookie has set up. Remove from pan with a spatula and continuing cooling on cookie racks.   

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

White Chocolate Cherry Almond Shortbread

So after reading the ridiculously long title of this blog post, you must be exhausted and ravenous! Obviously you're going to have to get right to making these deliciously buttery and sweet dessert bars!

With Friday being my final day at work, I really wanted to end the semester with a bang and thank my co-workers for the amazing support they have provided me throughout my time in the office. They have always been the best recipe guinea pigs, so I thought I'd take one more dessert creation for a trial run. For whatever reason I have always loved pairing the flavors of cherries and almonds. I happen to think the two ingredients make a delectable combination, and clearly a great dessert is only made better by the addition of chocolate! Of course I had no choice but to bundle all of these flavors between layers of tender shortbread. And thus the White Chocolate Cherry Almond Shortbread was born!

In a saucepan, I mixed frozen cherries together with almond extract and sugar. I did my best to break the cherries up a bit while they cooked down. I wanted the cherries to offer some texture, so I was sure to leave some integrity to the fruit. Once the mixture came to a boil, I added a touch of corn starch to help the cherries thicken to almost resemble a thin jelly preserve. In the future, I might first stir the corn starch together with a bit of water to keep the starch from clumping in the cherry mixture. After allowing the cherries to thicken, I removed the pan from the heat.

Using a hand mixer, I creamed together an extraordinary amount of butter and sugar. I promised this dish would be heavenly, not figure friendly... After the butter was fluffy and light in color, I added an egg, some vanilla, and salt. Slowly I incorporated a mess of flour and a handful of slivered almonds. I prefer slivered to sliced almonds in the shortbread, but it's honestly up to your own textual palette. After pouring about two-thirds of the dough into a greased baking dish, I pressed the mixture evenly into the pan. I poured the cherries over the shortbread and topped it with white chocolate. I sprinkled the remaining dough over the white chocolate. Finally, I threw the pan in the oven and waited for dessert happiness.

Let me just tell you, the wait was well worth it. Again, this is certainly not the healthiest recipe I've created in the last couple of months, but I think I'm guaranteed a great deal of smiles and gratitude when I walk into the office with a tray full of these shortbread bars!


White Chocolate Cherry Almond Shortbread

Ingredients:

• 18oz frozen cherries
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 4 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 sticks butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup white chocolate chips

Over high heat mix together cherries, almond extract, and 1/2 cup sugar. Bring to boil. In a small bowl mix corn starch with 1 tbsp water. Remove any clumps. Add starch to cherries. Cook for 15 minutes on medium-high heat until mixture is think. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla, egg and salt. Gradually incorporate flour until mixture is crumbly. Stir in almonds. Grease a 13x9'' baking pan. Press two-thirds of the dough into the pan. Pour cherries over the dough. Sprinkle white chocolate over the cherries. Crumble remaining dough over the chocolate. Bake for 45 minutes until the top is golden brown,

Makes 24 bars. 

Fish Tacos and the Fixins

This past weekend I had the pleasure of visiting with some old high school friends in the ocean-side city of Miami! We spent plenty of time walking up and down CocoWalk and touring the local marina. Of course, sampling the local Cuban cuisine was also a culinary must! However, I also wanted to take advantage of fresh, local fish. Rather than pay exorbitant prices downtown at a local seafood bar, I opted to cook up some fish at home.

A filet of fish often intimidates the home cook, but that's just silly! Fish cooks up just as easily as a piece of chicken and it's often just as versatile. If you're lucky enough to have Tuna or Swordfish readily available, a quick pan-sear will do the fillet delicious justice! Something like Tilapia cooks up nicely in lemon, butter, and parsley. Ultimately, you should determine your dinner menu based on the fresh catch available at your local market.

We had the good fortune of running into a beautiful fillet of Mahi Mahi. This fish is often also referred to as Dolphin fish. Don't let the name alarm you. I can promise you I wasn't munching on your favorite pal, Flipper, this weekend. Mahi Mahi is simply a fish with a misleading name. In any case, Mahi Mahi is a mild, white fish. It's not quite at flaky as a piece of Tilapia, but it's not quite as meaty as a piece of Tuna. You could easily grill up a few fillets or bread and fry pieces for gourmet fish sticks! However, this weekend us girls decided upon fish tacos!

Fish tacos are essentially just a vehicle for delicious salsas and guacamole. I started by chopping up a red pepper, a bit of purple onion, an ear of fresh corn, handful of cilantro, and a couple of mangos. After mixing together the assorted veggies and fruits with some lime juice, you've got yourself a wonderful fresh salsa! I've also substituted the mangos for peaches in the past. Either fruit yields a delicious relish to pile atop fish. At this point, I would have also prepared my homemade guacamole. However, ripe avocados were nonexistent in Miami, so we had to settle for store bought. But I'll be sure to include my guac recipe regardless. One of my girlfriends also threw together a fresh and spicy tomato salsa. She threw together a whole mess of tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice, and jalapenos in a food processor, and voila! Finally, it came time to cook up the fish. I started by slicing the fresh Mahi Mahi into one inch cubes and seasoned the fish with salt, pepper, and Emeril's Essence. If you don't have Emeril's Essence laying around, look to Food Network for an incredibly simple recipe or use a good Cajun seasoning. I cooked the cubes in a bit of olive oil. While the fish was cooking, I wrapped a stack of flour tortillas in foil and stuck them in the oven to warm.

