Cheddar Apple Muffins/Quickbread

I made these for lunch yesterday as there was not a lot in the house but cheese and apples.  We ate these with ham slices.  This recipe is good for a loaf of quickbread or a dozen muffins.  For the bread, bake for 50 minutes, for the muffins bake for 20.  Both at 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

2 c flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 c medium diced cheddar
3/4 c shredded cheddar
3 eggs
2/3 c milk
4 tbsp butter, melted
2 tsp grainy mustard (if you sub something stronger reduce the amount)
1 c grated apple
1/2 c small diced apple


Directions:

Whisk together dry ingredients.  Add cheddar and mix till it's all coated.  In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, butter and mustard.  Then add the apple to the wet mixture.  Gently mix in wet ingredients to dry.  Don't over mix.  Pour into a greased loaf pan or a greased muffin tin.  20 minutes for muffins, 50 for bread at 350.  Let cool and enjoy.

One-Hour-Skillet-Focaccia

So I've been sick the past couple days.  Parents really shouldn't be allowed to get sick- it is so unfair.  Thankfully, yesterday was a holiday so my husband was able to take care of me.  Today it was back to normal even though I wasn't.  So it was soup and bread for dinner.  I decided to try this one hour focaccia recipe I pinned on Pinterest forever ago.  SO easy.  SO delicious.  One hour from start of prep till eating it at the dinner table.  Totally doable.  Get your cast iron skillets....ready, set, go!

Source: http://www.crunchycreamysweet.com/2013/02/25/one-hour-skillet-focaccia/

Note: This recipe uses a parmesan italian spice topping but you can do whatever you want.  I'll try a homemade garlic butter with lemon zest and parsley soon.

Ingredients:

Dough:

3/4 c warm water
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp yeast
2 tbsp olive or canola oil
2 c all purpose flour divided in half
1/2 tsp salt

Topping:
3 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp parmesan, grated
1/2-1 tsp italian seasoning
1/2-1 tsp kosher sea salt (the nice big crystals that you would sprinkle on pretzels and other things as a finishing touch)

Note: I don't have a mixer at home, so I just did this by hand with a wooden spoon in a big mixing bowl.  Either way works fine.

Directions:

Place water and sugar in a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer.  Stir until sugar dissolves.

Sprinkle yeast over the water and stir a few times.  Let sit until foamy (about 5 minutes).

Turn the mixer on low speed and add 1 cup of flour and the salt.  Mix until combined.

Add oil and mix well.

Gradually add as much of the remaining cup of flour as you can (it may only be about 3/4 of it) and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 220 degrees F and when it's ready, turn it OFF.  Keep the door closed.

Grease the skillet.

Place dough on floured surface and fold the dough a few times until you feel it's smooth and not sticky anymore.  Shape into a ball.

Roll out the dough into the size of your skillet.

Place in skillet.  Stretch part way up the sides.  Cover with a kitchen towel and place in the oven for 20 minutes to rise.

Take the skillet our of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Make indentations in the dough with your fingers (poke gently at the surface).

Brush/dab half the melted butter onto the dough.  Sprinkle half the parmesan, salt and seasonings on top. 

Place the skillet in preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.  Brush with remaining butter and sprinkle rest of cheese, salt and seasonings.  Let cool a few minutes before cutting into it.

Tomato Basil Chicken Pasta

I have been guilty of pulling the canned/bottled spaghetti/pasta sauce out of my pantry on cheap/easy nights.  Now I don't just dump it- I add veggies, spices, etc to jazz it up.  But still, the can of sauce gets in there sometimes.  Well no more! After last night's dinner this is my new go to for cheap, easy tomato sauce pasta.  No long simmering, heavy sauce.  This is delightful! Even my husband, who doesn't usually tolerate little bits of cooked tomato on his plate, ate the WHOLE thing and then started attacking mine before I was done.  Even if you remove the chicken, it's delicious.  Wilt in some greens if you want to amp up the nutrition.  So flavourful.  And featuring my ever steady partner in the food world- garlic.  Maybe don't make this the night before an important meeting or something...

Source: http://menumusings.blogspot.ca/2013/04/tomato-basil-chicken.html

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
kosher salt and pepper
Italian seasonings (I just use the premixed kind, you can make your own)
red chili flakes
2 tbsp EVOO, or your preferred cooking oil
at least 3 big juicy tomatoes (the original recipe calls for 2 but I like more tomatoes and next time I might even use another one), chopped
3 cloves garlic
4 tbsp cold butter
1/2 c fresh basil, chopped (I didn't have enough, maybe 1/4-1/3 cup, still delicious)
freshly grated parmesan, for garnish

Directions:

Get your pasta water salted and boiling.

