fuzzysheep crafts. all the craziness that ensues...

Chris’ Pollo Loco

2011-07-08T13:01:00.003-05:00

I was recently invited by BlogHer and Knorr to try out their new Homestyle Concentrated Chicken Stock, and I jumped at the chance. The stock comes in little tubs akin to Nuggets dipping sauce. Its thick and gelatinous, and requires liquid to dilute.

Here’s where it’s fun – you can use ANYTHING YOU WANT to dilute it. White wine? Ok. Beer? Sure! Water? Fine, if you must.

At first, I thought of all the yummy soups I could whip up. You guys know I love soups, but I really wanted to try using this in an innovative and interesting way. I told my husband what I was looking for, and he threw the idea of Mexican Style Grilled Chicken, even telling me what ingredients he would use if he did it. So, in the end, this is really his recipe, so I named it for him.

Chris’ Pollo Loco

Mexican Style Grilled Chicken

The key to this recipe is the brine. Brining brings incredible flavor and moisture to the meat, allowing for the fast and hot cooking. Trust me, it is worth the time.

Prep Time: 6-8 hours (for brining)
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes on gas grill
Serves: 6-8 people

1 5-6lb chicken, quartered. Skin on, bone in.
1/2 C kosher salt
1 bottle Mexican Beer
1 tub Knorr Homestyle Concentrated Stock
4 limes
1/4 C ground cumin
1 TBSP cayenne (more or less depending on taste)
1 TBSP onion powder
1 TBSP garlic powder
3 C water

Bring all ingredients (minus chicken and limes) to a boil breify. Stir well to dissolve salt and concentrated stock. Turn off heat and allow to cool. Squeeze limes into the brine, tossing rinds into the mixture as well. Add some ice to the brine to help bring the temp down. You want the brine and the chicken to be the same temperature before you put the chicken in - you don't want to cook the chicken at all at that point.

Rinse chicken under running water, and pat dry with paper towels. Put quartered chicken in a large glass bowl or two gallon Ziploc bags.

Pour brine over the chicken. Be sure the entire chicken is covered with brine. If you are using a bowl, weight the meat down with a plate to keep it down. Seal/cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Allow to soak for 6-8 hours.

After brining, remove chicken and rinse well. Pat dry with paper towels.

Heat your grill, as hot as you can get it. Clean the grates well and oil them.

Put chicken on grill, skin side down for 4 to 5 minutes. Don’t move it! Allow the skin to get nice and crispy, but not burnt. Listen for the sizzle. If you hear lots of sizzling going on, it's not ready to flip!

Flip the chicken, lowering the heat to medium. Cook 6-7 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165 is reached.

Remove, and let rest for 5 minutes.

Serve with warm tortillas, pinto beans, avocado and big bowl of fresh pico de gallo. Of course, an ice cold beer wouldn’t hurt either!

This recipe makes the best chicken. The flavor is out of this world, and the concentrated stock really adds a great depth. The meat is tender and juicy. And let me tell you that should you have leftovers? WOW. Amazing!

Nutella Heaven

2011-03-24T14:39:00.001-05:00

I was recently given the opportunity to host a Nutella party with a few of our friends. We invited over all of our little preschool friends and we made a big batch of Nutella NoBake Cookies. These little nuggets of Nutella Heaven were a HUGE hit, and they’re so easy to make. I’ve gotten a few requests for the recipe, so I thought I’d share it with you here (I found the original recipe on Pioneer Woman’s Tasty Kitchen, but I made a few alterations that make then sooooooooo much better)

Ingredients:

¾ cups Nutella
1.5 cups Quick Cooking Oats
1.5 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 cups Sugar
1 stick Unsalted Butter, Diced
½ cups Skim Milk
¼ cups Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
dash of kosher salt

Directions:

The key to this recipe is to make sure everything is ready to go, because once it starts it goes quick and there is no stopping to measure things. Measure out Nutella in a small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, measure out oats and set aside. Line a couple of baking sheets with waxed paper.

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, unsalted butter, salt, milk and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil and stir frequently. Boil for 2 minutes. Be sure to boil for a full 2 minutes or cookies will be too soft.