We served the dinner family style and everyone pieced together their own tacos with all the various fixins. The fish was deliciously flaky and fresh and these salsa were some of the best compliments! I really encourage you to give fish a try, especially during the summer months while vacationing next to beautiful oceans!

Fish Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1.5lb Mahi Mahi, de-boned
• Emeril's Essence
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 10-12 small flour tortillas

Cut fish fillets into one inch cubes. Season liberally on all sides with Essence, salt, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Wrap tortillas in foil and warm in oven set to 250°F. Cook fish in skillet until fish no longer appears opaque. Test a single cube of fish to see whether it flakes. Serve tacos with various salsas, guacamole, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, or shredded lettuce. 

Serves 4

Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe mangos, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 ear corn
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• juice of one lime

Remove corn kernels from ear of corn using a knife. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Allow to chill for at least thirty minutes before serving. Serve with fish tacos or along side a grill fillet of fish.

Guacamole

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• juice of one lime
• 2 tbsp sour cream, optional

Remove flesh of avocados. Using a pastry cutter, mash avocados until smooth. Immediately stir in lime juice. Fold in tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeno. For a spicier dip, include seeds of jalapeno in guacamole. For a rich dip, mix in sour cream. Serve with fish tacos or warm tortilla chips.

Nutella-Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies

While driving home from work this evening, I literally had the best idea of my life:

Nutella. Stuffed. Peanut Butter. Cookies.

That's right. You read that correctly! Can you honestly think of a better flavor combination? My sister so wisely declared, "That sentence kept getting better and better!" Nutella and peanut butter were a match made in Heaven. Clearly, I had to do something about this. As I didn't have enormous amount of time for an elaborate baking project, I opted to take a short cut. On my way home from work, I dropped by the grocery store and picked up several packages of Pillsbury peanut butter cookie dough. Now ordinarily I would make my cookie dough from scratch. However, after a long Wednesday, store bought certainly suffices. In fact, I find after doctoring up the dough a bit and adding my own special touches, the cookies turn out just as delicious! 

I rolled the dough out onto a floured surface and cut out rounds using a biscuit cutter. I piped nutella onto half of the cookie circles and topped each with another cookie top. Then I decided to sprinkle each cookie with a bit of cinnamon sugar. As a rustic checker pattern usually tops a traditional peanut butter cookie, I thought I'd follow suit with these. I threw the pan in the oven and waited for angels to sing.

My family of five has managed to demolish the entirety of the batch in the time it's taken me to write this post. I'm going to go out on a limb and say my co-workers will enjoy these treats tomorrow as well!

Nutella-Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2lbs Pillsbury peanut butter cookie dough
• 1 cup Nutella
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• flour for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll cookie dough out 1/8'' thick on a floured surface. Using a round biscuit cutter, cut out cookies. Pipe a small amount of nutella (about the size of a nickel) onto one half of the cookie rounds. Top each cookie with a plain dough circle. Place cookies on greased pan about an inch apart. Mix together cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle mixture over each cookie. Using a fork, press a checkerboard pattern onto the top of each cookie. Bake for 9 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on pan for 10 minutes. 

Makes 40 cookies.

Ham and Goat Cheese Frittata

I needed something tasty, and I needed it fast! After just having gotten back from work, I was tired and ravenous. Two dangerous feelings to mix. My friends and I affectionately refer to this feeling as "hangry."

han·gry

  [hang-gree]

adjective, han·gri·er, han·gri·est.

1.

having a desire, craving, or need for food while becoming exponentially more irritated and angry

I took a scan around the kitchen for any ingredients that could magically turn into dinner. As I had an extraordinary number of eggs, I decided eggs would become the vehicle for my deliciousness. But what to do with them. Omelettes, quiche, scrambles... all viable options. However, today seemed like a frittata kind of day. Frittatas are essentially a quiche minus the crust, so they couldn't be any easier! It is also incredibly easy to toss in any meats, veggies, and cheeses that suit your fancy.

Red bell peppers are quite possibly one of my favorite vegetables, so I thought I would start by throwing a chopped pepper in a large saute along with a small onion and a touch of olive oil. I also had some leftover ham hanging out in my fridge, so I cubed up the meat and tossed it in with the veggies. However, bacon lardons would have been lovely as well. I liberally seasoned the veggies and ham with salt, pepper, and oregano. In a large bowl, I whisked together plenty of eggs, a splash of cream, and of course, salt and pepper. Slowly, I poured the egg mixture over the vegetables and meat. I allowed the eggs to cook until the edges just set. I crumbled goat cheese over top of the eggs and popped the whole pan in the oven for a few minutes and quickly broiled the frittata until the top was brown and bubbly.

I served a tossed salad along side a large slice of the frittata. Honestly, it's hard to make a more delicious meal in under thirty minutes. Recipes like this one are perfect for the end of the week when groceries are scarce and your patience is running thin. Feel free to customize this dish with your favorite vegetables and cheeses! This recipe is a delicious crowd-pleaser!








Ham and Goat Cheese Frittata

Ingredients:

• small onion, chopped
• red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 cup ham, cubed
• 10 eggs
• 1/2 cup cream
• 4oz goat cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and peppers. Add ham to pan. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, salt, and pepper. Slowly pour the mixture over the veggies and ham. Cook eggs until the edges have set (about 3 to 4 minutes). Crumble goat cheese evenly over top of eggs. Bake for 7 minutes or until center of frittata is set. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes until top is brown.

Serves 4