Mesquite Chicken with Roasted Corn Salsa

Last week here in Minnesota, the weather was gorgeous and great for grilling. Anxious to fire up the grill, I set out chicken to thaw in the morning and let my mind wander throughout the day over what to make.

The week before I made Cook's Illustrated's Black Bean Quesadillas, which were delicious and combined black beans with a roasted corn mixture. The flavors were complex and tasted so good that I wanted to try and replicate it as a salsa to accompany the chicken. Because our meal had to be relatively quick I relied upon Lawry's Mesquite Marinade for the chicken. I left that to sit as I prepared the salsa and the Cumin Spiced fries with Chipotle ketchup! Dinner was ready in 30 minutes and tasted so delicious!

Mesquite Chicken and Roasted Corn Salsa

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Lawry's Mesquite Marinade

1/2 C frozen corn
1 tomato minced
1/2 red onion, minced
1/2 red bell pepper minced
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper
2 T minced cilantro

1. Place chicken in a large ziplock bag and pour half the bottle of marinade over. Marinate for 20 minutes, then place on a preheated grill and cook for 10 minutes, turning once.
2. While chicken is marinating, set a medium skillet on the stove and add frozen corn. Allow corn to sizzle and pop until it begins to char. Remove corn from skillet.
3. Pour olive oil in skillet and add onion and red pepper. Saute until softened and charred. Add corn back into skillet, season with salt and pepper, and mix in chopped tomato and cilantro. Stir for one minute, allowing flavors to incorporate and then remove from heat and plate alongside of the cooked chicken.
Cumin Spiced Fries with Chipotle Ketchup

Fries:

3 Large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into slices
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 T cumin
1/2 t ancho chile powder

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place potatoes and following ingredients into a large ziplock bag. Shake to thoroughly coat. Place on large cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes.

Chipotle Ketchup

1/2 C ketchup
1 T minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

1. Mix together and serve with fries.

The best chocolate chip cookies!

This past weekend we put our house on the market and had our first open house. So what else to make, but cookies so the house smells so wonderfully delicious you just want to buy it:) Well there were not any buyers, some lookers, but the cookies did thir job and the house smelled delicious. So much so that Alex got a bellyache from the four he ate!

These are so delicious! When Alex and I were at Disney World I bought a cookie and it was really yummy. When we returned home, I happened upon a copycat recipe of these same cookies on the cookiemadness website. She makes some of the greatest cookies and I love reading about all the different kinds she tries. But these are a winner in my book because they are thick, chewy and chock full of chips. My other favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe is the Cooks Illustrated Chewy Chocolate Chip, but these are right up there in the cookie all of fame!

I doubled the recipe and came out with 16.

Here is the recipe thanks to Anna at Cookie Madness:

Super Small Batch Extra Large Chunk Cookies

4 tablespoons very hot melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons beaten egg (break egg, mix it with fork, measure)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (reduce slightly if using salted butter
3/4 cup flour, spooned and swept
1 teaspoon water (optional)
2-3 tablespoons white chips
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
2 ½ sandwich cookies, broken into chunks (can use nuts instead)
Broken up milk chocolate bar, milk chocolate chips, M&M’s, candies of choice

In a bowl, stir together hot butter, powdered sugar and brown sugar until smooth. If still very hot, let cool for about a minute, then stir in egg. Beat with a spoon until egg is fully mixed then stir in vanilla, baking soda and salt. Add flour and stir just until mixed. If dough seems too dry (falling apart), add the water. Stir in white chips, chocolate chips and broken cookies. Shape dough into a fat log of about 5 inches log. Chill for 1 hour. Carefully cut log into 4 equal pieces (each should weigh 3 ½ oz). If chunks of cookies and chips fall out, just stick them back onto the cut pieces.

Place cut pieces, spaced about 4 inches away from each other, 4 to a sheet, on an ungreased (I use insulated) cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Remove from oven and arrange a few more semi-sweet chunks plus some milk chocolate chunks on top – the candy will melt and adhere to the cookie. Cool on cookie sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Let the cookies sit around for a while to set. Once set, you can wrap them up in plastic wrap and give them away.

Tasty Dinner, Chicken Thighs Braised in White Wine

A couple of weeks ago I made this recipe as a quick dinner and as a way to use up some chicken thighs we had in the freezer. We love recipes that incorporate lemon and chicken. Yum! This recipe was great for a weeknight and when paired with parmesan orzo and some green beans it's perfect. I cut the recipe in half and there was just enough for us to eat that night and have leftovers for Alex to have the next day.

One thing I enjoyed about the dish was that there was plenty of sauce to drizzle over the top and soak into the parmesan orzo. Because we were out of white wine, I used chicken broth with a little white wine vinegar. I am looking forward to the day we have white wine on had so I can try this again!


