Christmas Goodies

Update to how they turned out in red!!

Ok.... so this will be a post in progress. I'm trying to figure out what goodies I'm going to make for my Christmas goodie boxes. Considering that, if I choose to write down everything - I'll probably lose it or it'll get colored all over by Rylee -- I'm going to post my ideas and recipes on here. That way, at least I know it's safe! :)

Peppermint Bark
--dark and white chocolate, peppermint flavoring and crushed peppermints.
Always good and super easy.  However, when breaking it up into actual pieces, the dark and white chocolate split -- only giving me white peppermint bark.  hmmmmmm.  Still turned out good, but I need to figure out what I was doing wrong. 

Balsamic Chocolate Truffles
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/balsamic-chocolate-truffles-recipe/index.html
I'm thinking that maybe I'll add powder sugar to the cocoa powder, or maybe just roll them in powder sugar entirely, or roll them in crushed nuts. Hmmmm.... I need to see.


8 1/2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (recommended: Valrhona)
1/4 cup cream
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Directions
Melt the chocolate and cream in a double boiler over hot but not simmering water. Place melted chocolate in a small bowl. Stir in the balsamic vinegar. Cool the chocolate in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Remove from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours, until firm but moldable.

Use a teaspoon to scoop out chocolate. Use your fingertips to shape into balls about the size of a cherry. Set the chocolate balls on a parchment-lined tray.

Place the cocoa powder in a small shallow dish. Place 6 truffles at a time in the cocoa powder and roll the truffles around to coat, and return the coated truffles to the baking sheet. Continue with the remaining truffles. Place the truffles in a serving dish or airtight package.

Eh.... didn't come out the best.  Tasted okay... not amazing though.  The ganache though was a hard consistency to work with.  It was either too hard to mold into nice-looking balls or too soft and it would get all over my hands.  Again...they tasted okay -- but I won't do it again.


Shortbread Cookies dipped in chocolate with sea salt
Beat 2 sticks of butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup powder sugar until fluffy. Whisk 2 cups flour and 1 tsp salt , then stir into the butter mixture. Press the dough into a buttered 8 inch square dish. Using a fork, score the dough into strips (however long you want) -- chill in fridge for 30 minutes. Bake 1 hour at 300 degrees. Cool, then slice along the scored lines.
Once the shortbread is totally cooled ( maybe pop it into the fridge for a bit to make sure it's really cool) -- melt chocolate and dip one end into the chocolate - letting excess chocolate dripped off. Place on parchment or wax paper to cool. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Amazing!  Really easy and really good.  My shortbread came out a little thick, so after they were cooled, I cut them in half lengthwise, put some butter on the tops and popped them back into the oven for a bit to make the top look a little more finished (since I had to cut them...).  Then dipped in chocolate and sprinkled just a little sea salt on them.  YUMMY!

Cranberry and Date Roll Ups
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paulas-party/cranberry-and-date-roll-ups-recipe/index.html

Probably my favorite of the bunch.  the cookie wasn't that sweet and the cranberry gave it a nice pop of citrus.  I cut up the dates and in each "roll up" I used some dates, a couple of Craisens (for a little bit of added sweetness) and then 2 cranberries.  Sprinkled powder sugar on top.  My doctor RAVED about them!  He said that he even went home and told his wife about how good they were! lol   Definintely making these again!

Hazelnut Brittle **not sure about this one....
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/hazelnut-crunch-noci-croccante-recipe2/reviews/index.html#user-reviews-top

Eh..... came out just okay.  It was good and had a good flavor but it was a little too nutty for me.  I only used 2 cups of the hazelnuts (instead of the 2 1/2 cups) but I think next time I'll only use a little over 1 cup.  I like more "brittle" than "nuts" anyways.  IT was good though.  I'll make it again. Oh and FYI -- make sure you use PARCHMENT PAPER not wax paper. I thought I could just them interchangably but it turns out you can't!  The wax paper stuck to the brittle so badly that even after trying to scrape it off, I still had to toss half the batch.  :(

Rachael Ray's 15- Minute Meal: Chicken with BLT Gravy

The "BLT" stands for "Bacon, Leeks, and Tomato" :)

I made this today for lunch and we really enjoyed it! It took me a little bit longer than 15 minutes, but not too much (although I wasn't timing it or anything). Darrin even took seconds! :) Served with sourdough bread for "mopping". It would be great with rice too!

