Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Focaccia

This one's for Carly...also from the food network.

Ingredients

1/2 cup warm water
2 teaspoons dry yeast
4 cups flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons chiffonade of basil
3 tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
10 (1-ounce) slices of fresh mozzarella
Salt and white pepper
Essence

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Position the rack in the center of the oven with a baking stone. Oil an 11 by 1-inch baking sheet. In a large bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon yeast into 1/2-cup water until the mixture is cloudy, about 10 minutes. Add 3/4 cup flour. Cover with plastic and let stand until the mixture is bubbly, about 45 minutes. In a small bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon yeast into 1 cup water. Again let the mixture stand for about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, stir dissolved yeast mixture and 1/4 cup olive oil into sponge mixture. Stir in 1-cup flour. Stir in 2 tablespoons of basil, garlic, and 2 teaspoons salt. Add the remaining flour in 2 batches, mixing the flour into the mixture thoroughly. Form the dough into a ball.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Turn the dough out onto the prepared pan. Press the dough out to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover the dough with plastic and let the dough stand for about 10 minutes. Press the dough out again and let the dough rise until double in size, about 1 hour. Season each slice of tomato and cheese with salt and white pepper. Arrange the tomatoes on top of the dough. Arrange the cheese on top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle with remaining basil. Bake the focaccia until the bread is golden and crisp, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into slices. Place on a platter and garnish with Essence.

Chicken Pot Pie

This is from the food network and looks like it is a lot of work but it really isn't. I don't use a cast iron pan - I make two pies and freeze one. Also I don't add as much nutmeg as it calls for. I also don't use the full amount of pearl onions and I cut them in half if I have time.

Chicken Pot Pie

Crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
3 sticks frozen unsalted butter, cut into small bits
1/2 cup ice water mixed with 2 tablespoons white vinegar

Sauce:
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chicken base (recommended: Knorr brand)
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon ground sage
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt Freshly ground black pepper

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) box frozen green peas
3 cups sauteed button mushrooms
2 cups cooked, diced carrots
4 medium potatoes, parboiled and diced, with the skin on
1 (8-ounce) box frozen pearl onions
4 (7-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, poached and diced Nonstick cooking spray

Glaze:
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon water

To make the crust: In a food processor, add the flour, salt and butter. Mix until the ingredients are combined. With the motor running, slowly add the water-vinegar mixture and mix until the dough begins to gather on itself.
Dump out the dough and form 2 balls. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large saucepan, heat the butter until foamy. Add the flour, and chicken base, whisking constantly until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the stock, cream and milk.

Put the pan back on low heat until the mixture has thickened (if the sauce is too thick, add more stock.) Taste for saltiness. Whisk in sage, nutmeg, salt (if necessary), and pepper. Remove from the heat, and in a large bowl, combine with the vegetables and chicken. Set aside.

Spray a 9 by-13 cast iron dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Roll out the first ball of dough slightly larger than the pan. Lay the bottom crust in the pan, letting the edges hang over. Fill with the chicken and sauce mixture.
Roll out the second crust slightly larger than the pan and place on top of the pie. Wet the edges with some water and crimp the edges of the 2 crusts together. Roll the extra over and tuck into the pan.

Mix the egg yolks, cream and water to form a glaze and brush on the top of the pie.

Cut a slit in the top to vent the steam and refrigerate for 15 minutes to set.

After setting, place in the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 250 degrees F. After 45 minutes, increase the heat to 350 degrees F and bake for 15 more minutes or until bubbly.

Potato Leek Soup

I seriously am in LOVE with this soup! It's from Shad's friend Mark Weinberg  who is also an amazing photographer! And I've never bought, cooked, eaten, or SEEN a Leek before! But can say now that I have! Anyway, its delicious so enjoy! 

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped leek
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 pounds cubed, peeled Yukon gold or red potato
1 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Preparation:
Heat butter and oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leek,
celery, and bell pepper; cook 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender,
stirring frequently. Combine milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring with
a whisk. Slowly add milk mixture to pan, stirring constantly. Stir in broth,
corn, potato, salt, and freshly ground pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat,
and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Sarah Tanner's Date Bran Muffins

Ingredients:

6 C Bran Cereal (2 Cups Bran Buds 4 C Raisin Bran)

1lb Chopped Dates run through blender

2 C boiling water

½ C butter

1 tsp salt

5 tsp Baking Soda

1 C chunky applesauce

1 quart buttermilik

5 C flour

2 C sugar

5 eggs

1 C chopped walnuts

 Directions:

Pour boiling water over ceral and dates and let stand. Cream butter applesauce, sugar, and eggs. Sift dry ingredients together. Add to creamed mixture alternating with buttermilk. Stir in bran date mixture and nuts. Bake in muffins tins 400 degrees 15 min. Keeps up to 6 weeks in fridge. Makes lots!

