pigs in a phyllo blanket 6/10

so as it turns out these were only ok. they were actually better cold the next day for breakfast. i think this recipe was competing with the memories our tastebuds have of the pigs-in-a-blanket of childhood. you know, the ones rolled up in the refrigerated pillsbury dough? yeah, those were what we really wanted. these were nice with the grown-up phyllo and poppy seeds but the phyllo was annoying to work with and when you ate it was really dry and crispy. it was sort of like the slatine challenge where if you took a bite then talked a big puff of phylo crumbs would explode from your mouth. not a good impress-people kind of snack. but it was ok. and they always look cute!

pigs in blankets
from martha's edf sept 07
makes 30


-1 sheet puff pastry (1/2 17.3 oz pkg thawed)
-1 pkg (12oz) coctail franks patted dry (we used lil smokeys)
-1 egg, lightly beaten
-2 to 3t poppy seeds
-ketchup or something for serving




oven to 400f. cut pastry into 10 equal strips and then crosswise into thirds (for 30 1x3" pieces). wrap a strip around each frank and place on a rimmed baking sheet seam side down. brush top of pastry with egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds. bake til golden ~25-30m. serve with ketchup or other dip.



keep eating...

stuffed chicken with roasted broccoli 4/10

we just didn't really like this. it tasted ok but the chicken was really plain and roasted broccoli has a funny texture because it gets kinda dried out at the tops. the stuffing was REALLY good though! but it just seemed like too much work for a so so meal. but here's the recipie anyway because maybe you can do it better than me!

Stuffed Chicken Breast and Roasted Broccoli
from martha's edf oct 07
Prep: 20 minutes Total: 1 hour 20 minutes

To help the chicken cook evenly, break the breast bone: Place chicken, skin-side up, on a work surface, and push down firmly with the palm of your hand.(i don't think we did this.) If you can't find a roaster chicken breast, a 3 1/2-pound bone-in, skin-on turkey breast half works just as well -- simply increase cooking time to 1 1/2 hours.

Ingredients
Serves 4.
1/2 loaf Italian bread (5 ounces), torn into bite-size pieces
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced didn't use
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
4 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 roaster chicken breast (3 to 3 1/2 pounds), breast bone broken (see note above)
2 heads broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds total), florets separated, stems peeled and sliced into 2-inch lengths (just used flowerettes)

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine bread, celery, sage, onion, cranberries, and 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Working from neck end of chicken, use fingers to loosen skin from flesh, and separate skin from center breast bone with a paring knife. Generously season under and over skin with salt and pepper.

Place stuffing under skin, distributing evenly. Rub skin with 1 tablespoon oil, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15 minutes.

While chicken is resting, toss broccoli with remaining 2 tablespoons oil on another baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast until beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes, tossing once.

Remove breast from bone, slice crosswise, and serve chicken with broccoli.

keep eating... unless it doesn't taste that great. then eat something else!

braised short ribs and apple upsidedown cake 10/10!

here's a fancy dinner that tom picked out to make for our friends beau and alli. i think it was a hit since all the ribs were gone after dinner! we served it with frozen spinach and creamy thyme polenta and then had an apple upside-down cake for dessert. the cake was sort of a bitch to make because it involves whipping the softened butter for the batter; just took longer than we expected; and while we had guests waiting for us! usually i read a recipe before hand but i forgot this time and got burned! but it came out really fluffy and moist. and we brought it fishing the next day to share with our other buddies. it really was a hit!

braised short ribs

from martha's edf oct 07

serves 8 (or a few big guys) prep:45m total:2 3/4hr

stuff:

1/4c all-purp flour

s&p

4# or 16pcs bone-in beef short ribs

1T veg oil

4 carrots in chunks

2 onions quartered

1 btl dry red wine like merlot

1 14.5oz can chicken broth

4 sprigs fresh thyme (we had to use dry)

1 28oz can whole tomats in puree

do:

1. preheat to 400f. season flour w/ s&p in med bowl. toss ribs in to coat and shake off extra

2. heat oil in dutch oven or pot. brown ribs on all sides ~10m. move to plate.

3. + carrots & onions to pot, cooking til lightly browned ~3-5m. + wine, broth, thyme, tomats, ribs and boil. cover and place in oven. cook 1hr. reduce to 350f. cook til fork tender ~1hr more.

4. transfer ribs to plate and moisten with cooking liquid. cover with foil. strain liquid, + back to pot and boil til reduced to 2c, ~10m. + s&p. serve ribs with sauce.

-the recipe says to discard the veggies but i would never!! we saved them and put them with the extra polenta when the ribs were gone. makes a yummy fall lunch!

creamy polenta with thyme

serves 8 time:20m

s&p

1.25c yellow cornmeal

2T butter

1T fresh thyme (again we used 1/2T of dried)

1. in a big pot + 7c H2O, 2t salt, 1/4t pepper and boil on hi. wisk constantly while adding cornmeal. red to med, simmer polenta, wisk frequently until thick and creamy, ~10-15m.

2. remove from heat. stir in butter and thyme. + s&p. garnish with thyme and serve.

Apple-Cinnamon Upside-Down Cake
from martha edf sept 07

Prep: 20 minutes Total: 2 hours Serves 8

You'll want firm but ripe apples that are sweet, such as Empire or Gala. With the cinnamon in this homey cake, they'll hit the spot. Take a few minutes to arrange the apple slices in neat circles on the bottom of the pan -- when the cake is baked and inverted, you'll find them decorating the top.

Ingredients
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
3 apples, Empire or Gala (about 1 1/2 pounds), each peeled, cored, and sliced into 8 wedges
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom and side of a 9-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons butter; sprinkle bottom with brown sugar. In a medium bowl, toss apples with lemon juice; arrange in prepared pan in two concentric circles (you might not use all of them).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat remaining 8 tablespoons butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until incorporated. With mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture in three parts and the milk in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Spoon batter over apples in pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack, at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours (if cake has risen above rim of pan, simply push back inside rim).
To serve, run a knife around edge of pan, and invert cake onto a rimmed platter.

looks beautiful when it gets dumped out since the butter is all pretty browned with the sugar n all. the apples didn't add much but they sure looked pretty! i actually used some "older" golden delicious that neither of us would have eaten out of hand because they were a little too soft. they worked great here though! keep eating...

cornbread and beef skillet pie 9/10

so here's another dinner that tom and i couldn't quite aggree on. i gave it a 5 and he thought more of a 3.5 or 4. i don't know, i thought it was amazing! so warm and comfort food-ish. in a way it tasted sort of like sloppy joes with cornbread biscuits on top. i just thought it was great! i guess it was more of a "kid" kind of meal; like the stuff my mom would've made if we weren't health-nut vegetarians. i know, like the stuff my friends' moms made when i stayed the night! that's what it reminds me of and why i think i liked it so much. plus, i just love stuff with a "bread" component. anyway, if you want a fun fall dish that's uncomplicated and unpretencious try this. i think it'll be totally worth it!

cornbread and beef skillet pie from martha's edf nov 07

1/2c yellow cornmeal

1/2c + 2T all-purpose flour

1t baking soda

1T olive oil

2 red bell peppers thinly sliced

1 med red onion

10oz white mushrooms thinly sliced

1.5# ground serloin

1/4c tomatoe paste

3/4c reduced fat sour cream

1 lg egg, lightly beaten

1. preheat to 425F. in sm bowl wish cornmeal, 1/2c flour, baking soda, 1/2t salt.

2. in lg ovenproof skillet heat oil over med/hi. add peppers, onions, mushrooms and season with s&p. cook til tender 8-10m.

3. raise heat to hi, add beef and tomat paste, cook, stirring, til meat's not pink, 3-5m. add 2T flour and 2/3c water, s&p.

4. make cornmeal batter. add sour cream and egg to cornmeal mix and stir til JUST MOISTENED! drop tablespoons of batter over beef mix in skillet 1" apart. bake til biscuits golden and toothpick comes out clean, 15-20m. (we couldn't fit everything in a skillet so we transferred the meat mix to a glass 9x13 in pan and cooked it that way. and it makes a lot! she says 4 servings but we got 6 pretty big ones!)

5. ENJOY!

keep eating!