Oh and FYI -- I fixed everything as the recipe states... except that I only used boneless skinless thighs (they're so much cheaper) and could only fit 5 in my pan (so we only had 5 pieces of chicken, not 8 as the recipe calls for). I only used 1 leek, and not 2 (which was good since I had less chicken). Besides that though - stuck with everything else!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast, halved across
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed up
Salt and pepper
4 slices smoky bacon (chopped)
2 leeks
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken stock
2 small plum tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Crusty bread, to pass at table

Directions
Heat 2 skillets each with 1 tablespoon EVOO over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to first skillet, cook chicken 12 minutes, turning once.

Meanwhile, add bacon to second skillet. While bacon cooks, halve trimmed leeks lengthwise then slice 1/2 inch thick and vigorously wash in a colander then dry on kitchen towel. Add leeks to bacon and saute to soften 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the leeks 1 minute. Stir in stock and tomatoes and reduce heat to a simmer.

When chicken is done remove to platter and deglaze the pan drippings with wine, scraping up the bits and color 30 seconds, pour drippings into the gravy pan, stir to combine.
Finish gravy with cream, stir to combine and when sauce comes back up to a bubble, turn off heat and stir in Dijon mustard.

Finish gravy with cream, stir to combine and when sauce comes back up to a bubble, turn off heat and stir in Dijon mustard.

Spoon BLT gravy over chicken and serve with crusty bread torn into pieces for mopping.

Cheddar Corn Chowder

Update at Bottom!!
-------------------------
Just something that I want to make and don't want to lose the recipe. Sounds yummy, huh? Great for a rainy day.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cheddar-corn-chowder-recipe/index.html


Ingredients

8 ounces bacon, chopped
1/4 cup good olive oil
6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
12 cups chicken stock
6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
2 cups half-and-half
8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated


Directions

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.
---------------------------------------

Update!
I made this tonight and it was great!  My mom loved it so much she had seconds. :) I did make some changes though.  I cut the recipe mainly in half (see below).  Changes I would make the next time is to either cut the potatoes up a little smaller or if I had an immersible blender - do a quick blend afer the potates are cooked.  I also didn't like the bacon on top of the soup.  Just made it a little too rich and salty.  I just felt like it didn't really need it.  However, I would omit it due to the flavor the fat gives.  Next time, I'll just cook up the bacon like normal, then put it in the fridge or freezer for breakfast the next day or to use in another dish (mmmm like maybe stuffed potatoes...).

Here's the changes to the ingredients I did:

8 ounces bacon, chopped (kept the same)
1/4 cup good olive oil (???? didn't really measure it out....I think it was about the same)
6 cups 3 cups chopped yellow onions (4 2 large onions)
4  2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup 1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt (eyeball it)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (eyeball it)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric Omitted altogether.  More for color than taste and I wasn't going to buy an entire jar for less than a teaspoon.
12 cups 5 cups chicken stock (could even do 4 cups)
6 cups 2-3 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled
10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds) 1 lb frozen corn
2 cups 1 cup half-and-half
8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated (kept the same)

Open-Face Chicken Parm Sandwhich

I made this today and it was yummy! A great way to get rid of leftover chicken and a really quick lunch. It's also easy if you're "cooking for one". I got it from my Parents magazine.

Take slices of whatever bread you have on hand. Italian bread or Sourdough works best though, I think. Toast the bread in the toaster. Lay pieces of cooked chicken on top of the bread, top with some spinach leaves (if you have some), marinara sauce and cheese (a mix of parm and mozzarella works best). Then pop it in the oven under a broiler until the cheese is bubbly and a little brown -- about 2-3 minutes or so.

Not the absolute healthiest meal around.... but good nonetheless! Another "quick tip" is to have Marinara sauce on hand at all times. I make my own every couple weeks and keep it in a jar in my fridge. It makes whiping up pasta and sauce super easy. After boiling and draining pasta, return to the pan and pour some sauce directly in the pan on low heat. Just a couple seconds and the sauce will be heated up! Makes cooking for one (or one and half in my case) super easy!

Crockpot Chuck Roast

I bought a 2 lbs beef chuck roast on sale but had no clue how to cook it. I knew that the crockpot would be my "safety" - so I looked for different recipes. I found several and decided to kind of combine some stuff. It turned out GREAT! The Gravy it made was a dark gravy and was really good. The meat was uber-tender too. I served it with mashed potatoes and a salad. Will definitely make this one again!

Ingredients:
2 lbs (ish) Chuck Roast
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can of Dr. Pepper (or any dark soda I think will do)
1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix (dry)
Salt, Pepper, Parsley to taste



Directions:

Season the meat with salt, pepper and parsley. Put it in the crockpot.