If your chicken breasts are quite thick, cut them in half horizontally or pound them out.  Season with salt, pepper, chili flakes and Italian seasonings.  Heat your oil over medium, medium/high heat and cook your chicken (You only need to flip once- none of this jabbing of the chicken please.  It goes down on one side in hot oil and then about 4 minutes later it is flipped.).  I sprinkled a tiny bit of extra chili flake into the oil- I like my tomato sauce to have a bit of a kick.  Add your chopped tomatoes after you've flipped your chicken.  Let simmer- the length will depend on how cooked down you like your tomatoes.  Take out your chicken when it's cooked and let it rest on a cutting board. 

Drop your pasta down (I like spaghettini- I like the thinner noodles).  If you're using a longer cook pasta you can do this sooner.

Add the cold butter to the tomatoes- this is going to make your sauce silky.  Add minced garlic.  Add basil.  Taste and adjust for seasonings.  Slice rested chicken. 

When pasta is done, divide evenly into bowls and top with sauce and chicken.  Top with parmesan. 
Devour!

Baked Gnocchi with bacon, tomato and mozzarella

So this has been a really tough semester.  Roughest in a while.  I was looking for a new comfort dish and this one really hit the spot.  If you haven't jumped on the gnocchi train yet, DO IT! I was introduced to it as a teenager by my Italian friend.  I introduced Cole when we got married.  This is a wonderful dish for a cold, dreary night when you are looking for some comfort food.

Source: http://simply-delicious.co.za/2013/07/16/baked-gnocchi-with-bacon-tomato-and-mozzarella/

Ingredients:

500g package gnocchi
1 c bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 big garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp smoked paprika
red chili flakes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 medium (398mL) can of chopped tomatoes
handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
2-3 tbsp yogurt
large handful of fresh parsley, chopped
handful of basil, chopped (don't stress about this if you don't have any on hand)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2-3/4c shredded mozzarella


Directions:

Crisp up bacon.  I took 1/4 of the crisp bacon out of the pan to reserve it for sprinkling on top- you can do this if you wish.  Add onion, saute till translucent.  Add garlic, paprika and a sprinkle of chili flakes if you like spicy.  Cook for a minute.  Add tomato paste, cook another minute.  Add tomatoes.  Let simmer for 5-10 minutes, depending on how cooked down you like your tomatoes.  Stir in your yogurt and herbs.  Taste and add salt and pepper to taste and more chili flakes. 

before gnocchi is added

Cook your gnocchi in boiling salted water until they float to the top- add to the sauce.  Sprinkle with mozzarella and bake at 400 for 5 minutes.  Voila- deliciousness.

finished product

Brown Butter Buttermilk Syrup

Our family isn't one for sweet breakfasts.  I'm not a huge fan of french toast, pancakes or waffles.  We have them maybe 3 times a year.  This recipe is great for when you want to switch it up from maple syrup.  Super easy to make.  My daughter thought the chemical reaction was super fun to watch.  So delicious. So delcious.

Source: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/brown-butter-buttermilk-syrup/

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until butter turns golden brown, Skim foam from top, and remove from heat. Pour into a bowl to stop the cooking, leaving any burned sediment behind.

Combine browned butter, sugar, and buttermilk in a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat and whisk together until sugar dissolves. When butter mixture starts to boil, carefully whisk in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will bubble up, so make sure you use a large saucepan. Serve with waffles, pancakes, or French toast.

Note-syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Reheat before serving.

Note- if reheating, I found that the top needed to be skimmed.  There was a layer of fat that wouldn't reincorporate so I skimmed it off and everything was fine again.

Serves 4

Amish Breakfast Casserole

This is a great base recipe- it can easily be added to or changed to fit your needs/desires.  I made it just as is first but next time I will add veggies.  I halved the recipe and it made enough for 4-5 people, depending on appetites.  I also didn't have Swiss cheese so I used mozzarella and Parmesan along with the cheddar.  Go to the source for the original.

Source: http://bakerette.com/breakfast-casserole-amish-style/

Ingredients:

2 cups bacon, diced
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
680 grams frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1 cup mozzarella, grated
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare a 9x13 in. baking dish by lightly coating with cooking spray or rubbing with oil/butter.

Crisp up diced bacon, drain excess fat. Add onion, saute for a couple minutes and then add garlic. Remove from stove.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together remaining ingredients.  Stir in bacon mixture.  Transfer to prepared baking dish and bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.