The kitchen's story

Saint Patty's Day Treat

Thank you Bakerella for this inspiration for these St. Patty's treat!  They are delicious!

In a large food storage bad put 22 Mint Oreo Cookies and 8 more with the minty filling removed.  Use rolling pin to smash into powdery crumbs.  Dump crumb mixture into mixer and add one 8oz block of room temp cream cheese.  Roll this mixture into 1" balls and place on a foil lined cookie sheet.  Place cookie sheet in freezer for 20 minutes to solidify and it helps them stand up to the melted chocolate coating! 

Place a double boiler on the stove with 1" of water and bring to a boil.  Drop in one bag of white chocolate chips and stir until melted.  Roll each cook drop in the chocolate and place in candy paper cup.  Sprinkle colored sprinkles and let chocolate reset for 30 minutes.  Then call in the fam because this one is a winner!

Husby requested chocolate goodness for Bday!!

In your mixer: yellow cake mix with egg, oil & water per box instructions.  Then add 1/3 cup of sour cream and 12 large marshmallows.  Spray two cake pans with non-stick for baking.  Oven set to 350 degrees.  Bake cake to doneness (tooth pick comes out of center clean).  Let cool for 1 hour.  Place a tbsp of frosting in the center of the cake plate.  Frost the top of the the first cake.  Then with a micro-plane, grate chocolate on top of the frosting layer.  Take the second cake and invert when you place it on top so that the smooth pan side of the cake is what is facing up.  Frost the rest of the cake.  Make a pretty design with the knife.  Put some powdered sugar in a sifter and sift onto the cake.  Then grate some more chocolate on top of the cake. 

Moist, sweet, decedent...Happy Birthday, Babe!!!

Low Fat Chicken Broccoli Fettucini Alfredo

So, so simple and quite tasty.

Put on a full stock pot of water over high heat to boil.  Cut two boneless chicken breasts into strips.  In a skillet with a drizzle of evoo over medium high heat add the chicken strips.  Put course salt and fresh pepper on the side facing up.  Let cook for 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown and then flip with tongs and let cook another 5-7 minutes.  In the mean time microwave half a large bag of broccoli florets, with a 1/4 cup water and covered in saran for 6 minutes.  Once this is all started in another skillet melt two table spoons of marg.  Once melted add two tbsps of flour and whisk until the flour has cooked for 2 minutes.  Add 2 cups of 2 % milk to the skillet and whisk until the lumps of flour have dissolved.  Keep over a very low heat.  Add wheat fettuccine to boiling water for 7-9 minutes.  When chicken is done remove from heat.  Drain the broccoli.  Whisk the milky mixture as it thickens.  Put drained pasta back in stock pot.  Add chicken & broccoli.  Add some fresh nutmeg and ground pepper to sauce, whisk a couple of times and pour into stock pot.  Stir mix together, add some parm cheese.  Way better than white flour pasta and heavy alfredo sauce...better tasting and better for you!  Nice.

Corn in the form of soup is simply delicious

3 slices turkey bacon, extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 zucchini, 2 white potatoes, 2 small leeks, 1 bag of frozen corn, 3 tbsp flour, 3 cups chicken stalk, 3/4 cup half & half, 1/2 cup 1% milk, course salt, fresh pepper, paprika, rosemary & thyme.

Start with slicing the leek top and bottom off and then the bulb in half and slice the halves very thin.  Fill a large bowl with water and place the half moon slivers in the water so the dirt will fall to the bottom the bowl.  Set to the side. Slice bacon into small pieces.  Brown in the bottom of a stock pot with a touch of evoo for about 5 minutes. Add chopped onion to pan and minced garlic cloves.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper.  Let the onion begin to soften.  Add small chopped zucchini, small chopped potato, bag of corn and rest of spices to the pot.  Let cook all together for five minutes.  Add the flour and stir to coat everything.  Let cook for 3-5 minutes or until the flour begins to paste.  Add 3 cups chicken stock, half n half, milk and the drained leeks to pot and bring to a boil.  Once a boil reduce to simmer for ten minutes.   Get out blender.  Ladle half of the mix into the blender and puree and then pour back into stock pot.  Leave heat on low while you chopped some parsley.  Ladle to bowls, top with parsley and enjoy every sweet and savory bite!

Lemon Cranberry Scones

4 cups flour, 2 tbsp baking powder, 1/4 cup sugar, pinch salt, 1/4 lb marg-cold and cut in cubes, 4 tbsp of lemon zest, 2 eggs, 2/3 cut lemon yogurt, 1/2 cup dried cranberries & 1 egg mixed with 1 tsp water to brush on as glaze.

Oven 425 degrees; place oven rack on the top adjustment before it heats up.  Spray cookie sheet with non-stick.  In a mixer, mix all of the dry ingredients.  While it is mixed, add the cold, cubed marg.  Mix until it is course crumbs.  Add the wet ingredients one at a time and the cranberries last.  Remove the dough to a floured surface, four your rolling pin and roll out to 3/4 in. thick.  Use preferred cookie or biscuit cutter.  Continue to re-roll the cut dough until all used.  Place cut dough on cookie sheet about 1" apart.  Brush tops with egg & water mixture and bake 7-9 minutes or until golden.  (Be careful not to over bake as this will dry them out).  Serve with lemon curd or eat alone...either way is delicious!

A full chicken never had it so good

Pound chicken between your poultry board and a piece of plastic wrap until 1/4 inch thick.  In a bowl mix chopped parsley, lemon zest, chopped rosemary, s & p.  Spear all over the chicken breast.  Then a thin slice of ham and a thin slice of fontina.  Fold over, s & p the outside and place in a preheated skillet with evoo.  Brown on the first side for 7 minutes.  Then flip over and brown for 4 minutes.  Bring 1 in of water to a boil in another skillet.  Add 1/4 cup white wine to chicken and bring to a simmer.  Add asparagus to boiling water.  Cook 5-6 minutes.  Drain water and drizzle some evoo and lemon juice over.  Pull chicken out of reduced wine, cover with foil.  Add a pad of marg and 1tbsp of flour, turn heat to high and whisk constantly until it is slightly thickened sauce.  Add some fresh nutmeg and remove from heat.  Spoon over chicken and eat dinner while it's hot and delicious!

Breakfast Burritos

1/2 onion sauteed in a smidge of marg and pinch of salt.  Egg mixture: whole eggs, splash of milk, crumbled turkey bacon and chopped up links of sausage, pinch of salt, pepper, paprika, handful of grated cheese.  Cook until the eggs are firm because runny eggs are just gross.  Put in a flour tortilla, tuck one end, roll up and eat! 

A little coctail party!

This is the martini glass my mama gave me for my 30th bday and it came out again tonight for a little bit of a cosmopolitan.  Can I just say one thing: Yum!  We also had some bites so that something could absorb the pink drink!    This is Reduced Fat Triscuits, Fontina Cheese, Colby Jack, Low Fat Laughing Cow wedges, and slices of cooked kielbasa.  It was fun and tasty!  Cheers.