At the 2 minute mark, add in the Nutella, vanilla extract and cooking oats. Stir everything together quickly.

Work quickly now! Scoop little dollops onto the waxed paper. A cookie scooper works well here, or just two spoons.

Let the cookies firm up on the cookie sheets and then enjoy with a tall glass of cold milk!

Disclosure: Mommyparties provided gifts for myself and my guests to help host the party. Thanks!

Recipe: British Mint Picnic Salad

2011-03-16T13:00:00.000-05:00

Growing up as a child in the UK we always had this salad on hand from almost the minute winter turned to spring until the start of winter once again. It’s sweet. It’s tart. It’s crunchy. It says “Hey Little Lamb, come out and play! Spring has Sprung!” It soothes my soul. It contains a secret ingredient that I rarely tell people about, hoping that they’ll love it so much that they beg me to bring the salad over whenever we meet…
After we moved back to the US, the salad came less frequently. Usually only when we were headed to a potluck or squadron picnic. I remember my brother and I asking (practically begging) my mom to make this salad for us. It turns out she only made it for special occasions because the special ingredient wasn’t readily available in here. She was having it shipped to her, snuck into boxes of chocolates and treats from our dear friends in the UK. Later, she’d rejoice when she found a random jar or two on the shelves of the base commissary, rationing the secret potion like it was gold. Once I moved away from home I would search the local Britshoppes in the hopes of finding some of the elusive Colman’s Mint Sauce. One kind shop owner finally told me she wasn’t allowed to import it anymore because the FDA didn’t approve of the ingredient used to boost the green color (Copper Chlorophyllin). Once she told me this, I begged and bartered with internet knitting friends to get jars and jars sent from the UK.

Mmmmm. Minty Goodness!

But guess what? You can get it here again! This natural food colorant has been FDA approved and is perfectly safe! HOORAY! I pick mine up at World Market, but you can also find it on amazon for a decent price.

The recipe really couldn’t be simpler.
1lb rotini pasta
3 or 4 granny smith apples, cut into bite size chunks
5 or 6 celery stalk, cut into bite size “moons”
prepared Italian salad dressing*
3 or 4 tablespoons of Coleman's Mint Sauce**
kosher salt to taste

Nom Nom!

Boil your pasta to a firm al dente. Remember that this will be sitting in an acid and will soften slightly.

Put your chopped celery and apples in a large mixing bowl and dress liberally with the salad dressing and mint sauce. This will keep your apples from turning brown on you.

Rinse the pasta with cool water, but make sure it’s still warm when you add to your bowl of chopped apples and celery.

Stir well and taste it. You can add more dressing and mint if you find your salad needs more moisture, but don’t go overboard. I also find that a pinch of kosher salt is needed, but it will depend on how much you salt your pasta water and what italian salad dressing you use.

Cover and store in the fridge. This salad only gets better the longer it sits, and the BEST part is that it does not spoil easily so it’s the perfect picnic salad!

So deliciously out of focus!

* a note about the salad dressing. I very FIRMLY believe that you MUST use Good Seasonings Italian Salad dressing – you know, the kind that you mix in the little glass cruet with the lines marked for OIL, WATER, VINEGAR. I have tried other prepared dressings and it’s just not as good. I make ours with red wine vinegar and olive oil.

** yes I know there are other mint sauces available out there that are US made… but they are just flat out disgusting and contain so many fillers and un-natural ingredients. We are making a very conscious effort to eat only natural ingredients (no chemical food dyes and corn fillers, thank you very much!). Try the others if you must, but please try this one first. Gilway makes another very good traditional mint sauce as well, but Colman’s is my favorite – hand’s down. OH! And don’t even think about buying that JELLIED stuff to make this salad. Won’t work! Trust me – in an act of newlywed desperation I tried this thinking “how different could it be, really?” Bleck!

Just as a side note – if you take the leftover salad dressing and marinate a bunch of chicken breasts in it and then grill them off, they are FABULOUS alongside this salad or even chunked up and toss in!

ENJOY!

Recipe: Fall-in-a-Bowl

2010-10-27T10:30:00.001-05:00

Okay, seriously, I really should start a new blog called Souperella. Think Bakerella would let me get away with that? No? Perhaps The Soup Queen?

In all seriousness, I haven’t made a stinker of a soup yet and I secretly believe that my ability to create a tasty soup from whatever is around is the main reason why Xiris keeps me around :-) The man loves soup! Good thing too, because I love to make soup!

This soup has officially been dubbed “Fall-in-a-Bowl.” It has all the flavors of fall, oh so warm and comforting when the weather has just started to get nippy. The recipe started as an idea from a Food Network Magazine recipe some time ago – and I tweaked and played with it tonight and got something so much better, healthier and soul pleasing.

(I was THAT excited to show you guys (and to tuck in!) that a quick cellphone snap is all I could manage!)

CBear's Fall-in-a-Bowl

click for PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION :-)

Serves 4
Weight Watchers Points: 4, including pumpkin bowl

Ingredients

The Bowls:
4 "Pie Pumpkins" (some store say "Baking Pumpkins")
2 tsp granulated sugar
Kosher salt

The Soup:
2 TBSP unsalted butter
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Kosher salt
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2c Pinot Grigio (or other dry white wine)
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and 1" cubed
2 to 3 medium carrots, sliced into 1/2" chunks - OR - about 20 baby carrots whacked in half
1 tsp sugar
1/3c Fat Free Plain GREEK yogurt
1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

The Toppings:
3 slices bacon, chopped
1/4 large yellow onion, finely sliced

Directions:
To make the bowls: Preheat the oven to 425F. Use a sharp paring knife and cut the top off of the pumpkin. Do a little design if you are making these for a fancy dinner. Scoop out all the seeds and loose fibers (save those Pepitas to roast later! They'd be a yummy topping too!). Sprinkle the insides and the lids with 1/2 tsp sugar. Generously sprinkle all surfaces with kosher salt. Put the pumpkins and lids on a foil lined baking sheet. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes.

While those roast, make the soup: Melt the butter in a large soup pot over low heat. Add the chopped onion and about 1tsp of kosher salt. Pull the leaves from the thyme stems and add to the pot, increase the heat to medium and cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Toss the squash and carrots into the pot, along with the sugar. Stir well and cook until the squash and carrots develop a glaze, about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat back to low and simmer until the veggies are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

While the soup simmers, put a small sauté pan over medium low heat. Add bacon and sliced onion and cook until the onions are caramelized and the bacon has rendered all fat and become little nuggets of tasty goodness. Drain on paper towel, set aside.

Once soup is cooked, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the Greek yogurt and puree with a stick blender (be careful, it's hot still!) If you don't have a stick blender, work in batches in a stand blender. Blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as desired. Grate nutmeg directly into the pot (it's important not to add this until off the heat, as it loses flavor with high heat) and stir.

Ladle soup directly into the warm from the oven pumpkins, top with reserved bacon and onions. You could completely omit the pumpkin bowls, but they aren’t hard – and scooping some of the warm flesh of the sweet baked globe makes an already out of the world soup OVER the moon!

ENJOY!

Nutritional estimates:
Calories      200.5
Total Fat     8.3 g        Saturated Fat     4.5 g
Cholesterol     20.0 mg
Sodium     281.6 mg
Potassium     686.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate     24.5 g
          Dietary Fiber     5.4 g
          Sugars     3.1 g
Protein     4.7 g

{Connect with Me!}

stop by and leave a comment, let me know how you liked this recipe!

3.2.1. CAKE!

2010-09-27T09:08:00.001-05:00

I thought I’d share a fun little discovery with y’all. I decided last week to go back to Weight Watchers. I had been a member of Weight Watchers for a long, long time while living in California, and I lost alot, alot of weight. It was easy enough then, so I am hoping it goes as well this time (if I can fend of the winter blues and accompanying hibernation desires).

While at the meeting, I was introduced to a new recipe that would satisfy my sweet tooth… and you know what? It’s actually pretty good.

Here’s how it goes:

Take two boxes of cake mix – BUT! – one of them MUST be Angel Food cake mix. The other can be any other flavor you want… lemon, pumpkin spice, chocolate, whatever. Take those two boxes and dump them both into a gallon zippy bag. Shake it up really well to mix it all up.When you are ready for cake, the fun part comes:

Get out a coffee mug. put 3 TBSP cake mix in your mug, add 2 TBSP liquid (water, diet soda), microwave it for 1 minute.

VIOLA! 3.2.1 CAKE!

It plops right out of the mug. Serve with a dollop of fat free Cool Whip, and you’ve got a hunk of cake for 1 point.

Recipe: Standing Roast Chicken

2010-09-09T09:40:00.001-05:00

This is one of those recipes that doesn’t really need an ingredients list. It’s more about the process, and just using what you have on hand. Right now, I have tons of fresh herb in the garden, a fresh chicken, and a stick of butter nearing it’s end date (how is that even possible!) so I used all I could.

For this particular roast chicken version, I decided to try roasting it standing up. I can’t remember where I saw the idea, but it seems genius to me. I think you’d be better suited to use a bundt pan if you have it, but all I have is this angel food pan with the removable bottom.

First, toss a bunch of whatever herbs you have on hand in the bottom. Here I used lots of rosemary and thyme. (I made a dish of foil under my pan to catch the drippings that would leak)

Then I filled the bottom of the pan with chunks of potatoes, onion, baby carrots and garlic. Be sure to season with lots of salt and pepper and maybe a tiny drizzle of olive oil.

Next, I realized that I had a stick of butter that needed used up. So I softened it and tossed in the juice of a lemon, plenty of kosher salt, pepper and fresh chopped herbs. I also grated the rind of a lemon and an orange into the bowl and mixed well.

YUM!

Next prepare the chicken. I did not take pictures of this process because…well… it’s not glamorous, and I had chicken-y hands and didn’t want to muck up my camera. If you want to know what I did: rinse, pat dry with paper towels. Generously salt and pepper the inside cavity. Plop her down on the board and then use your thumbs to gently separate the skin from the meat. Using your hands (and OH GOURDS does this get really messy now!) massage big globs of that glorious herbed butter under the skin. If you have extra butter, go ahead and smear it all over the outside (why not, you can’t reuse it anyway!)

Now, slide your bird onto the center pole of your pan, and wait for her reaction:

Hey lady! Watch where you’re stickin’ that thing!

Don’t leave her arms like that though. I was trying to tuck them so they wouldn’t dry out. You might also notice the cheap bottle of Pinot Grigio in thee background. I drizzled a small amount over the veggies after the bird was in. Why? Why not! And besides, it was an excuse for me to have a sip. A little for the pan, a glass for me!

Here is where you’ll have to follow your favorite chicken roasting recipe (usually 425F for a couple of hours depending on the size). My oven is one of those professional kitchen systems with the gas and convection deals. I have an option called “CONVECT ROAST” that roasts meats to PERFECTION in record times. I set mine to roast at 425F and it took about 45 minutes total to get this glorious color and perfect internal temperature. (I will admit that while it did great with the meats, the veggies needed more time).

She was delicious and OH SO juicy!

Try roasting your next bird standing up in a bundt pan. It works great!

{Red Velvet Cupcakes v0.01}

2009-08-04T22:13:00.001-05:00

After having an AMAZING red velvet cupcake at the Taste of Chicago, I made it my mission to come up with my own recipe and perfect it. A signature recipe of sorts.

This is my first attempt – and while it’s good, I’m not ready to post the recipe. It needs a bit of tweaking yet, it’s good – just not right. I need **good** cocoa to make it perfect, and I used Swan’s Down to get that perfect fine crumb – but I think it was TOO fine- it does need to hold up the frosting, after all. I also want to get gel food coloring, as the liquid stuff is just…well… ick.

What is right is the cream cheese frosting. Luscious, creamy, tangy, perfect. It’d be perfect to make for a carrot cake, or even cinnamon rolls.

What’s that? You’d like the recipe? It’s nothing special, but is super yummy! Well, okay, you pulled my leg.

CBear’s Cream Cheese Frosting

2 sticks (8oz) UNSALTED butter, at room temperature

1.5 packages (12oz) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 box (1lb) Confectioners’ Sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

Mix the butter and cream cheese together well. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar. After well combined, add the vanilla.

That’s it. You’re done. I leave my cheese and butter out overnight to make sure it’s really easy to mix. We also use CORN FREE powdered sugar, and make our own vanilla extract (bottle, GOOD Vodka, vanilla beans, allow to sit for a month or two, yum. refill vodka as needed).

If you try it, drop me a line and let me know what you think!

{Hot Momma of Necessity!}

2009-07-22T23:36:00.001-05:00

We’ve been in the new house for about 12 days now. We still don’t have any appliances. We’ve got a little fridge down in the basement, so at least we have milk and yogurt. Trying to eat out every day isn’t practical at all, so I’ve had to be creative. We’ve got a little toaster over and the big grill.

It turns out that one can cook mac-n-cheese quite successfully. The kids don’t mind oatmeal from the grill either! We did BLT sammies out there once as well. Easy enough, but I wanted a real meal.

Sure, I could have grilled a steak, roasted some corn or baked a potato or two – but I wanted something fun, healthy, and tasty. I pulled out the stand mixer and came up with a great pizza dough. Nothing ground breaking, but simple and tasty.

Yep. I grilled pizza dough. And it worked!

Who knew, right?

CBear’s Grilling Pizza Dough (Corn Free)
1 1/4 cups warm water
4 1/2 tsp instant yeast (2 packages)
1 tablespoon buckwheat honey*
4 tablespoons olive oil (use the good stuff)
4 cups all-purpose flour (plus/minus depending on weather)
2 teaspoons KOSHER salt

Fit your mixer with dough hook. Add water, yeast, honey and oil to bowl. Mix well and allow to stand for 3 or 4 minutes. Dump 3 cups of flour into the bowl and mix on low speed, adding more flour as needed to create a soft dough that doesn’t stick to the side. Allow the machine to knead the dough for you, about 10 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and give it a few turns to make sure it’s smooth and elastic. Place in a well oiled bowl, roll around a few times to coat, cover with a dishtowel and allow to sit at room temp for about 30 minutes.

Use right away or wrap well with plastic and dump in the fridge. If you’ve chilled the dough allow it come back to room temp before using. Split ball into 6 equal chunks. Shape each hunk into rough pizza shapes. I like mine rustic, and mine were about 7 or 8” around. I shape all mine at once and place on the well floured backs of cookie pans. (you can use cornmeal if you want that pizzaria crunch, but we don’t do corn here).

To cook on the grill: heat grill to screaming hot. using a silicone brush, oil the grates well. toss each pizza right on the grates for exactly one minute. use tongs to turn them over. turn your grill down to low and top each pizza with your choice of toppings. Close lid and allow to cook until bottom is to your preferred crispiness and the toppings are heated through/melty.

I topped ours with shaved garlic, thinly sliced roma tomatoes, red onions, julienned basil and proscuitto, and plenty of fresh mozzarella. I also reduced some good balsamic vinegar in a pan right on the grill, for drizzling later.

*I used buckwheat honey here, but you can use any honey you prefer. I like the buckwheat because it has a nutty, somewhat molasses-y flavor. It’s quite delicious if you can find it!

You don’t have to top them with anything at all, they’d be great breads to eat with a hearty stew, a saucy pasta or just to eat (that’s what I’d totally do!)

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

2008-12-10T07:10:00.000-06:00

Here is one of my favorite winter cookies.

The key to these cookies is the peppermint sticks... don't use cheap candy canes or Starlight mints- find the box that says "Old Fashioned Peppermint Sticks" - look at the ingredients - it should say "sugar, peppermint extract and red color" - that's it. If it says anything else, it's not old fashioned. These sticks are the kind that are chalky, you can bite easily, not suck the end into a shank. If you can't find the sticks - sometimes they are available as little balls. I pulverize mine with a ziploc bag and my handy hubby beater...erm, French rolling pin. :)

Ingredients:
4oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups AP Flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder (dutch processed is best)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 bag Nestle semi-sweet chunks
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
4-5 sticks old fashioned peppermint sticks (pulverized)

Directions:
Place the chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power in 1 minute increments, stirring in between until all is melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powders, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer, combine the eggs, granulated sugar and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until light in color and thick, about 3 minutes. Slowly beat in the chocolate melted chocolate mixture on low speed until well blended. Add the dry ingredients and beat until incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chunks. This is a wet, sticky dough.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough is firm enough to roll into balls (about 2 hours, or 15 minutes on your patio in winter in Iowa!).

Position a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (important! trust me!). Sift the confectioners' sugar and the pulverized peppermint sticks into a bowl and mix well.

To form each cookie, roll a tablespoon of dough into about 1 1/2 inch ball. Roll each ball in the sugar mixture and place on the baking sheet. 15 per sheet, and be sure to really plunk them down so they stay put when you move the tray.

Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time - until the tops are puffed and crinkled. They will feel firm when lightly touched, about 13-17 minutes. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes on the tray, then move to wire racks.

Can be stored about 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature -- but they won't last that long!

Argentinian Steak

2008-11-25T08:35:00.003-06:00

A short post today- Hubs took the day off!

We bought Xiris a new grill for Christmas. I have an acquaintance whose hubs is a muckity at the local Sears store, so we were invited to the "friends and family" night. That particular trip turned out to be a bust for a variety of reasons, but hubs placed a call to the main customer service line because of how we were treated, and we got the grill he wanted in the first place for a great deal!

Last night he christened the new grill by making THE. BEST. STEAKS. EVER! Rib on, juicy and delicious. What made the best ever? Aside from his expertise over the fire, it was the chimichurri sauce he slathered all over the top.

Seriously - it made my steak taste like heaven and a garden of YUM! It's nothing more that parsley, garlic, olive oil and a few spices... but so so so good!

I think I've found a recipe that would be very similar:

Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
2. 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3. 4 large garlic cloves, minced (2 1/2 tablespoons)
4. 2 tablespoons oregano leaves
5. 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
6. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
7. 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine the parsley, vinegar, garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper. Process until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and pour the olive oil over the mixture. Let stand for at least 20 minutes.

Make Ahead

The chimichurri can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

*picture found on flickr somewhere.

Thankful #23: Friends coming to visit
Thankful #24: A house that is mostly in order
Thankful #25: Relaxing evenings with the hubs

CBear's Pasta e Fagioli

2008-10-16T05:55:00.005-05:00

CBear’s Pasta e Fagioli
Serves 6 or 4 VERY HEARTILY

Ingredients:
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pkg sliced pancetta, diced
½ lb fresh ground beef, 90% lean or better
1 bay leaf
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 spring fresh rosemary
1 tbsp double concentrated tomato paste (tube)
Pinch red pepper flakes (more or less depending on taste)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion, large diced
4-5 large garlic cloves, minced
8oz pre-shredded carrots (match-stick, salad section)
½ cup red wine
1 can diced tomato
1 can tomato sauce
49oz low sodium chicken broth
1 can Red Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed
½ lb pasta of your choice (pipette or small shells work best)

Directions:

Heat oil in 6.5qt dutch oven (or really large pot) over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook until brown. Remove pancetta, leaving oil.
Add beef to pot and begin to brown. While browning, season with salt and pepper, fresh herbs, red pepper. Add tomato paste to the pan and combine with meat. Don’t break meat down into tiny pieces, leave a bit chunky. Once brown, remove from pan.
Toss celery, onion and carrots into the pan. Add more oil if needed. Once the onions are translucent, add the garlic and heat until aromatic. Pour red wine into veggies, and reduce by 1/3 – be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to remove the wonderful flavors!
Return meats to the pot. Add canned tomatoes, beans and chicken broth. Stir to combine. Increase heat to bring on a steady simmer. Simmer until all flavors have combined and all veggies are soft. The longer the better.
Increase the heat to a boil, add pasta. You may need to add a bit of water, as the pasta absorbs a great deal of the liquid. Turn off heat before pasta is completely done, as it will continue to cook as you let the soup cool a bit before serving.
Serve with breadsticks for dipping and fresh shaved parmesan cheese on top.

NOTES:

Ingredients are listed based on the order they are thrown in the pot.
This makes a very thick chili-style soup. Add more water or broth to make it as soupy as you like.
Pasta can be cooked in two ways. If you are feeding everyone at once, right in the pot is best. If you will be serving at different times, boil the pasta separately and add it to the bowl as you ladle in your soup.

The Sound of Good French Bread

2008-09-11T22:19:00.006-05:00

I try to bake a batch of French Bread on a very regular basis. I have my grandmother's recipe that she has used for over 60 years. She is French and will tell you that any good French bread is crusty and sturdy enough to beat your man with. She'll also tell you that only flour, salt, yeast and water should be in good bread.

I love her recipe, and I have it memorized - but it takes FOREVER and DAY, so sometimes I make my own recipe. It's just as good, but faster. I've played with these proportions for a long time and have come up with my own ratios and what not. I do this with my trusty stand mixer because I am not much of a hand kneader.

First - You need to play this video. Turn your sound up.

CBear's Fantastic French Bread
Ingredients:

5 tsp active dry yeast (two packages if you use them)
2 1/2 cups water (105F to 115 F)
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
7 cups flour total (4 bread flour, 3 AP flour, both unbleached)
additional cold water with pastry brush

Directions:

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a mixer bowl that you've warmed with hot water.
Add salt, butter, and flour.
Attach bowl & dough hook to mixer, mix about 1 minute or until well blended.
Knead about 4 minutes longer (test a small ball of the dough - you should be able to stretch it thin and see through it. If it tears - knead some more) Dough will be slightly sticky.
Put dough in large glass bowl you've oiled with olive oil, turning to coat.
Cover with plastic wrap and a damp towel and let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
Punch dough down and divide in half.
Roll each half into 12" x 15" rectangle.
Roll dough tightly, from longest side, tapering ends, if needed/wanted.
Put loaves on baking sheets (of your choice*)
Cover and let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
With sharp serrated knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts on top of each loaf.
Very quickly, liberally brush each loaf with cold water using pastry brush.
Bake at 450F for 25-30 minutes
Test for doneness. I quickly thumb them on the bottom and listen for a nice thick hollow sound (if that makes sense)
Immediately remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.

Notes:
Some will notice that I did not mention making sure that the loaves do not stick to the pan on the second rise. I use the pan shown to the right - in both loaf and baguette form. Using these pans results in a loaf that is crisp and brown all the way around, no soggy bottoms here! They are non-stick - but to make sure that the dough does not rise into the perforations - I use old fashioned flour sack towels from Williams-Sonoma. I line the pans with a towel, lay the shaped bread on it and use the rest of the towel to cover the top followed by the plastic wrap and damp towel. It works wonders, and makes for a wonderfully textured bread. Be sure to remove the towel before you bake! The dough slides right off if you remember to flour the towel liberally first.

I don't use cornmeal or egg washes because I find them unnecessary and I don't like the texture the egg-wash gives French bread. I love it on my sourdough, but not my French! Besides, I can't have those things in the house with PrincessZ...

Oh the reason for video? My grandmother says that the number one sign that you've baked the perfect loaf of French Bread is that upon removing it from the oven it crackles and pops for the next 1/2 hour.

Dinner around here sometimes consists of a loaf of bread right from the oven, butter, a nice red wine and maybe a bit or cheese or roasted garlic (or both!).

My Favorite Thanksgiving Recipe

2007-11-19T18:46:00.000-06:00

I felt like I needed to share this with everyone - I get so many requests for the recipe, that I decided to actually pay attention to what I was doing and write it out. What's your favorite Thanksgiving recipe?

CBear's Famous Sweet Potato Souffle

The Souffle:

4 cups mashed sweet potatoes (2 large cans, non-candied)

1/2 cup sugar (splenda works well)

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk or cream

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 stick of butter (melted)

1 tsp vanilla (the good stuff!!!)

The Topping:

1 cup brown sugar (again, splenda works well)

1/2 cup of flour

1/3 cup butter (melted)

1 cup pecans (chopped)

Directions:

In stand mixer, beat potatoes until smooth, add sugar. Once combined, add eggs one at a time. Add the milk, butter, salt and vanilla. Stir until well mixed.

Pour into a well buttered pan (I usually just PAM it)

Crumble topping evenly over mixture, bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, uncovered.