Chicken Thighs Braised in White Wine

Source: Everyday Food, Serves 4

8 bone-in skinless chicken thighs (about 2 3/4 pounds) (I used boneless)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 lemon, cut into 8 thin slices, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into pieces
Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

1. In a 12-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid, arrange thighs, bone side up; season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, wine, and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook, 30 minutes. (the meat cooked a little quicker, due to no bone)

2. Turn chicken over. Place a lemon slice on each piece; cover and continue simmering until tender, about 15 minutes. Leaving garlic and liquid in skillet, transfer chicken and lemon slices to a platter. Cover tightly with foil to keep warm.

3. Bring liquid in skillet to a boil; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Add butter, parsley, and lemon juice; stir until butter has softened and sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken with sauce and, if desired, rice.


Creamy Parmesan Orzo

(adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup orzo
1 1/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (I used dried)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons pine nuts, toasted (I omit)

Preparation:

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add orzo, and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is absorbed and orzo is done (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in cheese, basil, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with the pine nuts. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

TWD: Peanut Butter Torte!

This week at our house has been super busy. A couple of weeks ago we bought a new house as an investment property that will go back on the market in August. My husband is a remodeler, so it is right up his alley. But between our commitments and obligations, finding time to bake or cook for that matter, has been few and far between. But when I can, I embrace it!

This weekend our church had it's women's conference and I was in charge of feeding the 400! It went so well and it was so neat to serve with such amazing women. Well that being said not much time was left for the torte. But last night after finalizing the order on cabinets around 9pm I hit the grocery for the heavy cream and the torte making began!

My husband who had been working all day and night for the past week was looking at me like I was crazy, but like I said give me an opportunity to cook or bake when things are crazy and I will take it. For me, it's like going to the spa. There is something calming in the whir of the KitchenAid.

It came together so beautifully, no problems, and I quartered the recipe, which still produced plenty of filling! The crust was a little crumbly when I tried plating the first piece this morning but all in all it was again a great, relatively easy recipe with seemingly fabulous results. I did have one little taste and for me it's a little too rich and I love peanut butter. So I don't know if I would make it again. I actually prefer my peanut butter torte with the ice cream better:

My picture does not give this very rich dessert the honor it deserves, so go over to the Tuesdays with Dorie website to see all of the other gorgeous tortes!

Peanut Butter Torte
from Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

1 ¼ cups finely chopped salted peanuts (for the filling, crunch and topping)
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon instant espresso powder (or finely ground instant coffee)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
½ cups mini chocolate chips (or finely chopped semi sweet chocolate)
24 Oreo cookies, finely crumbed or ground in a food processor or blender
½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (I used salted butter)
Small pinch of salt (I omitted this)
2 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ cups salted peanut butter – crunchy or smooth (not natural; I use Skippy) (I used creamy/smooth)
2 tablespoons whole milk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped

Getting Ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch Springform pan and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

Toss ½ cup of the chopped peanuts, the sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chops together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Put the Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt in another small bowl and stir with a fork just until crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the spring form pan (they should go up about 2 inches on the sides). Freeze the crust for 10 minutes.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a rack and let it cool completely before filling.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, whip 2 cups of the cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in ¼ cup of the confectioners’ sugar and whip until the cream holds medium-firm peaks. Scrape the cream into a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

Wipe out (do not wash) the bowl, fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment if you have one, or continue with the hand mixer, and beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until the cream cheese is satiny smooth. Beat in the peanut butter, ¼ cup of the chopped peanuts and the milk.

Using a large rubber spatula, gently stir in about one quarter of the whipped cream, just to lighten the mousse. Still working with the spatula, stir in the crunchy peanut mixture, then gingerly fold in the remaining whipped cream.

Scrape the mousse into the crust, mounding and smoothing the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight; cover with plastic wrap as soon as the mousse firms.

To Finish The Torte:
Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave the bowl over the water just until the chocolate softens and starts to melt, about 3 minutes; remove the bowl from the saucepan.

Bring the remaining ½ cup cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and, working with a a rubber spatula, very gently stir together until the ganache is completely blended and glossy.

Pour the ganache over the torte, smoothing it with a metal icing spatula. Scatter the remaining ½ cup peanuts over the top and chill to set the topping, about 20 minutes.

When the ganache is firm, remove the sides of the Springform pan; it’s easiest to warm the pan with a hairdryer, and then remove the sides, but you can also wrap a kitchen towel damped with hot water around the pan and leave it there for 10 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: 6-8 Servings

TWD: Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake

My doesn't that name sound delicious! Believe me, I was spectical of this recipe...but I am so glad that I made it. This might be one of my favorites, it's sweet but not too sweet, and when paired with a cup of strong black coffee, it's delicious...in fact I just might have it for breakfast tomorrow! I loved the texture...when the cake touches your tongue there is a slight grain from the cornmeal, so great, but then again I love anything with cornmeal!

This recipe came together in no time flat. I halved the recipe and it made 6 cute little fluted tarts, mainly because that is all the ricotta I had left in the house. What a great way to use up leftover ricotta!

The recipe begins by whisking together the dry ingredients, followed by the usual mixing of the wet ingredients. Probably almost quicker than cookies, the batter is ready lickety-split and after a short time in the oven, (perfect timing, just enough to clean up) it's ready.

