gingerbread men

these were yummy, fun and made my kitchen smell like christmas!
molasses cookies slash gingerbread men
adapted from all recipes.com and betty crocker
INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 c. brown sugar and 3/4 c. white
1 egg
1 tablespoon water or orange juice or orange liquor
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture.
{for gingerbread men}
Divide dough in thirds; wrap each third in plastic. Chill for at least 1 hour or overnight. Before rolling out, let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. If after refrigerating the dough feels too soft to roll-out, work in a little more flour.

 Place a dough third on a large piece of lightly floured parchment paper or wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll dough 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate again for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to cut out the cookies. Cut into desired shapes.
{for molasses cookies}
Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

chicken and root veggies with wine & rosemary

i think this is called braising. it was good and i think next time i will try it with a non-non-stick pan to be sure that the chicken as well as the carrots and potatoes, or whatever root veggies i use next, really brown a bit before adding the liquid. i think a big pot or dutch oven may be best, rather than a large covered nonstick sauce pan --which is what i used and it got a little crowded. i also think after browning everything, you could throw all this in the oven and it would turn out just great. i, however, was interested in minimizing clean up. but then that brings us back to the dutch oven idea.
anyway, this was good and is something i am interested in perfecting since, as i've previously mentioned, we have rosemary growing wild around here.
i think i'm done. here's the recipe.
chicken and root veggies with wine & rosemary
adapted from all recipes & the two of us and friends by jessie carry saunders
INGREDIENTS
4 bone-in chicken breast thighs or breasts, with skin
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 small potatoes chopped into bite sized pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced & divided
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
{optional sauce}
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour

DIRECTIONS
this would have been even better if i had NOT used a non-stick pan. more crispy goodies.
Season the chicken liberally with pepper and seasoned salt. Loosen skin and stuff half of diced garlic and chopped rosemary into skin. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once butter’s foam subsides, add chicken and cook until well browned on all sides. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Lower the heat, add the onion, and cook and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, carrot, and potato, and cook and stir an additional 3 minutes.

Pour the chicken broth into the pan {I added only about 1 1/2c. because my pan was getting crowded}, and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the wine and reduce heat back to low.

Return the chicken to the pan and place rosemary sprigs among them. Simmer covered on low until chicken breasts are no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 40 minutes. Serve chicken and vegetables with sauces from pan or make separate sauce {it's just thicker}
{sauce}
Remove chicken and vegetables from pan and remove pan with liquids from heat. Allow to cool enough to skim off some fat and remove rosemary sprigs. In another pan, heat 2 T. olive oil over medium heat and once glistening, add flour, stirring or whisking continually. Add slowly until desired thickness: chicken and wine juices from pan, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Serve over chicken.

pumpkin bread

as much as i love it, i can't believe i've never made pumpkin bread. surely my mom has and i was at least present. since i've decided vegetable & fruit purees are not an excellent substitute for butter in scones and cookies {just because crispiness is more important to me than healthiness in these things}, pumpkin bread and muffins are really the only way to go to get that yummy spiced pumpkin fix.

pumpkin bread
adapted from allrecipes.com
INGREDIENTS
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple sauce
2/3 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans. {or one 9x5 in pan and one muffin pan}
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. {muffins for 30} Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

{images belong to thedeliciouslife & imperfectcomplainer}

pork tenderloin with rosemary and red wine glaze

pork isn't particularly photogenic so here's the wine. this spanish wine I used and enjoyed drinking after was found at costco, and it's called chapillon cuvee harmonie.

my, and most people's, usual complaint with pork is that it's dry. however, this was not dry. i didn't trim my one pound cut and allowed it to marinate 2 hours. then coated it with and actually cooked it in the remainder of the glaze, rather than saving the glaze for serving. I had plenty of sauce since i was cooking 1 one pound cut rather that the amount called for. all the extra that cooked with it in the pan made a great au jus that i definitely recommend pouring over the meat. dryness can also be avoided by paying attention to the time and temperature so that it doesn't overcook and dry out.

pork tenderloin with rosemary and red wine glaze special equipment: meat thermometer
INGREDIENTS
2 (3/4-lb) pork tenderloins or 1 1lb tenderloin
1 cup dry red wine
1 (2-inch) sprig fresh rosemary plus 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped
1 garlic clove, smashed
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
DIRECTIONS
Boil wine, rosemary sprig, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a small heavy saucepan until reduced to about 1/2 cup, 7 to 8 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve into a measuring cup, then transfer rosemary sprig, garlic, and red pepper flakes to a sealable plastic bag along with 1/4 cup wine marinade and tenderloins. Marinate, chilled, turning bag occasionally, at least 2 hours or overnight.
Return remaining 1/4 cup wine marinade to saucepan and add vinegar, honey, and chopped rosemary, then boil dressing until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 6 to 8 minutes.

