Baking bread

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For my birthday, my husband got me a KitchenAid Mixer. This is something I have wanted for a really, really long time. I didn't register for it because it was so expensive. Instead, I registered for a cheaper mixer that quite wasn't doing the job in the mixing department. When I saw that Costco had the mixer I wanted for $50 off, I begged and begged and swore I would make bread from scratch and never buy a loaf again. Brian said I didn't have to make bread from scratch but I had to use it.

Today, I christened my mixer and boy am I in love!  I've been dying to make and bake homemade bread but I didn't want to knead the dough for 10 minutes. ICK! I must say that I was truly inspired by former Bendite, Anna Sowa, who wrote a whole blog post about baking bread and how cheap and easy it was with her new KitchenAid Mixer.

I started off my bread baking with the white sandwich bread recipe

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="My first loaves rising"][/caption]

that comes with the mixer which was pretty straight forward. Do I really have to put sugar in it? I almost didn't add the sugar but I did, along with the little bit of salt. I mixed it up with the dough hook and let it rise for an hour. I kept checking and it kept growing and growing and growing. Then the directions said to divide, roll out and shape into loaves for the pans then cover for another hour while they rise some more. I checked a few times and it was growing and growing in size.  I squealed with delight. Woo hoo. I baked it in the oven for 30 mins on 400 degrees and PRESTO ... we had classic white bread!

So what did I make with it? I made my husband a grilled cheese sandwich and then my son a pb&j (which he didn't eat). I took a taste of both and was in HEAVEN!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="I made bread!"][/caption]

I can't wait to see what other adventures my new mixer brings me!

Pumpkin crazed days

I went a little crazy with pumpkin-flavored recipes goods this year. Inspired to try cooking from scratch, I roasted two sugar pumpkins and ended up with 4 cups of pumpkin puree. From this I made a tradition pumpkin pie, pumpkin brownies , baked pasta shells with pumpkin puree and pumpkin crumble. I was a little sick of our little orange friend after that. I usually indulge in a few pumpkin spiced lattes but I’ve only had two this year (good for the waistline, I guess). I have now moved onto sweet potatoes and cranberries. For my cookbook club, I made a sweet potato bourbon cheesecake and for my husband, I made his favorite cranberry bread. Needless to say, I’ve been in a baking frenzy.

When I was a kid, we’d spend Thanksgiving with my mother and her side of the family. My grandma would spend days preparing the side dishes and her famous dressing (which isn’t so famous as it’s just the recipe in the Bohemian Cookbook). My mother was always in charge of the desserts. She never made pumpkin pie but she always made two coconut cream pies -- whipping the heavy cream, browning the coconut. Those pies were heaven.  For some reason, I can't bring myself to make one. Maybe I wouldn't get so sick of pumpkin?

Wannabe Italian

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="Manicotti, it ain't rocket science"][/caption]

My mom was pretty good at making the classics. One of her specialties was manicotti. The recipe wasn't a secret -- she always made the recipe on the back of the noddle box (you're seeing a trend here). We would beg her to make this dish weekly but she'd put it off as long as she could. Manicotti was not so simple to make as I found out years later when I made it myself (if I was going to wow a guy, I would make manicotti -- and it usually did the trick). Sometimes my mom would add spinach or Italian sausage. Sometimes she made her own red sauce. Other times she'd used a jar. It always tasted the same no matter what -- made with a lot of love.

Last night, my husband and I went out on a date night to the newest Italian restaurant in town Trattoria Sbandati. I always joke to my friends that I have to go to Omaha for good Italian. My trips to Omaha usually have a stop to Malara's to have lunch with a friend or my grandmother. They have the best homemade noodles (something i want to try sometime) and fried raviolis with their sweet marinara sauce. I can joke no longer as Trattoria Sbandati was fabulous. On the weekend they have four course wine dinners.  Gorganzola frittatta, creamy ribollita, chicken and chanterelles and chocolate mousse that was to die for. The wines were all amazing as well. We walked out of there wishing we could come back every weekend. I'm now tasked with finding a ribollita recipe for my family.

I spend most of my day prepping for turkey day. I de-boned my bird and wrapped it up in foil for roasting on Thursday. I made broth for the first time. (I don't think I'll ever go back.) I also made leek and wild chanterrelle mushroom risotto. the mushrooms were part of our csa and I had no idea what to do them.  Risotto is made with lots of love and stirring and doesn't disappoint. The stirring and adding of broth, the cheese and butter. Lots of love.

Mary Lu's Enchiladas

(I'm doubling up on posts to catch up for the two days I didn't post this month. Bear with me)

[caption id="attachment_336" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Mary Lu's Enchiladas"][/caption]

As I mentioned before, my brother said his favorite meal my mother made was enchiladas. She found this recipe on the back of an Old El Paso Enchiladas sauce can (the red sauce). I looked in the store the other day to notice the recipe has changed. Good thing I have a copy in my recipe cards. This one is for my brother Christopher.

Mary Lu's Enchiladas (ala Old El Paso)

1 lb of ground beef

1 onion chopped

2 cans red enchilada sauce

1 can tomato sauce

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

2 cups jack cheese

8 flour torillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook onions until translucent (5-10 mins), then brown beef. In a sauce pan combine enchilada sauce, tomato sauce, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Bring to a boil and set aside.

Combine beef, 1 cup of cheese and 1/2 cup of prepared sauce. Dip tortillas in sauce, fill and roll. Top with one cup of cheese. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

South Omaha Bohemian Cookbook

I sent my brothers an email asking them what their favorite childhood memories are from when we were kids. I didn't hear anything back so I assumed they were consumed with other things and forgot about it -- that was until yesterday. My sister-in-law Kasha sent a card in the mail with answers (brief but helpful answers) to my questions. My brother Chris and I share the exact favorite memories ... playing with toads on the sandy beaches at our cabin, skiing in Colorado, a love for our mother's enchiladas and holiday traditions (like the youngest goes first when opening gifts.

[caption id="attachment_329" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="South Omaha Bohemian Cookbook"][/caption]

A tradition in our family (from our Grandmother Marie) is to give each child when they get married the South Omaha Bohemian Cookbook. Here lie all the recipes my mother and grandma have used over the years ... meatloaf, chili, ambrosia salad, dumpling and sauerkraut recipes -- you name it -- they are in there (with the exception of the enchilada recipe my bother loves. That is on the back of the Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce can). Since my grandmother considered me a "spinster" because I didn't get married in my twenties, she bought me a copy in 1997. Often times I find myself searching the internet when the darn recipes is in the Bohemian Cookbook.  I remember at the same time, she bought my brother Chris one but then we discovered that his girlfriend at the time had my mother's cookbook (the one with all the sauce stains and notes). Unfortunately, he didn't get the cookbook back which sucks.

Though I love the Bohemian Cookbook chicken and rice recipes, waiting two hours to back isn't my style. My family loves this recipe and it's become a staple in our house.

Cheesy chicken and rice casserole (via www.campbellkitchen.com)

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup  (Regular, 98% Fat Free or Healthy Request®)

1 1/3 cups water

3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cup frozen mixed vegetables

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast half  (about 1 pound)

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

• Heat the oven to 375°F.  Stir the soup, water, rice, onion powder, black pepper and vegetables in a 2-quart shallow baking dish.


• Top with the chicken. Cover the baking dish.


• Bake for 50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. Top with the cheese. Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes. Stir the rice before serving.

It ain't Thanksgiving if you don't have turkey

I was going to make this glorious Thanksgiving feast when my friend told me she's not too into Thanksgiving food - she's gonna make tacos instead of come over. TACOS? Really? The only time I didn't eat Turkey on Thanksgiving was when we went to Disney World in 2003 and we decided to get Chinese. That took our guests from seven back down to the three of us (which means two with Lil B). I was a little relieved because that meant I could just roast a turkey the way my mom did -- turkey breast in the cockpot with salt, pepper and water for 8 hours (it falls right off the bone). Before I knew that my feast was down to three people, I had signed up at Allyson's Kitchen for a Thanksgiving Feast class so I could learn how to roast a turkey. I was dreading the class because the wind was out of my sails -- TACOS? Really? Humph.  I'm glad I went. I learned something I was always afraid to do -- debone poultry.

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="269" caption="Homemade Turkey dinner"][/caption]

Did you know that if you debone a turkey, it only takes 45 mins to one hour to roast at 425 degrees? Makes sense. Our instructor deboned a turkey and then had us debone half of a turkey (with his help and a partner), season it and double wrap in foil to roast in the oven. The foil captures the juice so you could put it in the gravy (one stick of butter, 1/4 cup of flour melted on low to make a rue that resembles peanut butter, throw in your stock and a splash of brandy -- it was yummy). I've always been afraid of making my own stock but I'm certain this is the year I will do it. Homemade stock seems to be a cake walk. We also made cornbread stuffing which I have never made before -- I always watched my grandma stuff her turkey with her Polish stuff recipe. I am a convert. We will have cornbread stuff this year. We also made green bean casserole with homemade fried onions on top (yum) and pecan sweet potato pie.  Good thing I didn't eat dinner.

I'm making my feast even if it's just us. Thank you, Allyson's for inspiring me to cook awesome food.

Here is a simple cranberry sauce the chef told us to try. Mix a can of whole cranberries, a jar of orange marmalade, 1/4 cup of red wine and a dash of cinnamon. Simmer until warm. You'll never eat the canned jelly stuff again.

Enjoy!

I like big beets (and fennel) and can not lie

Since moving to Bend, I've tried to eat organic, healthier meals. When I used to think about organic, I thought expensive. In the midwest, organic meant shopping at Whole Paycheck and spending more to get healthier more nutritious options. Yes, I was naive. I sure thought those graham pretzel cookies were good for you. Now that I look back at it, I was living in the midwest, around a bounty of  fresh produce with a longer growing season. That is one perk I would say about living in the midwest -- you can grow more vegetables.

As a child, my mom had a garden and we'd have fresh tomatoes, peppers, beans and squash. Of course, my brothers and I all turned up our noses. My mom used to roast homegrown acorn squash and I'd still turn my nose. I look back feeling pretty stupid. We had peach and apple trees along with strawberries too -- jam all winter, apple pies - I can smell the memories. I remember at a young age my mom giving me a pail to pick strawberries and I'd eat one strawberry and then put one in the bucket and then repeated until one day I picked up a snake. I never went into the strawberry patch again.

Where was I? Oh yes, now that I have a child, I feel like I need to make home cooked meals. I plan them out in great detail and shop each week for our fresh meals. We joined a CSA which helped dictate what our meals would be week. Even though we split it with Kate, we still could eat salad each night. Then we started getting items that I've never tried in my life -- beets, kale, chard, different squashes, fennel, leeks. Eek! What do I do?  I can't let the $11 a week I'm spending go down the tub. Must eat things I've turned my nose up to before.

First up were beets. Instead of flipping through the internet, I flipped through my cookbooks. Lo and behold, my good old standby cookbook came through with a roasted beet salad recipe with goat cheese and red wine vinaigrette dressing. It was to die for YUMMY. I've roasted my beets each time and tossed them into my salads along with some candied nuts from TJs.

Fennel was the next victim in my pursuit to expand my culinary adventures with vegetables. Fennel smells like licorice

[caption id="attachment_56" align="alignright" width="180" caption="Chicken and fennel are a natural match together"][/caption]

I hate black licorice but I still went ahead and cooked up with chicken and carrots. YUM. My husband and I were fighting for the seconds. Next time I made pork chops, tomatoes and fennel. We discovered that Lil B was a fan and kept piling more on his plate. It takes an act of congress to get him to eat any vegetable unless it's a spinach and artichoke veggie nugget. Next week I plan on buying fennel in the store and roasting a whole chicken with fennel! You see, I'm branching out.

This week when my husband came home with the CSA and he exclaimed we were having brussel sprouts for dinner. I did my icky face but then decided that I'd give them a shot. Twenty minutes later steamed with a tiny bit of butter and I was sold. Even Lil B ate them up.

I'm also a squash convert. Acorn squash. Spaghetti squash. Butternut squash. Delicata squash -- I could go on and on. Squash lasagna is on the meal plan for next week along with roasted acorn squash wedges. My mother would be SO proud.

I will admit some of my CSA went to waste. We always had way too much lettuce, spinach and tried our best to eat a salad each day. I also discovered that I don't like kale at all. I have a bunch of fresh kale going to my co-worker tomorrow. When we do our CSA again, I will make sure the kale goes to a good home. I'm sure someone out there will take it off my hands.

I hope I'm teaching my toddler the joys of vegetables. I can't believe it took me 34 years to develop a love affair with vegetables.

The resident chicken hater

My husband, for some reason, doesn't like chicken. I think it might have something to do with getting food poisoning from a chicken dish (not made by me, of course). Getting him to be ok with making chicken dishes has taken some time over the past six years but recently, I made one that he exclaimed "THIS IS THE BEST CHICKEN DISH EVER." I whole heartedly give Martha Stewart props for this tasty chicken dish which is super easy to make. It also includes items from my CSA as well.

Ingredients

Serves 4

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Coarse salt and ground pepper

4 fresh whole sage leaves, plus 4 minced leaves

4 (6 to 8 ounces each) chicken cutlets

4 slices (3 ounces) thinly sliced prosciutto

4 teaspoons olive oil

3/4 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup reduced-sodium canned chicken broth

1 tablespoon cold butter

Directions

In a shallow bowl, stir together flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Lay 1 sage leaf lengthwise on each cutlet, then wrap a prosciutto slice around middle of each cutlet, encasing sage. Flatten with the palm of your hand to help prosciutto adhere to the chicken. Dredge cutlets in seasoned flour; tap off excess.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Cook 2 cutlets until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove cutlets, and keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 teaspoons oil and 2 cutlets.

Add wine and broth to skillet; cook over high heat until reduced by three-quarters, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool 1 minute. Add butter and minced sage; stir until butter is melted, about 30 seconds. Spoon sauce onto plates; top with cutlets. Serve immediately.

Chicken with Prosciutto and Sage

Ingredients Serves 4

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Coarse salt and ground pepper

4 fresh whole sage leaves, plus 4 minced leaves

4 (6 to 8 ounces each) chicken cutlets

4 slices (3 ounces) thinly sliced prosciutto

4 teaspoons olive oil

3/4 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup reduced-sodium canned chicken broth

1 tablespoon cold butter

Directions

In a shallow bowl, stir together flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Lay 1 sage leaf lengthwise on each cutlet, then wrap a prosciutto slice around middle of each cutlet, encasing sage. Flatten with the palm of your hand to help prosciutto adhere to the chicken. Dredge cutlets in seasoned flour; tap off excess.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Cook 2 cutlets until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove cutlets, and keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 teaspoons oil and 2 cutlets.

Add wine and broth to skillet; cook over high heat until reduced by three-quarters, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool 1 minute. Add butter and minced sage; stir until butter is melted, about 30 seconds. Spoon sauce onto plates; top with cutlets. Serve immediately.