Mom Maygren gave me this recipe over the phone. If you need any clarification give her a ring.

Recipe from Token Asian Friend (from Seriously, So Blessed!)

We have not tried these cookies, but heard about them from a link off Token Asian Friend's blog. Anyone brave enough to try this recipe? 

Bacon chocolate chip cookies from Never Bashful with Butter

(the story behind these cookies is an interesting read)

3/4 cup butter(It has been suggested that using 1 full cup of butter works best due to cookie dough dryness)
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon hazelnut (or almond) extract

*Edit- It has been suggested that the almond flavouring may be overpowering to the flavour of the cookie, feel free to add this ingredient to taste*
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg (It has been suggested that using 2 eggs works best due to cookie dough dryness)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups bacon bits (if preferred, you can separate the dough into two parts and only make half of the dough into bacon cookies, in which case you’ll only want to use 1 cup bacon bits)

*An important note- Be sure to use real bacon bits, not Bacos *See large print at the bottom of this post*

Also, you can make your own bacon bits, just make sure you pat down the bacon chunks with paper towels to remove as much extra bacon grease as possible. *Edit* one of my readers made their own bacon bits and found out that apparently it takes about 2lbs of bacon to make 2 cups of bacon bits, just for future reference.

Directions-

preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Beat together the butter, sugars, flavouring and eggs until creamy. In another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir together. Dough will be slightly soft. If you want a cakier cookie, add another half cup of flour. Add in chocolate chips and bacon bits. Stir until well integrated. Place dough on a sheet of waxed paper and refrigerate at least an hour. Remove dough from fridge, pinch off 1 1/2 inch pieces of dough and roll into balls. Set dough balls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten dough balls slightly with your fingers in the center.

Bake cookies for about 10 minutes, or until the dough starts to turn golden brown. Allow cookies to cool on a cooling rack while you ready the glaze.

Maple cinnamon glaze-

2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon maple extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon *edit- it has been suggested that 1 teaspoon may be a bit much, so go ahead and add to taste*
enough water to make a thick glaze (I used about 3 tablespoons)

Mix all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. If lumpy, use a whisk.

Spread a small amount of the glaze on the top of each cookie and top with a small piece of crisp cooked bacon.

Festive Tossed Salad

We made this for our Christmas brunch, and Hallie and Mike like it enough that they will definitely make it again. 

Festive Tossed Salad 

From Taste of Home 

With its unique medley of fruits and festive look, this salad is a holiday tradition at our house. Our three grown daughters have come to expect it. One forkful reminds us of all the things we can be thankful for. -Jauneen Hosking, Greenfield, Wisconsin

SERVINGS  8-10

CATEGORY Salads 

PREP 15 min. 

TOTAL 15 min. 

INGREDIENTS 

• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 
  
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice 
  
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion 
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
  
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil 
  
• 2 to 3 teaspoons poppy seeds 
  
• 10 cups torn romaine 
  
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese 
  
• 1 medium apple, chopped 
  
• 1 medium pear, chopped 
  
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries 
  
• 1/2 to 1 cup chopped cashews 
  

DIRECTIONS      

    In a blender or food processor, combine the sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, onion and salt. Cover and process until blended. With blender running, gradually add oil. Add poppy seeds and blend. 
    In a salad bowl, combine the romaine, Swiss cheese, apple, pear and cranberries. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing. Add cashews; toss to coat. Serve immediately. 

Yield: 8-10 servings.   

Crushed-Peppermint Cheesecake

Mike baked this one from scratch, and it was a big hit at our brunch on Christmas day. 

Crushed-Peppermint Cheesecake 

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/2 hours, plus at least 4 hours to cool and chill

12 ounces creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, broken into pieces

3 tablespoons melted butter
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
4 eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup coarsely crushed peppermint candy

1. Place cookies in a heavy zip-lock plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Pour into a buttered 9-inch round springform pan and pour melted butter over crumbs; mix to coat, then press evenly over bottom and about 1/2 inch up sides of pan. Bake in a 300° oven until crust is slightly darker and looks a bit dry, about 10 minutes (leave oven on).

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Beat in sour cream. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Beat in flour, vanilla, peppermint extract, and salt until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture into pan over baked crust.

3. Bake until edges are just golden and center jiggles slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour. Run a knife around edge of pan rim. Place pan on a wire rack and cool cheesecake completely in pan. Cover and chill until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days. Run a knife around rim again, then release rim. If any liquid has pooled on surface of cheesecake, blot dry gently with a paper towel. 

4. Decorate top of cake with crushed peppermint candy, pressing it in gently with your hands.
Yield:  Makes 12 to 16 servings

CALORIES 356 (61% from fat); FAT 24g (sat 13g); CHOLESTEROL 108mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31g; SODIUM 373mg; PROTEIN 6.3g; FIBER 0.6g 

Sunset, DECEMBER 2004