Individual Chicken Pot Pies

          To me, there are just some foods that can only be eaten in certain seasons. Hot dogs- summer, cranberry sauce- fall, ????- spring…..haha, I don’t think anything is specific to this time of year! But for winter- it has to be anything hearty and warming….as in pot pie. Specifically, this pot pie.

            This meal is definitely synonymous with good ol’ Mr. Winter. It sticks to your ribs like taffy, is served piping hot to help defrost yourself and is filling enough to energize you to shovel that walkway. Not to mention, it is quite delicious- which is a prerequisite for any meal in any season though!

            But besides all those qualities, it is truly just a great meal that is quick and satisfying. I cut the original recipe in ½ for me and Matty, but if you have to feed more mouths than me, just double what I did. That would make 4 pies, and if you have more mouths than that, well, God bless you and continue to increase the amounts! So basically, whether you’re feeding just 1 other or an army- this meal will keep em’ all warm and smiling! Enjoy…

 

BBBBBRRRRRR........bring on the pot pie!

 

Individual Chicken Pot Pies

Serves- 2

Adapted from: Real Simple

OBJ: TCW be able to make something besides sandwiches and quesadillas with her leftover rotisserie chicken

Ingredients:

 ½ of 8-ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables

1 refrigerated piecrust (such as Pillsbury)

½ of 10 ¾-ounce can cream of chicken soup

¼ cup milk

1 cups cooked and shredded chicken ( I use both white and dark meat)

¼ tsp garlic salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 egg, beaten

2 TBS sesame seeds

Procedures:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Defrost the vegetables in a microwave for about 3 minutes

2, Cut piecrust into quarters, to yield 4 equal pieces. Coat the inside of 4 small aluminum-foil pans (4 1/2 inches in diameter, 1 1/4 inches deep) or 4 ramekins with vegetable cooking spray

3. Line the bottom and sides of each pan or ramekin with a quarter of crust, molding it with your fingers to fit

4. In a large bowl, stir together the soup and milk and then add the chicken, garlic salt and pepper

5. Spoon about 2/3 cup of the mixture into each pan or ramekin. Top each with a piecrust quarter. Pinch the edges together well and cut vents in the top

6. Brush each top with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional)

7. Wrap the edges of pot pies with foil to prevent them from burning right away

8. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown, removing foil with 10-15 minutes remaining

 

 

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

           I know, I know- cookies. You are still sick from all the versions you ate last month and you are back at the gym trying to work the aforementioned off. I get it.

            But I’m a person who believes in moderation. I couldn’t possibly go this entire month without a sweet. Heck, I couldn’t go a week without one. I practice the lifestyle of indulge a little and eat well the rest of the time. Ya know, the 90-10 thing. It works for me, most of the time.

            As for you, I don’t know how you life your lives but I can only hope you give in to some temptation here and there. I don’t mean hitting up Wendy’s on the weekends merely or downing a pint of Chunky Monkey only once a month. I mean getting up, getting moving, and eating a darn cookie if you want it.

            And these cookies here are the ones you’ll want to succumb to. C’mon, they practically look like they were snowed upon. How dreamy……Well, if the snow visual didn’t do it for you how about the fact that they are a hybrid of chocolaty-ness, chewiness and fudgy-ness. Sold? Okay, they are a portable and portioned-controlled version of Red Velvet cake. Portioned-controlled people, as in they fit perfectly into a balanced diet. So go ahead, have one, share the rest and let’s make it so that they aren’t the only things fitting well into something lately! Enjoy…

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Makes: about 30

Adapted from: All Recipes

OBJ: TCW be able to make a Holiday-looking cookie for the annual Cookie Swap at work

Ingredients:

6 TBS unsalted butter

I C powdered sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

I box Betty Crocker® Red Velvet Cake Mix

2 large eggs

Procedures:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Melt butter in microwave and set aside to cool

3. Place powdered sugar and cornstarch in a shallow dish and mix with a fork to blend

4. Place cake mix, cooled butter and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Mix by hand until well blended and dough forms

5. Form into 1-inch balls and roll in powdered sugar mix. Place on cool, ungreased baking sheets about 2 inches apart

6. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, in center of oven for 9-11 minutes or until set. Cool on sheet for 1 minute

7. Transfer to wire cooling rack and cool completely. Store in airtight container with wax paper or parchment separating layers

Web-link photo credits:  theplaidguy.wordpress.com    chipsifraternity.wordpress.com

 

 

 

 

 

Perfect French Fries with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

             There is truly a reason why so many people prefer to get French fries via drive through window, restaurant kitchen or food truck vendor- they require too much damn time to make at home!

            Seriously people, the time it takes to peel, soak, dry, first-fry, drain, second-fry, then eat is incredible. For the same amount of time, I could have practically fetched the potatoes from the field and delivered them to their designated selling points. Or even better yet, I could have tried all the fast-food varieties and done a post about that! But there is a catch…..

            The ones you will make at home will be wwaayyyy better than whatever you receive from someone else. Honestly, the crunch, the salt, the steam from within will have you speechless. Which you should be because once you put these in front of you, you will not want to open your mouth up except to eat!

            Then to make this concoction even better, why don’t you go ahead and whip up some cheese sauce. If you think homemade fries are drool-worthy, you haven’t made your own dipping sauce yet.

            So are they a pain in the a$$? Why yes sir (or mam), they are. But are they worth your time, energy, and patience? You betcha they are! I wouldn’t ask you to waste your time if the end result wasn’t something scrumptious, I promise! So go ahead, get fryin’ my friends! Enjoy…

Perfect French Fries with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Serves 2-3

Fries recipe source (adapted for amount): The Pioneer Woman

Cheese Sauce recipe adapted from: Serious Eats

OBJ: TCW be able to create better-than-fast-food fries in her own kitchen and serve it alongside an irresistible bowl of cheesy dipping sauce  

Ingredients:

5- 6 Russet Potatoes

Vegetable Oil for frying

Sea Salt

For Cheese Sauce:

4 ounces grated cheddar cheese

½ TBS corn starch

½ can (12 ounce can) of evaporated milk

Procedures:

For Fries:

1. Peel and rinse the potatoes, then cut them into sticks by cutting the potato in four or five vertical pieces, then cutting each piece into sticks. Place in a large bowl and cover with cold water, then allow them to soak for two or three hours. (You can also stick them in the fridge and let them soak for several hours or overnight.)

2. When you’re ready to make the fries, drain off the water and lay them on paper towels. Blot them with paper towels to dry them

3. Heat a few inches of oil in a heavy pot to 300 degrees or use a deep fryer where you can set the temperature

4. In 3 or 4 batches, cook the potatoes for about 4 to 5 minutes per batch, or until the potatoes are soft. They should not be brown at all!  see below....

5. Remove each batch and drain them on new/dry paper towels

6. Once all the potatoes have been fried at 300, turn up the heat until the oil reaches 400 degrees

7. When the oil’s hot, start frying the potatoes in batches again, cooking until the fries are golden and crisp

8. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels

9. Sprinkle fries right away with sea salt and enjoy alongside the cheese sauce

For Cheese Sauce:

1. Add cheese and cornstarch to large bowl and toss well to combine

2. Transfer to medium saucepan and add ½ Cup evaporated milk

3.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with whisk until melted, bubbly, and thickened (about 5 minutes)

4. Note: Mixture will look thin and grainy at first but will thicken and come together after heating. Thin it to desired consistency with additional evaporated milk

 

Grilled Sausage over Basil & Honey Ricotta with Pignolis atop Crostini

          Hey there everyone! Been a while, I know. I don’t have many excuses except that it is Holiday time and I had the Flu, Bronchitis and a Sinus Infection last week. Enough said, right!?? I don’t think I have cooked anything in over two weeks…..wimper wimper….

            Thank goodness for Hubby though. He kept me well-rested and well-fed. He did have some help from Livoti’s, our local Italian market, but he still gets all the credit for making many snacks, side dishes and his 4 course Christmas Feast for us. He is a gem, isn’t he?!? Except for when he kicked my booty in Words with Friends each day and refusing to sleep in the same bed as me all week!