Dump cream of soup, soda and onion soup mix on top.... kind of stir to combine. (You could also do this in a separate bowl and then dump it all on top. Whichever you like)

Cook on low for 6 hours or so

40 Cloves and a Chicken

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/40-cloves-and-a-chicken-recipe/index.html

This recipe uses 40 cloves of garlic. But don't shy away just yet! I had seen this before and always stayed away from it b/c I thought it would be TOO garlicky even for this avid garlic-lover. Then I saw a Food Network episode from "Good Eats" with Alton Brown (episode name: In The Bulb of the Night). **sidenote -- I LOVE this show - it's really educational about whatever food their featuring and focuses on the chemistry and science behind the food and not just a certain recipe. If you haven't watched it - take a gander next time it's on. It's pretty cool. A bit cheesy, but cool nonetheless** The episode explained why whole cloves of garlic are less potent then cut or minced cloves (has to do with the walls of the cloves being broken and releasing more and more of the flavor). So... I decided to take the leap and try it. And I'm proud to say that it was pretty good!

The chicken, surprisingly, wasn't as garlicky as I thought it would be (or maybe even hoped). It had a nice subtle garlic flavor. The garlic cloves were soft and buttery - melts right in your mouth and smears easily on whatever you decide to put it on. The oil was kind of a lot but not too much and since it's now infused with the garlic flavor - makes for an awesome addition to any dish (yes, you can save the leftovers).

I used 4 leg quarters instead of the broiler/fryer chicken. Because I had less chicken, I reduced the cooking time to only 1 hour, which was perfect. If you choose to use breast only (which would probably absorb more of the garlic flavor) - I would reduce the time even more. Maybe only 30-45 minutes. Breasts dry out really quickly, so I would keep a close eye on them!

A couple tips with the garlic --1) One head o garlic contains about 10 cloves. 2) make sure that you keep the cloves as whole as possible when peeling. It's okay if you happen to smash some, but try not to (let me know if you need tips on how to easily peel garlic). 3) don't use bulbs that have sprouted. They won't harm you but they are more bitter - so you won't get the same flavor. 4) If you have a Sam's Club membership (or maybe Costco... I don't know) - you can get a BIG bag (2lbs I believe) of fresh garlic for $2.88. It's a lot of garlic but well worth it, I think!

Lastly - if you're going to do this recipe - I would suggest clicking the link at the top and read through all the comments. I always learn SO much from other people's comments - things to do or not do or areas that other people had trouble with. It's really informative.

Ok, I'll stop typing now -- here's the recipe!

Ingredients
1 whole chicken (broiler/fryer) cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 sprigs fresh thyme
40 peeled cloves garlic
Salt and pepper


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Toss with a 2 tablespoons olive oil and brown on both sides in a wide fry pan or skillet over high heat. Remove from heat, add oil, thyme, and garlic cloves. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove chicken from the oven, let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, carve, and serve.


***Garlic Toast
After the dish is made, take some of the garlic oil and brush it on pieces of bread. Take a clove of garlic and spread it on top. Pop the pieces in the broiler for a minute or so until toasty. You can top it off with some Parm cheese if you want! YUM!

****Suggested Side Dishes -- mashed potatoes and a Lemon veggie dish (we had lemon asparagus). The lemon/acid is a great and refreshing paired against the rich, buttery garlic.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2009/05/sweet-potato-chili-vegan-crockpot.html

This is actually a Vegan dish, but I un-veganized it (and added more calories) by adding chopped bacon in the crockpot, then cheese and sour cream to top it off. I also added a can of black beans. It didn't taste of a chili as much as a thick stew. But put it in a sourdough breadbowl and it's a GREAT meal on a cold night. It's a pretty cheap meal too! :)

The Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and in 2-inch chunks
1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (or 2/3 cup dried beans, soaked overnight and boiled briskly for 10 minutes because of the freaky red bean toxin thing)
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can tomatoes (whatever's on sale, mine had oregano and roasted garlic)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice (If you don't have any in the house, use water)


The Directions:

Use a 5-6 quart slow cooker. This is enough food to feed a family of 4 regular-sized, or 6 smallish people. Peel and chunk the sweet potato and add to the pot. Add diced onion. Follow with the red bell pepper, can of tomatoes, the beans, garlic, and seasonings. Pour in OJ and water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until the onion is translucent and the sweet potato is fork-tender (if you want the sweet potato to get really squishy and disappear when stirred, cook longer).