Take the tenderloin out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Film an ovenproof skillet with oil and sear the tenderloin over medium-high heat to brown all sides, about 5 minutes in all. Apply glaze generously. Save remainder for serving or pour over meat and into skillet for cooking. {i'll try reserving it as a glaze for next time...with all the "stuff" left in the pan from browning the meat, however, it was tasty. but. there would probably be a more sufficient amount for serving, had i reserved some of it.}

Anyway. Place skillet in the oven and roast 15 to 20 minutes, until internal temperature is 145 degrees. Remove from the oven, tent the pork with foil and let it rest about 5 minutes before serving.

happy birthday vittles!

the 23rd marked the one year anniversary of {vittles!} i missed it!

happy birthday vittles!

and now a recipe for my loyal readers having nothing to do with cupcakes.

fall roasted veggies part deux
::ingredients::
1 zucchini
1 squash
1/2 red bell pepper, large dice
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 cup / can of chickpeas, drained
1 carrot, peeled
seasoning salt
garlic salt
pepper
olive oil
3T finely grated parmesan cheese
1 T dried parsley or other similar seasonings such as italian
::directions::
oven to 425, cover rimmed baking pan with foil. cut squash and zucchini in to large yet bite-sized pieces. cut carrots into pieces half the size of zucchini and squash pieces. if you are adding any potatoes or sweet potatoes {which would be good} cut them the same size as well.{see note} add veggies with peppers, onions and chickpeas to mixing bowl

drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with a few shakes of each of the seasonings, mix well and spread onto baking pan. bake 30 min.

the toasted chickpeas with the bell peppers is such a treat!!

note {the carrots and potatoes take about 20 min longer to cook than the squash and zucchini if they're all about the same size. i tried making the soft veggies larger than the root veggies and it worked fine, but be aware.}

{image belongs to pinkbow}

vegetable pasta toss

wondering what to do with all those great vegetables from the stuffed peppers?? here's a yummy, fresh, flexible pasta sauce and you don't even have to turn on the oven. next time i try this, i might put a little white wine in there with the tomatoes.

{vegetable pasta toss}
serves 4
a few drizzles of olive oil

2 small, diced

1 T minced garlic

1 slender zucchini, small dice
1 slender yellow summer squash, small dice

1 sweet bell pepper, small dice
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed {or 1 c cooked ground beef}

1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved {or 1 15 oz can of chopped tomatoes}
1 T ground cumin

1 T ground coriander

1 t cinnamon

1/2 lb whole wheat penne pasta or pasta of choice
juice of one lemon, divided

salt and pepper to taste

chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
::directions::


Bring a large pot of water to boil.

 Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat up a large skillet with a lid on medium high heat. Depending on whether it is nonstick or stainless steel, drizzle a very little oil or a tablespoon or 2 into the pan, and heat it up. When it is shimmering, add the garlic and let it toast briefly, 15-30 seconds. Do not let it burn. Add the onions and cook until caramelized, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with salt.



Add veggies {and chickpeas if you're using them}. When the onion has totally caramelized and the zucchini is a little tender, add the spices and stir. Do not allow the spices to stick and burn. Add the juice of half of the lemon to the pan to deglaze it. Then add the tomatoes. Stir the mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Let it cook for 10 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.

Uncover and stir to allow tomatoes to break up and liquids to evaporate. Add breadcrumbs if you want it thicker. Remove from heat and add meat if you're using it, 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley and cheese. Toss the cooked noodles with the juice from the remaining half of the lemon. Serve combined or separately.

{image belongs to themarmot}

stuffed red bell peppers

Turns out I was inspired after my sad farewell for a bit and decided to cook dinner. I'm on a bell pepper kick now that I've decided I like them after 23 years of marked repulsion to even the smell of them sharing space in a salad with similarly colored tomatoes.

This came from smitten kitchen who had it as a vegetarian dish. I added meat based upon some other recipes. You're just going to have to guestimate the vegetable quantities based upon the size of the veggies you end up with and what you like more. Don't skip on the spices though and save yourself some time by just throwing all your parsley leaves in a food processor. I've decided I hate washing, drying, pulling leaves off and cutting herbs like parsley and cilantro. So I just lightly washed them, barely dried them and threw them in the food processor. Now have a parsley pesto foundation for later and am not picking herb leaves out of my nails.

These were good and very flexible.

roasted vegetable stuffed peppers
inspired by smittenkitchen.com

5 bell peppers halved and seeded {see note}
2 bell peppers - small dice {see note}
1 zucchini - small dice
1 summer squash - small dice
1 onion - small dice
6 cloves garlic - minced
1 c frozen corn
1 c grape tomatoes halved or quartered
4 tbs chopped fresh parsley
3/4 c panko breadcrumbs
salt
pepper
1 tbs essence {i used a dash of paprika and cayenne pepper}
3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter
1/4 c parmesean plus more for sprinkling {or whatever cheese you have... but i strongly recommend using GOOD freshly grated Parmesan Oregano and this will change your life.}
1/2 lb ground beef or turkey

cumin

coriander

oven to 375. cook meat in a skillet with a few dashes of coriander and cumin and a bit of salt and pepper. set aside. saute onion in butter and olive oil over med high heat until translucent. add garlic and cook til fragrant. add vegetables and saute until just softened. add salt, pepper and essence. {don't be shy with your spices! taste it!} add parsley and breadcrumbs. you may need to add more breadcrumbs if the liquid is not absorbed. add parm and meat and take off heat. combine.

stuff the peppers with the vegetable stuffing mix. place in baking dish with a little olive oil in bottom. put in oven and bake until peppers are softened (about 20-25 minutes). just before they are done (5 minutes early) take out and sprinkle top with parm.
{note} I cut the top off of my peppers, then diced the de-stemmed, de-cored top as the “diced” pepper. I then stuffed into the topless peppers.
{post note} BUT I think this recipe was designed so that each pepper would equate two halves for stuffing if you cut each lengthwise. Since I made them stuffable by cut the tops off, one pepper only equaled one pepper, rather than one turning into two, if that makes any sense. I halved all the quantities shown here, didn't add corn and added only a few cherry tomatoes and it filled three peppers perfectly. We each ate one as a meal.


Taylor said these were good because the "bell pepper tasted fresh" I think the yummy, gooey innards were a good contrast with the cooked but still crisp bell pepper on the outside.

{image belongs to tdfl}