I sprinkled powdered sugar over the top and plated it over cherry jam. Delish!

Fluted Polenta and Ricotta Cake

About 16 moist, plump dried Mission or Kadota figs, stemmed (I used dried cherries)
1 c. medium-grain polenta or yellow cornmeal
1/2c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 c. ricotta
1/3 c. tepid water
3/4 C. sugar
3/4 c. honey (if you’re a real honey lover, use a full-flavored honey such as chestnut, pine, or buckwheat)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs
1 stick butter, melted
1 stick butter, cut into tiny bits (I only used 1 T)

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10 -inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

Check that the figs are, indeed, moist and plump. If they are the least bit hard, toss them into a small pan of boiling water and steep for a minute, then drain and pat dry. If the figs are large (bigger than a bite), snip them in half.

Whisk the polenta, flour, baking powder, and salt together.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the ricotta and water together on low speed until very smooth. With the mixer at medium speed, add the sugar, honey, and lemon zest and beat until light. Beat in the melted butter, then add the eggs one at a time, beating until the mixture is smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are fully incorporated. You’ll have a sleek, smooth, pourable batter.

Pour about one third of the batter into the pan and scatter over the figs. Pour in the rest of the batter, smooth the top with a rubber spatula, if necessary, and dot the batter evenly with the chilled bits of butter.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The cake should be honey brown and pulling away just a little from the sides of the panm, and the butter will have left light-colored circles in the top. Transfer the cake to a rack and remove the sides of the pan after about 5 minutes. Cool to warm, or cool completely.

Cinnabon watch out!

Saturday mornings around our house are either completely relaxing or full of things to do around the house.  This week it was spring cleaning and finishing up some projects on the house.  After the week of the normal cereal and toast, I like to switch things up and make a new recipe.  This weekend we were running out of eggs, but I still wanted to make something yummy, delicious, and very sinful!

Well these Quick Cinnamon Rolls by Cooks Illustrated fit the bill...and the best part they are not sinful at all.  Why they taste the part, but because they are from the Best Light Recipe, they are not all that bad for you!  What more could you ask for!

These come together in a breeze, do not have any yeast so you don't have to wait, and come out of the oven, warm, gooey, and so soft.  They will forever be my cinnamon roll recipe.  At Easter I made them into caramel rolls, but we like them both ways~what's not to love:)

TWD: Bill's Big Carrot Cake, Amazing!

I was really exited for this week. If I had to choose one cake I love, and I don't even like cake that much, it would be carrot cake! This one is so yummy...I loved the different textures that hit your tongue while you are eating it. It is not overly spiced and chock full of good things. The only thing I left out were the raisins, I just don't care for them:)

While Alex was out of town this weekend I decided to make the cake. It comes together like a breeze, very easy especially if you have a food processor for the carrots. I did fourth the recipe again, only because it was just me eating it. Alex gave it one bite and that was enough for him. If I had made the entire cake, I would have been in trouble. Instead I ended up with 6 cupcakes. Perfect!

As I was adding ingredients I came to the oil. Having finished up our oil the night before I just subbed half plain yogurt and half olive oil. End product, didn't seem to change things a bit!

If ever making carrot cake again, this will be the recipe I will turn to. It was delicious!

Bill's Big Carrot Cake

Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Yields 10 servings

Ingredients:

For the cake:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon salt

3 cups grated carrots (about 9 carrots, you can grate them in food processor fitted w/ a shredding a blade or use a box grater)

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

½ cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden) or dried cranberries

2 cups sugar

1 cup canola oil

4 large eggs

For the frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick ( 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 pound or 3 and ¾ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or ½ teaspoon pure lemon extract

½ cup shredded coconut (optional)

Finely chopped toasted nuts and/or toasted shredded coconut (optional)

Getting ready:

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter three 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, flour the insides, and tap out the excess. Put the two pans on one baking sheet and one on another.

To make the cake:

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut, and raisins.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil together on a medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Gently mix the chunky ingredients. Divide the batter among the baking pans.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until a thin knife inserted into the centers comes out clean. The cakes will have just started to come away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes and unmold them. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

The cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.

To make the frosting:

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the lemon juice or extract.

If you'd like coconut in the filling, scoop about half of the frosting and stir the coconut into this position.

To assemble the cake:

Put one layer top side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. If you added the coconut to the frosting, use half of the coconut frosting to generously cover the first layer (or generously cover with plain frosting). Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer, this time placing the cake stop side down, and frost with the remainder of the coconut frosting or plain frosting. Top with the last layer, right side up, and frost the top- and the sides- of the cake. Finish the top with swirls of frosting. If you want to top the cake with toasted nuts or coconut, sprinkle them on now while the frosting is soft.

Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, just to set the frosting before serving.

Serving:

This cake can be served as soon as the frosting is set. It can also wait, at room temperature and covered with a cake keeper overnight. The cake is best served in thick slices at room temperature and while it's good plain, it's even better with vanilla ice cream or some lemon curd.

Storing:

The cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It can also be frozen. Freeze it uncovered, then when it's firm, wrap airtight and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost, still wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator.