Neighborhood Kitchen

Aebleskivers...

2011-04-03T09:51:00.005-06:00

Growing up, one of my favorite "special breakfasts" was Aebleskivers. They are Danish pancakes. They're kind of a cross between pancakes and popovers. This family tradition started with my Grandmother Humphries (she was very formal, so we had to call her Grandmother). She would make them for us for special occasions. My Grandmother and Grandpa Humphries

My mom carried on the tradition. I remember sitting in the kitchen anxiously awaiting to dip them in raspberry jam and powdered sugar. They were delicious! Shortly after I got married my mom gave me an Aebleskiver pan. Sadly, my pan sat untouched for quite a long time. A few years ago I made them for my uncle and aunt. Ah the memories it brought back. I don't make them as often as I like, but when I do I'm instantly carried away to my childhood. I hope to carry on the tradition of Aebleskivers for my family.

Aebleskivers require a special pan. Typically it is a cast iron pan with seven small wells. You can find them at most kitchen stores or online.

Aebleskivers

(Grandmother Humphries)

1 quart buttermilk

4 eggs, separated

1 TBSP sugar

1 TBSP salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 cups flour

2 TBSP butter, melted

Mix buttermilk and egg yolk. Beat well. Add sugar, salt, baking soda and flour. Mix until thin-cake batter.

Whip remaining egg whites until fluffy. Fold egg whites into batter.

Spray Aebleskiver pan with Pam or brush with melted butter. Poor batter in pan, filling well about 2/3 full. Cook over medium-low heat. Turn when golden brown. Be careful not to burn. Make sure it is cooked all the way through.

Serve with jam, jelly, powdered sugar or syrup.

***This makes a lot of batter. Half the recipe for a small family!

***I also fill with fruit. Put half batter in, fruit filling, then remaining batter.

Although this is not my family recipe, it's one of my favorites!

Blueberry Filled Aebleskivers

1 ¾ cup flour

¾ tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 ½ TBSP sugar

½ tsp salt

Zest of ½ lemon

3 egg yolks + 5 egg whites

1 1/3 cup buttermilk

¾ cup ricotta cheese

5 TBSP butter, melted

1 pint blueberries

In bowl, whisk: flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, salt and lemon zest. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk egg yolks. Whisk in buttermilk and ricotta. Whisk in flour mixture until well combined. (Mixture will be lumpy) In another bowl, whick egg whites until stiff. Gently fold into batter.

Put ½ tsp butter into wells of Aebleskiver pan. Place over medium heat. Pour 1 TBSP batter into well. Place four blueberries into center of batter. Top with 1 TBSP batter. Cook 3-5 minutes. Turn and cook about 3 more minutes. Dust with powdered sugar

Chicken with Pesto Mushroom Cream sauce...

2011-02-15T18:46:00.004-07:00

We stopped in to Barnes and Noble (I have an addiction to this store and truth be told I don't really read. If I do read, I go to the library. So I'm not quite sure why I even go to Barnes and Noble). While we were oogling all the fun cook books, I came across this beauty. Every Saturday Ryan and I watch America's Test Kitchen. We are always mesmerized by their dishes. So it's no surprise that this is my new favorite cookbook (sorry Barefoot Contessa). We have tried 4-5 dishes, all of them have been winners. I will try to share more later, but in case I don't, you really should go buy this book!

Tonight's dinner was Chicken with Pesto Mushroom Cream sauce. I must admit, I didn't take this picture. In fact I didn't even type the recipe. Due to my laziness, I googled it. Luckily I came across the same recipe at What's Cookin, Chicago? So thank you to her for making it easier for me to share with you. In her recipe, she used Portobello mushrooms. I might try them next time for a nuttier deeper flavor. You should check out her blog, everything looks delicious!!

This dinner was so simple to make. It is a one skillet, thirty-minute meal. The sauce had a great flavor. I loved the hint of lemon. We served it over Thin Spaghetti (Whole Wheat of course).

Chicken with Pesto Mushroom Cream Sauce
ATK: The Best Simple Recipes

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
salt & pepper to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
10 oz white mushrooms, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup prepared basil pesto (homemade or store bought)
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Cooking chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and tent with foil.

Add remaining oil to skillet and cook mushrooms until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, add cream, broth and chicken to skillet, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Transfer chicken to serving platter and tent with foil. Return skillet to high heat and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes, Off heat, stir in pesto and lemon juice and season with salt & pepper. Serve sauce on the side or over chicken.

Parker House Rolls (or, amazing, incredible, perfect for any Thanksgiving Day table rolls)

2010-11-01T17:44:00.002-06:00

I have tried many many roll recipes over the past few years. I have been on a bit of a quest for the perfect dinner roll and have only found a few tried and true recipes. The Lion House rolls are always a hit with any meal, and I often make those whenever a roll is needed. But, when I saw this recipe in Food Network Magazine (I love this magazine, btw!) I just had to give it a shot, and I am sooo glad I did! It turned out amazing! Hot from the oven is best, but we served later with White Chicken Chili and the constrast of the slightly sweet dough with the spicy chili was amazing! And the salt sprinkled over the top just sets these rolls apart! Sorry, no pics, I made them a week ago and just thought to share the recipe, so you will have to use your imagination...or head over to the store and pick up a copy of the magazine for step by step instructions and photos! :)

Parker House Rolls

1 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
1/2 c sugar
7 1/2 to 8 cups flour, plus more for dusting
12 tablespoons butter (unsalted), melted and cooled, plus softened butter for brushing
2 cups whole milk, at room temp
2 large eggs, at room temp
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

Measure out 1/2 cup very warm water (110-120 degrees). Sprinkle the yeast into a large bowl, add the warm water and whisk in the sugar. Let sit 1 minute (it should bubble and froth slightly), then gently stir in 1 cup flour. Set aside near the stove while you prepare the dough.

Mix the melted butter and milk in a stand mixer with the hook attachment on low speed. Add the eggs and mix until blended. Scrape in the yeast mixture and mix until incorporated. Add 6 1/2 cups flour and 1 T. salt; mix until the dough forms a ball, 2-3 minutes, adding up to 1/2 c more flour if the dough is too wet and sticky.

Brush a large bowl with softened butter (or spray with Pam). Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 2-2 1/2 hours. THe dough should double in volume.

Preheat the oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dust a clean flat surface with flour and turn the dough onto it. Flour your hands; gently press the dough into a 16x8 inch rectangle, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick (do not use a rolling pin).

With the short side in front of you, cut the dough in half lengthwise with a floured knife. Then slice crosswise into 12 strips. One at a time, fold each strip of dough into thirds. Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet in 3 tightly packed rows. (Leave an inch or so between columns and have the sides almost touching so the rolls rise together in the oven and create a "pull apart" style of roll.)

Bake until the rolls are bursting at the seams and golden brown, 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with softened butter. Sprinkle with kosher salt and serve immediately.

If you would like, you can make in advance and freeze them before baking. After you have placed dough on the prepared pan, wrap the whole baking sheet tightly in plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 weeks. When you want to bake them, bake frozen rolls at 325 for 25 minutes, then 10 minutes more at 375.

Pumpkin Cream Cupcakes...

2010-10-11T16:51:00.003-06:00

My co-worker brought in the yummiest pumpkin cupcakes. She said they were easy to make. That said, right after work I was off to buy the ingredients at the store. I was so excited to make these for family night. There I was, batter all mixed up and cream cheese mixture ready to go. Small problem, I ran out of cupcake liners. At this point I lost my motivation to run back to the store. So instead of cupcakes, I made it as a cake. I poured the cake batter in a 9 x 13 pan. Poured the cream cheese filling on top and swirled it with the cake batter. Baked it a little longer and Viala! Pumpkin Cream cake. Almost just as good - not as much cream cheese filling, but we still managed to scarf it down!

photo curtesy of kraftrecipes.com

Pumpkin Cream Cupcakes

1 pkg. (2-layer size) spice cake mix

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

PREPARE cake batter as directed on package. Add dry pudding mix and pumpkin; mix well. Spoon into 24 paper-lined muffin cups.

BEAT cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Blend in sugar and egg; spoon over batter.

BAKE 18 to 21 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 5 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

Kraft Kitchens Tips: Stir 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg into 1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping; spread over cooled cupcakes. Keep refrigerated.

apple dumplings...

2010-10-02T08:27:00.004-06:00

We've eaten really good this week! I've been trying new recipes and revisting lost favorites. One recipe we revisited was apple dumplings. Awhile back, we had our good friends over for dinner. Kristy was in charge of dessert. Because this is a desert you eat right out of the oven, she prepared it at my house. I was a little skeptical watching her make it, but I figured with two sticks of butter how could it go wrong! It was so good!

Fast forward to last night...going through my recipe binder I came across the recipe. Without any hesitation I ran to the store grabbed the ingredients. We enjoyed our fabulous treat (and then again for breakfast this morning). Hope you enjoy it as we do!

I only made half the recipe.

Apple Dumplings

Kristy Mayes

2 granny smith apples

2 cans Pillsbury crescent rolls

2 sticks butter

1 ½ cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Cinnamon

1 can Mountain Dew

Peel and core apples. Cut into 8 slices each. Roll each slice into crescent roll dough. Place in 9 x 13 buttered pan.

Melt butter. Add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla. Pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around edges of pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 350˚ for 40 minutes.

Serve with ice cream. Spoon sauce from pan over the top

Greek Salsa Chicken

2010-09-20T11:31:00.003-06:00

We made the best dinner last night. It's become one of our favorites. It's easy and quick. Ryan even said " You could put this on a bumper and it would taste good!" I'm sure he stole the line from Emeril, but I was still thankful for the compliment. Sorry there's not a picture. I was so hungry I just dug in, completely forgetting my camera.

Cook 4-6 chicken breasts. Top with Greek Salsa. Serve with couscous on the side. I mix my salsa in with the couscous. De.Lish!

Greek Salsa

4 oz feta cheese
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup pitted Kalmata olives
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix all ingredients. Serve.

***I've also used 1/2 can diced tomatoes, drained. I also add 1/4 cup finely diced red onion.

Jumbalaya...

2010-09-17T17:53:00.005-06:00

As you can see from the date on the last post - It's been a long time! Summer always seems to throw me off schedule. I haven't even thought about the blog, until my sister had a question on one of the recipes she found on here. So I've decided to start up again. My goal is to try and make one to two new recipes each week. Hopefully they'll turn out and I'll share.

This week's new recipe is a combination of two recipes. Everyday Food and Cuisine at Home both had jambalaya recipes. They were both very similar, so I just combined them. I don't know that I would call it jambalaya, but it was still tasty.

Jambalaya

1 8-oz smoked sausage, sliced (we use turkey sausage)
2 TBSP olive oil
1 onion, medium dice
1 bell pepper, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic
2 14-oz can diced tomatoes
2 cup cooked rice

In a large skillet, saute sausage in olive oil. Cook about 5 minutes.

Add in onion, pepper and celery. Cook until veggies are tender, about 6-8 minutes.

Add garlic, cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes. Scrap bottom of pan! Cook 3 minutes, until it thickens up. Stir in rice. Cook until heated. Serve.

***I added a few dashes of Tabasco sauce with the tomatoes to spice it up. I also put the Tabasco on the table for anyone who wants it spicier. We served with black beans.

***You can also add one pound raw shrimp with the garlic. Cook until shrimp is cooked through before adding tomatoes.

Coconut Cream Cupcakes...

2010-04-03T14:58:00.002-06:00

We had an Easter brunch at our house. I made one of my favorite treats - Coconut Cream Cupcakes. It combines two of my favorite things - sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese frosting. The recipe is for a cake, but I adapted it into cupcakes. It truly is heavenly. You must try it!

Coconut Cream Cake

1 box white cake mix
3/4 cup sweetened coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 Tsp coconut extract

Make white cake according to directions on box, except omit oil and add 6 TBSP coconut. Bake at 350 for 28 minutes. While baking, in a small bowl combine sweetened condensed milk and coconut extract. When cake is done, remove from oven, poke lots of holes on top of cake. Pour milk mixture over the top. Allow to cook.

Top with whipped cream and remaining coconut.

For cupcakes - bake for 15 minutes. Because the milk mixture runs off the cupcakes, I had to find an alternate to getting it inside the cupcakes. I used my Ronco injector - I knew that it would come in handy one day - I just didn't expect it to be with cupcakes :). Squirt a little bit into each cupcake. If you don't have an injector, I guess you can try poking holes.

Instead of the whipped cream topping, I opted for something a bit more tasty...

Cream Cheese Coconut frosting

4 oz cream cheese, room temp
1/2 cup butter, room temp
2 tsp coconut extract
4-4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Mix ingredients together.

Looking for recipes...

2010-01-31T14:48:00.002-07:00

I'm going to start making freezer meals. I'm hoping they can save my sanity on those days that just don't go as planned. I've got a few recipes to start with, but I'd love to get more. Any suggestions on what you love to freeze?

Soft Pretzels

2010-01-07T15:41:00.003-07:00

Tonight we are having spaghetti and meatballs. Rather than making the usual garlic bread or bread sticks, Josh and I thought we'd mix things up a bit and make soft pretzels. I came across this recipe from The Sister's Cafe. They were super easy and quick to make. I used "Big Red" to knead the dough (I don't have the patience to do it by hand)

As always, my soux chef Josh was there to lend a hand. He had fun trying to shape dough. He preferred making rocks instead of snakes.

Soft Pretzels

www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com

1 1/2 cup warm water

1 pkg yeast (or 1 Tb)

1 Tb sugar

1 tsp salt

4 cups flour

Add sugar to warm water then sprinkle yeast on top. Let float for a minute then stir to dissolve the yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes as yeast activates and starts to foam. Add salt and flour and knead 5-10 minutes; adding more flour as needed to reduce stickiness. Divide dough in to 12 pieces and roll each piece into a long rope or "snake". Twist into pretzel shape and place on nonstick baking sheet. Make an egg wash with one egg and a Tb of water, lightly beaten together. Brush pretzels with egg wash then sprinkle liberally with Kosher salt. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

*Soft pretzels just aren't the same the next day. They are still good but not as soft and fresh tasting. I'll tell you a secret though... brush them with melted butter, sprinkle on Parmesan cheese, and toss them under the broiler for a minute and you have a delicious cheesy pretzel snack! Yum!!

Christmas Dinner

2009-12-27T12:57:00.003-07:00

Every year my family's dinner for Christmas is a fancy prime rib dinner. Well, this year we decided to stay home for Christmas dinner (long story). So we decided to continue on the tradition. However, thinking we didn't need a huge 7-8 pound roast, we bought a 2-3 pound. Upon inspection, we realized that it was too small to roast, so we cut it in half and had a nice rib-eye steak dinner. Just as fabulous!!! We served it with a creamy gorgonzola sauce, Cheddar bacon smashed potatoes, and roasted asparagus. It was divine!!!

Cheddar Bacon Smashed Potatoes

5 lbs potatoes, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced.

1 pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 cube butter, melted

1 cup sour cream

1 lb crisp bacon, crumbled – reserve some to sprinkle on top

2 cups cheddar cheese, grated – reserve some to sprinkle on top

1 bunch green onions, chopped – reserve some to sprinkle on top

Boil together potatoes and garlic until tender. Mash. Add remaining ingredients. Put into casserole dish. Sprinkle top with bacon, cheese, and onions. Bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes. Serve.

***I halved the recipe, cooked it in a 9 x 9 pan.

Roasted Asparagus

1 TBSP Olive Oil

2 pounds asparagus spears, ends trimmed

Kosher salt and ground pepper

Parmesean Cheese, finely grated

Line asparagus on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Roll asparagus to coat evenly. Bake at 400˚for 10-15 minutes. After removing from oven, sprinkle with Parmesean Cheese.

Gorgonzola Sauce

1 cup heavy cream
6 ounces crumbly Gorgonzola (not creamy or "dolce")
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

Bring the heavy cream and garlic to a full boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, then continue to boil rapidly for 10-20 minutes, until thickened like a white sauce, stirring occasionally.

Off the heat, add the Gorgonzola. Whisk rapidly until the cheeses melt and serve warm. If you must reheat, warm the sauce over low heat until melted, then whisk vigorously until the sauce comes together.

Holiday Cookies & Candy...

2009-12-17T14:10:00.004-07:00

We had a great time at our Holiday Cookie & Candy Swap! We all went home with lots of delicious treats & recipes! Here are a few that we sampled...

Pecan Tassies
(Kristen Healy)

Crust:

1 C. margarine

1/2 C. Sugar

1 Egg

1 tsp Vanilla

2 C. flour

Mix the above ingredients and roll into small balls. Put into mini muffin tins and smash down with your thumb or a pastry press to create a tart. Fill with filling about 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for about 15 mins.

Filling:

2 eggs

1 1/2 C Brown Sugar

2 TB melted butter

1 tsp Vanilla

1 C finely chopped pecans

Pretzel Hugs

(Natalie Cheney)

1/2 bag pretzels (about 80) the square snyder's grid looking ones work the best
1 bag of herseys hugs
m&m's

line pretzels on baking sheet and place a hug in the middle of each one. Place in oven at 200 degrees for about 5-6 minutes. They should just be shiny not melted.

Remove from oven and squish an m&m down into the hug . Place in fridge for awhile to let harden. Enjoy!

Caramel-filled Chocolate Cookies

(Jeanne Booth)

1 cup butter, softened

17 tablespoons sugar, divided

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cups chopped pecans, divided

1 (13 ounce) package Rolo candies

4 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate, melted

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, 1 cup sugar and brown sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans.

Shape a tablespoonful of dough around each candy, forming a ball. In a small bowl, combine the remaining sugar and pecans; dip each cookie halfway. Place nut side up 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 7-10 minutes or until tops are slightly cracked. Cool for 3 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle with melted white chocolate.

Pumpkin Cookies with Penuche Frosting...

2009-12-07T11:19:00.003-07:00

This is going to be my crazy Christmas baking week, so why I decided to throw in a batch of cookies just for fun, I'm not sure. I'm on the hunt for the best pumpkin cookie. I think I may have found my choice. They are delicious! The frosting is what totally makes it.

Pumpkin Cookies with Penuche Frosting

1/2	cup sugar
1/2	cup firmly packed brown sugar
1	cup margarine or butter, softened
1	cup canned pumpkin
1	teaspoon vanilla
1	egg
2	cups all purpose flour
1	teaspoon baking powder
1	teaspoon baking soda
1	teaspoon cinnamon
1/4	teaspoon salt
3/4	cup chopped nuts
Frosting:
3	tablespoons margarine or butter
1/2	cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4	cup milk
1 1/2	to 2 cups powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, combine sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 cup margarine; beat until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, vanilla and egg; blend well. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Stir in nuts. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 350°F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown around edges. Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Cool 15 minutes or until completely cooled.

Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, combine 3 tablespoons margarine and 1/2 cup brown sugar; bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Cool 10 minutes. Add milk; beat until smooth. Beat in enough powdered sugar for desired spreading consistency. Frost cooled cookies.

Italian Tortellini Soup & No-Fuss Focaccia

2009-12-04T17:15:00.003-07:00

This was a recipe that came from our recipe exchange about a year ago. I was excited to try it. I filed it away thinking I'd make it soon and somehow I lost it amongst all my recipes. Now that the cold weather is here, I started searching my recipes and found this lost treasure. I sprinkled Parmesean Cheese on top and viola!

Rather than use the old stand by of breadsticks, I thought I'd make some focaccia. I love this recipe. It is so easy!!! I love it dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar - mmm! It's really good if you use it to make Italian sandwhiches or paninis. Dinner was delicious tonight, even Josh ate all his dinner!

Italian Tortellini Soup

(Michelle Pohlhopek)

1 lb Italian Sausage browned

½ onion, chopped

1 cup V-8 Juice

2 14 oz can stewed tomatoes

1 cup chopped carrots

½ cup zucchini

½ tsp fresh garlic

5 cup beef broth

½ tsp basil

¼ tsp oregano

1-8oz bag tortellini

Brown sausage and onion. Add remaining ingredients, except tortellini. Simmer for 1 hour. Add tortellini last 20 minutes of simmer time.

***I also added zucchini with tortellini

No-Fuss Focaccia

1 1/2 cups warm water

3 tablespoons olive oil (plus additional for drizzling)

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 tablespoon instant yeast

Italian Seasoning or dried herbs of you choice, for topping

Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan, and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil in the bottom. Combine all of the ingredients, and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 60 seconds.

Scoop the sticky batter into the prepared pan, cover the pan, and let it rise at room temperature for 60 minutes, till it's become puffy. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Gently poke the dough all over with your index finger. Drizzle it lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with Italian seasoning, and/or the dried herbs of your choice, if desired.

Bake the bread till it's golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove it from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then turn it out of the pan onto a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.