Easy Pecan Sandies

I'm not a mom, but I am busy and I also love a good, homemade cookie! I found this recipe and had to make it and I'm so glad I did. It took me about 30 minutes from start to finish!!  These cookies are full of toasty pecan flavor, and not too sweet. Just perfect in my book.

Ingredients~

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 C brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 C flour
1 C pecans, coarsely chopped (I toasted them slightly before putting them in the dough)

Directions~

1. Preheat oven to 350 with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla and salt.  Either by hand or with mixer on low, gradually add flour, beating until just combined. Fold in pecans by hand.

2. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, two inches apart, 8 to a sheet. Flatten slightly with palm of hand. I like to use a small cookie/ice cream scoop when I make cookie - it helps them to cook more evenly.




I like to scoop a GENEROUS portion with this small scoop.



Slightly flattened...

3. Bake until cookies are golden brown, 15 -17 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Store in airtight container for 5 days.......if they last that long.

enjoy!

Red Wine Reduction with Sliced Mushrooms

Lee and I had some pasta that was made with Red Wine and I was trying to figure out what kind of sauce to put on it. I did some internet searching and found a very basic red wine reduction, to which I added a couple of changes.

This recipe is neither low-fat nor low-calorie. However, it is FULL flavor!! It calls for 1 1/2 bottles (4 1/2 C) of dry red wine and 1 bottle (3 C) of ruby port. However, I only had one bottle of red wine and I decided to see how it would turn out with just that amount of liquid. In the end, I had to use a bit of pasta water to have enough liquid....so I suggest using the suggested amount of wine.

I also added 1 shallot and several sprigs of fresh thyme to the simmering wine concoction.  After I strained it, I put ONE STICK OF BUTTER in the pan (cheers for Paula Deen and her famous use of 1 stick of butter in almost everything) and added sliced mushrooms.....then put the wine mixture back into the pan (these are my changes).
It......was........SO.......incredibly......RICH and FABULOUS! I didn't take any pictures however, because I wasn't planning on blogging about this. But it turned out so great that I wanted to share it.

So, here's the red wine reduction recipe with mushrooms - enjoy!

Ingredients~

1 small onion, chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 small celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 1/2 TBL olive oil
1 package button mushrooms, sliced thin
1 package cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
salt and pepper
1 1/2 (4 1/2 C) dry red wine
1 bottle (3 C) Ruby Port wine

Directions~

In a large pot over medium heat, saute onion, shallot, carrots, celery, thyme and garlic in oil until golden, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Do not burn the garlic!

Add wines and simmer stirring accasinally, until mixture is reduced to 1 quart, about 1 hour.

Pour through a sieve and reserve in a large measuring cup or bowl. Discard solids.

Remove any bits of vegetables from pan. Add 1 stick of butter and melt over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and saute until cooked. Add reserved wine back into pan. Simmer until reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes.

Serve over pasta with freshly grated parmesan.

Meringues (not to be confused with the Merengue which is a whole 'nother thing)

Lee's favorite cookie is the Meringue and he asked me, very nicely, if I would make him some the next time I wanted to bake some cookies. Well, today it was the first rainy day of the Fall season and of course I wanted to bake! However, meringues need a dry environment to set up well and I didn't think I would have a good result today - but alas and alack I was wrong! These turned out just fine and Lee is a happy camper. My work here is done.

There are only 4 ingredients, and they are not really difficult to make, just time consuming. So, don't try to make these on a day you're rushed!! 

Meringue Cookies

Ingredients~

3 large egg whites (room temperature)

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

3/4 C superfine sugar (If you don't have any, simply take granulated sugar and process for abut 30 - 60 seconds in a food processor until fine. This makes the sugar easier to incorporate into the whites).

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions~

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment (or you can butter and flour the sheet instead). You can form the cookies with a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 plain tip, but I just spooned the meringue and did a little swirl on top.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Add the sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat, on medium-high, until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Beat in the vanilla extract.

TIP: The meringue is done when it holds stiff peaks and when you rub a little between your fingers it does not feel gritty. If it is gritty, just keep beating!

3. Pipe or spoon meringue onto baking sheet.  Bake for approximately 1 1/2 to 1  3/4 hours, rotating the sheet about halfway through the baking time. The meringues are done when pale in color and fairly crisp. They should remove easily from parchment paper. Turn off the oven and crack the door open. Leave the meringues in the oven to finish drying for several hours or overnight. The meringues can be covered and stored at room temperature for several days. 

Makes about 10 2 1/2 inch meringues.

Cranberry Almond Biscotti

Ah the beauty of biscotti. You can't just chow down on a biscotti slice like any other cookie. Because of the nature of the biscotti (it is a very hard and dry cookie, meant to be dipped in coffee) you are forced to sit for a minute with a cup of coffee or tea and savor the biscotti and in the process relish in the joy of life and good food and the results of your efforts in the kitchen.  Otherwise, you may break a tooth.

Martha (I use only her first name because I feel like I know her. Alas,... I don't) has a recipe for Pecan and Cranberry Biscotti, but I only had sliced almonds so that is what I used. I also decided to make a 1/2 recipe and it turned out just fine. However, I'm posting the full recipe here.

Kitchen TIP: I turned the dough onto a silpat mat and instead of transferring the biscotti log to the pan, I simply lifted the silpat onto the sheet pan for baking. EASY!!

There's nothing particularly difficult about making biscotti, but it isn't a quick recipe....so make yourself a pot of coffee and take the time to make this delicious recipe.

Ingredients~

1 1/2 C toasted almond slices (I used Trader Joes unsalted toasted slices)
1 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 C all purpose flour
1 1/4 C sugar
1/8 tsp salt
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C dried cranberries (I used Trader Joes Orange essence cranberries)
zest of 1 lemon

Directions~

1. Preheat the oven to 350 with rack in center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment (or you can do as I did and use the silpat for the first step).

2. In the bowl of a mixer, combine the baking powder, flour, sugar and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients; mix on medium low until combined to a sticky dough.  Stir in, by hand, the almonds, cranberries and zest.

3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and sprinkle with more flour. Knead slightly. Shape into two 9" X 3 1/2" logs. Transfer to the baking sheet.

4. Bake until the dough sets, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on the pan for 15 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275. Slice the dough on a diagonal into 1/2 pieces; place, cut side down, on the baking sheet (this time use a piece of parchment).  Bake for 20 minutes.

5. Turn the pieces over and bake for another 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Biscotti will keep for several weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Pear Custard Pie

I love pears and found this recipe hidden away in one of my Everyday Food Magazines. It is entitled, "Custard Pie", which would've piqued my interest anyway, but when I read the ingredients and saw that it used pears, I was ready to try it.

You don't need to feel any guilt about eating this "pie" either, because there is no crust! It's just fruit and an easy batter you make in the blender (only 1/3 C flour and sugar in the whole recipe!). And it's not overly sweet either, which is something I like. It couldn't be easier to make - truly a no brainer. I should've used my OXO mandoline to slice the pears.....but I just did it the old fashioned way.

Ingredients~

3 Comice or Bartlett pears
1/4 C melted unsalted butter
1/3 C sugar
1/3 C flour
2 tsp vanilla
3 large eggs
3/4 C milk
1/4 tsp salt
confectioners sugar for dusting

Directions~

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9 inch pie dish.

2. Peel, halve and core the pears. Slice into 1/4 inch thick slices, lengthwise. Arrange slices, overlapping slightly, in dish.




This is the best way I've found to core apples and pears - with a melon baller. SO easy.


3. In a blender, process the melted butter, sugar, flour, vanilla, eggs, milk and salt until smooth.

4. Pour batter over pears.



Ready for the oven....



Bake until golden and firm to the touch, about 40-45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with powdered sugar (I took my picture before this step!).

Enjoy!

Braised Chicken with Shallots

I love "one-pot" cooking because I truly hate cleaning up after cooking. To me, cleaning loads of dishes is just a bad way to end a good meal. But it is a necessity of life, I guess.

I learned a new trick while making this recipe (thank you Martha Stewart!). If you place several shallots in a bowl of warm water, and soak them for about 15 minutes, the skins will loosen and you can just slip them off with a paring knife. SO easy. I ended up peeling more than I needed so I saved the extra in my fridge for later. 

This was very tasty and satisfying - a real "comfort food" kind of dish. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!



I served this over red quinoa (you can find this at Trader Joes - it has a wonderful nutty flavor and a great little "crunch". Also I used red and yellow cherry tomatoes.



Braised Chicken with Shallots

Ingredients~

 8 bone-in, skinless (I used skin-on because I'm that way) chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 lbs)

1/4 C flour

2 TBL olive oil

1 lb small shallots, peeled and halved

5 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

1/2 C dry white wine

3 TBL Dijon mustard

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

fresh tarragon leaves for garnish

Directions~

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper; coat with flour, shaking off excess (after seasoning the chicken, I put it in a baggie with the flour and just shake!).

2. In a Dutch oven or 5 quart pot with a tight fitting lid, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook until browned, about 3-4 minutes per side. Set chicken aside and cover with foil.

3. Add shallots and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally until slightly softened and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add wine; cook until evaporated, 3-5 minutes. Stir in mustard and 1 1/2 C water (I mixed the mustard in with the water before pouring into the pan); bring to a boil.

4. Return chicken,bone side down, to pot. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 30-35 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate; tent with foil. Add tomatoes to pot; season with salt and pepper. Cook on high until sauce has thickened, 6-8 minutes. Return chicken to pot to re-heat if necessary. Garnish with Tarragon and serve!

Porcini and Parmesan Risotto

I've never made risotto, and usually don't order it when I'm in a restaurant because I always try to eat protein and veggies as opposed to a plate of carbs like pasta or rice. However, I was CRAVING carbs and decided to venture into the unknown world of risotto making. I've heard it's not difficult to make, just time consuming and that turned out to be true.

The result of my effort was completely satisfying and full of creamy, starchy, cheesy, buttery, mushroomy flavor (I know mushroomy is not a word....but I like it anyway). My only difficulty was taking a decent picture. I posted a picture of my hard work on Facebook and received less than complimentary comments.....which I won't repeat because I don't want you to be afraid of making this fantastic recipe!

So, I think I will post my picture anyway, and let the chips fall where they may.

This recipe comes from my favorite Everyday Food Magazine (a Martha Stewart Publication). I made a couple additions which I'll notate.

Porcini and Parmesan Risotto

Ingredients~

14.5 oz chicken broth

1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed (I used a bag of dried mixed mushrooms with porcini, morels, chanterelles, etc - it was all I could find)

3 TBL butter

8 oz. mixed fresh mushrooms such as cremini, shiitake (stems removed) and oyster, all cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I used only cremini - again, it was all I could find).

course salt and fresh pepper to taste

1 small onion, finely chopped (I also added 1 small shallot)

1 C Arborio rice

1/2 C dry white wine

1/2 C grated Parmesan plus more for garnish

Directions~

1. In a medium saucepan, combine broth, dried mushrooms and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil; cook until mushrooms are tender, about 1 minute. With a slotted spoon remove mushrooms; coarsely chop.  Strain hot broth through a paper coffee filter (or fine sieve) to remove any grit from mushrooms, return broth to pan keep covered, on low heat.

The 'shrooms

2. In a large saucepan, heat 1 TBL butter over medium-high heat. Add fresh mushrooms and chopped mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate, set aside.

3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion and 1 TBL butter to saucepan. (At this point I also added the finely chopped shallot).  Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally 3-5 minutes. Add rice, and cook stirring, about 1 minute. Add wine, and cook, stirring, until absorbed, 1 minute.

4. Add 2 C of warm broth to rice mixture; cook, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4-5 minutes. Continue to add broth, by cupfuls (I just used a ladle) stirring occasionally and allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding more, until rice is al dente, about 25 minutes total (you may not need all the broth).

Right before adding the broth...



LOVE my microplane for quickly grating parmesan!


 

5. Remove risotto from heat. Stir in Parmesan, remaining TBL butter, and half the sauteed mushrooms; season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with remaining mushrooms, and serve immediately, garnished with more Parmesan.