Hubby to the Rescue!!!!

Our Little Christmas Feast for Two...with my medicines in background!

 

            But enough about that….here’s to coming back and giving you something new to chew on. I might not be back this week again but I hope I’ll have some time in the next few weeks to share more with you soon. I made this recipe on Thanksgiving and boy, it was a wham bam homerun. The ricotta was good enough just to schmear on some crusty bread, but I figured adding sweet sausage would round it out nicely.  

            And even better for now, it is almost New Year’s Eve and who doesn’t like tasty little bites at the party? So go ahead, I say make this appetizer, sneak a bite yourself, ring in the New Year and oh yeah, make sure you wash your hands! Enjoy!

Grilled Sausage over Basil & Honey Ricotta with Toasted Pignolis atop Crostini

Serves: 10-15 people

OBJ: TCW be able to incorporate her kitchen mixing skills with her Hubby’s grilling skills into 1 crowd-pleasing appetizer

Ingredients:

1, 15 ounce, whole milk ricotta cheese

3 – 4 TBS honey

10-12 fresh basil leaves, thinly shopped

¼ C pignoli nuts, toasted and cooled

S & P: salt and pepper, to taste

1 sweet sausage ring- grilled and sliced into 1 inch pieces

1 bag Crostini -toasted baguette pieces  ( I used Stacy’s brand Garlic & Herb- I found them at Cost Co. )

Procedures:

1. In a large bowl, mix ricotta, honey (start with 3 TBS), basil, nuts and a heavy pinch of S & P. Taste to see if it is sweet enough, if so- great. If not, add additional 1 TBS honey and stir. Cover and refrigerate until about 30 minutes before serving. Take out and let chill come off.

2. Preheat grill and cook sausage on both sides so that is cooked through. Slice while warm.

3. Place ricotta mixture in a medium size serving bowl. On a platter, place baguette pieces and tooth-picked sausage pieces. Place ricotta next to platter and plate up a few to show. Enjoy!

Apricot-Mango & Chipotle BBQ Chicken & Gift Ideas...

           I know, I know…..Gina, what the bejingle are you thinking?!? Grilling in December, grilling the week of 2 snowstorms, and grilling when the last thing I want to do is step outside? I hear you, believe me. As most of you know, I’m the type that is cold in July with chilly fingertips all year through…..so yes, I know this is a silly post.

            But give me one minute of your time (maybe 10 actually) and listen. What I’m really getting at here are gift ideas. Ya know, the tree needs presents in a few weeks and I’m sure there are few people you still have zilch for. For you and for them, here is where you need to go to get them something unique, inexpensive and delicious……HomeGoods or Marshalls. No, not for their cute candles or name-brand sweaters- we all know to get that stuff at the aforementioned spots. But where you can get some nifty presents is way beyond the clothing racks and scented stations….it is in the cooking and baking departments.

            Here is what you do….grab a wicker basket from the "storage" aisle (they usually have a gazillion, poor trees). Head down the cooking aisle with the salsas, jellies, salts, etc. Pick a theme. For example, go Mediterranean and get some imported oil, spices and maybe a nice bag of pasta or couscous. Then, throw a wooden spoon in there and viola- dinner in a box and a perfect present for me. Or maybe, for someone who likes to grill, get them a jar of what I used in this post- a few specialty BBQ sauces, a meat thermometer, and an over-sized spatula. (FYI-best BBQ sauce we've found there is Kozlowski Farms)Or one more idea I’ve done, for the bake-aholic, is filling that basket up with a few flavored sugars, vanilla beans (best place to get them is at HG or Marshalls- best price you’ll find), a whisk and a few mini cake molds.

             So there, great gifts for those who you still can’t seem to pick out the right thing. Of course, they are food-themed but c’mon friends- for one, this is a food blog and for two- I think giving the gift of a quality home-cooked meal is better than anything you could find in a store. Enjoy…

 

 

Apricot-Mango & Chipotle BBQ Chicken

Serves: 2-3

 

OBJ: TCW be able to spice and sweeten up ordinary chicken

Ingredients:

½ C Apricot Mango & Roasted Chipotle Grilling and Dipping Sauce(I used Kozlowski Farms, but any BBQ sauce you like would work)

2-3 large boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 TBS olive oil

S & P: salt and pepper

Procedures:

1. Preheat entire grill on medium-high flame

2. Brush both sides of chicken with oil, then sprinkle decently with S & P

3. Add chicken to hot grill over direct high heat, cook for 5 minutes. Flip, then cook over direct heat for another 5 minutes

4. Place chicken on other side of grill and turn off the flame beneath it. BUT leave the other side on high flame!

5. Use brush to glaze chicken one side at a time. Cook chicken for remaining time on indirect heat- 5 minutes one side, then flip, glaze and cook other side for 5 minutes

6.  Quickly flip once more to caramelize the side you just glazed

** total cooking time should be about 20 minutes, but if you have larger chicken pieces, it may be 6-7 minutes per side (28 minutes total). Always check chicken for doneness- completely white meat, clear juices, and 165 on a meat thermometer**

Busy Bee....

 

     Yup, that's me......like my new look?? Well I sure hope you do, if not, oh well....Anyway, I'm sure you can relate, especially this time of year. In case you forgot, there are 20 days until Christmas!! How in the world did that happen? I feel like I was just cleaning off my beach chair and sandy toes...sigh....

     So as you can see, no recipe, review or event to post today. I have been a bit busy.

      Luckily though, the items keeping me buzzing along will benefit you.....not on this site though. As most of you know, I also blog over at Jersey Bites .

 

 

       Needless to say, we have some delicious post on the way. I'll let you know when the ones with yours' truly post, but honestly the stuff over there is the bomb diggity dog. hahaha.....see what being too busy does to me?!?

       So with that said, it is time for me to get moving....I'll be back next Thursday with something scrumptious, I promise. Now if only getting some presents under the Tree was that simple....:)

      

 

 



Thanksgiving 2013

            Our 2^nd Thanksgiving…..is in the books. Last year, we were in our house for, oh about, 1 month when we hosted 30+ family members. With boxes still unpacked and Hurricane Sandy effects lingering quite near, we opted to have all our family pretty much cater the entire day. I honestly don’t think we cooked a darn thing last year. We were there to show people around the new digs, preheat the oven, and keep the drinks cold. It was a great way to start our tradition of hosting Thanksgiving, even if I didn’t mix or stir one thing!

            This year, things were a wee-bit different. We were in charge of the appetizers while we let the Fam cater the Italian and Main Courses. I take baby steps, people. We had a smaller amount of company this year- around 28 in all, while the flippin’ freezing temperatures kept us all indoors nonetheless.

            Since we were in charge of the apps, Matt and I decided to make a few of our favorites to start the day. Him being the “grill master”, he also wanted to fire up the Weber and put it to use. Here are the highlights…

Cheese being one of our best friends, we plattered-up 3 of our usuals- Gouda, Manchego, and Asiago. They were well-received, especially with the fig jam accompaniment.

I made a summer appetizer that I knew would be a crowd-pleaser- Honey & Pignoli Nut Ricotta with grilled sausage over crostinis.

Matt thought sliders would be a new addition to the appetizer hour, so he grilled up some mini Kobe beef patties. My job here was to toast the buns, schmear them with Port Wine cheese and stuffed them with bacon pieces. Put that all together and what you have is a BBQ in November!

 

Fried raviolis were our last offering for this course and they went quicker than those Black Friday deals.  

            Needless to say, we all were decently full after the first hour or so. Matt and I, although full, were also relieved that our job in the kitchen was done. We let the pros take over and man, did they bring their A-games. From the meatballs, to the rollatini, to the ham, and of course to that darn turkey, we all kept on making more room for one more bite. I might have forgotten the biscuits and cranberry sauce, but gee-whiz- with all that food and priceless family around us, we certainly had much to be thankful for. I hope your day was delightful & delicious as well. J

 

In the coming weeks, I will be posting the recipes I shared but for now, I just wanted to share a little of our day with you.