Sunday, January 31, 2010

Day 31: Rosemary and Parmesan Polenta

Day 31.

Wow. I've made it a whole month! Only 11 more to go!

I've always been a bit intrigued by polenta. I've seen the premade roll-type in the grocery, and chefs on FoodNetwork use instant polenta, which I've never been able to find. I've always thought polenta would be a nice alternative to mashed potatoes, and we found that is was!

Here's what you'll need.
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2 3/4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups milk
3 minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary (I used 1 tsp. dried)
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 375*

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In a medium saucepan, bring chicken stock, water, milk, garlic, rosemary and salt to a boil.

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Gradually mix in the cornmeal, set heat to medium-low, and simmer until thick and creamy, about 15 minutes. Be sure to stir it frequently to prevent it from lumping up.

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Here it's getting nice and thick. I think mine was ready to go in about 11 minutes, but yours may take the full 15.

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Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.

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Stir it until well combined.

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Spoon the polenta into a greased 2qt. oven-safe dish.

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Go ahead and sprinkle some pepper over the top...

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and some more Parmesan if you're feeling kinda crazy. Then put it in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until it's bubbly and browned.

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Like this.

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The finished product, with a nice steak and some green beans. Yummo!

The polenta had a really nice flavor, but I may leave out the rosemary next time and bump up the garlic. Rosemary is something I really have to be in to mood for, and that mood doesn't happen very often. But this was nice.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Day 30: Homemade Brownies

Day 30.

I was having a major chocolate craving, so I pulled out this recipe for homemade brownies. None of that boxed junk! This is the real deal!

Here's what you'll need.
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1/2 c. melted butter
1/3c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2c. flour
1/4tsp. baking powder
1c. sugar
1tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease a 9x9 or 8x8 baking pan.
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Mix butter, sugar and vanilla together.

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Beat in the eggs.

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In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, coca, baking powder and salt.

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Stir until well mixed.

Stir into the egg mixture.

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Now is the time where you can add extra stuff. I opted for mini chocolate chips and pecans.

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Add those to the bowl and mix well.

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Spread into your prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the brownie begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

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Like this. You can also test the center with a knife. If it comes out clean, your brownies are done.

I'll let you in on a little secret. This is my favorite way to eat these brownies.
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Ah. Heavenly.
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Friday, January 29, 2010

Day 29: Bubble Pizza

Day 29.
This recipe is for my friend, Megan and her son Parker. Megan cut my hair today, and we were discussing my blog. I mentioned that I was blogging about bubble pizza tonight, and Megan was uber-excited! So, Megan and Parker, this one's for you guys!!! Millie is having her VERY FIRST SLEEPOVER tonight, so I thought this one would be fun for the girls. They really liked it!

Here's what you need.
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2 cans of biscuits
1 jar pizza sauce
Toppings of your choice
1 package mozzarella cheese

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Pop open your can of biscuits.

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Separate out the biscuits.

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Cut the biscuits in half.

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Then in half again, cutting each biscuit into 4 pieces.

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After cutting both cans of biscuits, lay them in a single layer in a 9X13 pan.

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Spoon about half a jar of pizza sauce onto the biscuits. Don't saturate the biscuits totally.

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For ours tonight, we used ham.

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And pepperoni.

Pop it into a preheated 400* oven for 15-20 minutes. After 15-20 minutes, top the pizza with cheese. Bake for about 5 minutes more, or until the cheese is all melted.

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Good thing I had such great help, huh?
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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Day 28: Bacon Chicken and Dumplings

Day 28.

Brrr! It turned really cold today, so here's a stick to your ribs comfort food.

Here's what you'll need for the chicken part.
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3 slices of bacon
3-4 potatoes
1 onion
3 cups chicken stock
1 can corn (drained)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Pepper
3 cups of milk (Okay, I forgot that. Whoops)

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Dice up the bacon.

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Cook it in a big skillet until nicely browned.

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Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Leave the bacon grease in the pan.

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Dice the potatoes and onions.

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Start cooking the chicken.

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Add the potatoes and onions. Cook for 15 minutes.

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After 15 minutes, pour in the chicken stock and add the corn. Cook another 15 minutes.

Now let's make the dumplings!
Here's what you need.
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1 1/2 cups biscuit mix
1 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 tablespoon garlic salt
2 tsp. dried parsley
Put all ingredients into a bowl, and mix well.

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Now get out your 3 cups of milk.

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Pour it into your skillet, and when it comes to a boil, stir in the bacon.

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Drop the biscuit dough into the skillet by tablespoons full.

Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Try not to stir, as it will break up the dumplings.
Cover, and cook 10 minutes more.

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The dumplings will puff up nicely.

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Mmmm! This really hit the spot tonight!

Day 27: Cheesy Chicken Packets

Day 27.

Sorry I didn't get this posted last night, but I laid down with Amelia and ended up falling asleep at 9pm! Guess I needed it! I made these chicken packets thinking of my friend, Amanda, who requested I do beef wellington. Eeep! That's scary! But here's you a Phyllo recipe, Amanda!

Here's what you'll need.
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2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 sheets of Phyllo
Minced garlic (about 1 tablespoon)
Basil (about 1 1/2 tsp.)
Pepper
Herbs de Provence (about 1 tsp.)***
about 1 cup of mozzarella cheese
Melted butter (about 2 tablespoons)

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Start out by chopping the chicken into bite sized pieces.

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Heat some olive oil in a pan.

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Toss in the chicken.

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When the chicken is pretty well cooked through, add the garlic, basil, pepper and herbs. Stir in the cheese and set it aside to cool.

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Lay out the stuff for your Phyllo. If you've never worked with Phyllo, the only thing you really need to know is that it dries out VERY quickly. You need to have everything ready to go. It's not a bad idea to cover the Phyllo that's waiting to be used with a damp towel.

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Open the Phyllo package and unroll it. Separate out 6 sheets.

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Lay out a sheet, and brush it lightly with butter.

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Fold the sheet in half, lengthwise.

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Brush lightly with butter.

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Turn in 90 degrees so it's long and skinny.

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Place 1/6th of the chicken onto the bottom third of the pastry.

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Fold the bottom up over the chicken.

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Roll it up the rest of the way.

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Mix up an egg wash (1 egg and a splash of milk or water)

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Brush the top of each packet with the egg wash.

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Bake at 325* until browned and crispy on top.

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Delicious!

**If you don't have Herbs de Provence, you can use:
Rosemary
Thyme
Sage
Basil
or a combination of any of the above.**