"Blackened" Chicken Cutlets and Green Beans

now, i only say "blackened" because i fry the chicken just enough so the outside is a little burned because i like it that way and i can get a little hypochondriac-y when it comes to cooking chicken.

SO:

*chicken cutlets thinly sliced
*1 egg beaten....not slapped
*bread crumbs
*olive oil
*green beans

(this is by the seat of my pants so there's no right way to do it, really).

-pour some olive oil in an unheated pan along with any seasoning you may want
-get yer chicken cutlets, thinly sliced, and brush the egg on each side
-rub both sides of each egged cutlet on the plate of bread crumbs (also, i always forget but you can also put flour on the cutlets before you egg'em and then with the crumbs. that gives the cutlets a thicker fry and the crumbs stick even better).
-place in the pan and cook------bada bing!

string beans:

-put some water in a different, covered, pan and steam the beans for a few minutes till they're a vibrant green and still retain a crunch.
-put whatever you want on them, i used a little butter and some sea salt

*also, just for the uninformed, it's important to wash your hands and anything that touched the raw chicken because salmonella is a bitch......i've heard. and hopefully will never find out. what i do sometimes is wash the pans and brush and such and throw the sponge out and use a new one for other things.

**for those of you not living under a rock, the previous note need not be read. :)

Pear-alysis

yeah i said it. you can thank me for not titling this recipe the more inappropriate thing i was going to say. ANYWAY, these are some roasted pears with roasted chestnuts in the middle. a lovely cold weather treat that needs a little first aid but for now, it works. and you can work your own magic with it and let me know how that...works.

CHESTNUTS:

-preheat the oven to 425 degrees

-wash yer nuts.

-dry 'em

-make an "X" shape incision in each nut, preferably on the flat side of the shell. this prevents the nuts from popping up, literally catching some air, in the oven.

-put them in a cookie sheet or on a baking rack covered in foil and stick them in the oven for 40-45 minutes.

-when they're done, let them cool just a little so you can touch them and then peel the shell off of each nut. the first time you do this can be messy, like my experience, but don't fret. you really only need two chestnuts for one pear. (this is of course for this version of my experiment. when i perfect it with a chestnut mush, more un-destroyed nuts will be needed.)

PEARS:
-i used a soft green pear called...i can't remember it starts with an "f" but for next time i'd use BOSC pears or BARTLETT or even the RED ANJOU.

-pre-heat oven to 425 degrees about

-skin the pear and cut it in half and core it

-in a metal or glass pan melt butter, cinnamon and brown sugar in the oven until it's in liquid form

-when it is, take the pan out and cover the pear halves with the dressing by flipping them around in the pan. then toss those bad boys back in the over for about 20 minutes.

then just put a nut in the middle of each pear half and sprinkle on brown sugar and cinnamon. you can never have too much of that stuff.

coupled with a hot cup of chai and any confusion about life up until this point will melt away.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

Yeah that's right. Together at last! These are so fluffy and cake-like it's amazing. They seem dense but when you bite into one, they're the opposite. This recipe is from a website. My adjustments are in bold.

* 1 cup shortening (no. i use butter. i never use shortening.
* 2 cups white sugar (that's kind of a lot. i use half white sugar and half brown sugar. next time i may use all brown sugar. and i only use about a cup and a half.)
* 2 eggs
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
* 4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon(i use about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
* 1 pinch ground nutmeg
* 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
* 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and pumpkin until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; stir into the pumpkin mixture. Mix in the chocolate chips. Stir in the walnuts if desired. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until edges begin to brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Don't use too much batter per cookie....but, this makes a lot of batter so keep yourself hungry or have a family of 15.

Eggs Benedict

Before we begin, just know that it's ok if your eggs don't poach on the first try. The first time i made this, my favorite breakfast, I discovered what it is to make egg drop soup. Yick.

SO:

-boil a bunch of water with vinegar. the vinegar helps the eggs hold their form. i pour for a couple seconds and that's how much i put in.

-crack each egg into a ramekin or small glass and not from a height.

-when the water is ready, slowly pour each egg into the pot at the water line. when using a small glass you should partially dip the glass into the water while pouring.

-cover the bot and turn off the heat. set your timer for 2.5 - 3 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs.

-when they're done and hopefully in ball form, scoop out each egg with a spoon or ladle with holes or slotted spoon....those egg poaching spoons they sell are a gimmick. don't need 'em.

- i like to top them with za'atar and fleur de sel. i haven't yet made the hollandaise sauce because i'm lazy and i don't think it's needed though i always encourage that addition when i'm at a restaurant.

-then throw the canadian bacon in a pan and cook it. then eat it.

Spoonbread: $3.25

That's right folks. For those of you who are broke, this one's ideal. A Southern classic and a filling amazement.

(copied from a website)

* 3 1/2 cups milk
* 1 cup yellow cornmeal
* 2 teaspoon salt
* 1 can (about 1 pound or 2 cups) cream-style corn
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 5 eggs, well beaten

PREPARATION:
Heat 3 cups milk over hot water in top of double boiler. Mix cornmeal with remaining milk and salt; add to hot milk in double boiler. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add corn and cook for 3 minutes longer. Add butter and stir until butter has melted. Fold in beaten eggs. Transfer mixture to a greased 2-quart casserole. Bake at 375° for 1 hour, or until firm but light (It will sink when removed from oven). Serve immediately with butter*. Serves 6.

*I like to top this off with grated cheese and Newman's Own Peach Salsa. !

Chocolate Covered Marzipan!

MY favorite, and apparently, a lot of other peoples' too. At least that's what they told me.

(recipe from a website, my addition in bold)

8 ounces almond paste
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup

-Break the almond paste into small pieces over a medium bowl.

-Add 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar, and work it in with your hands until incorporated. It will be crumbly.

-Add another 3/4 cup of sugar, and work it in really well.

-Pour in the corn syrup, and work it in until evenly blended.

-Spread remaining sugar out on a clean work surface, and knead the dough until smooth and uniform, 3 to 5 minutes. If the dough seems too sticky, knead in more sugar.

-Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about an hour. It should have the consistency of modeling dough.

Now, the corn syrup makes this whole deal really really sticky so i just keep adding confectioner's sugar until i can pry the dough off my hands.

Covering it in Chocolate:

-i just melt about 3/4 of a bag of chocolate chips in a small pot, stirring constantly on low heat. *Chocolate burns really easily so be careful. contrary to popular belief, the beloved cocoa bean does not taste good in every form.

-by this point the marzipan should have been rolled out on sugared wax paper and cut into squares or rolled into balls. i put the wax paper on a wire rack thingy to give it leverage when moving it in and out of the refrigerator.

-laying the marzipan on a fork, dip each piece into the chocolate and fold it over the marzipan until covered.

-scoop out the piece of heaven with the fork and let the chocolate drip off nice and clean and lay the piece back on the wax paper.

-before the chocolate starts to harden, top each piece with a nice garnish if desired. i put like to put pistachios in a plastic bag and smash them into bits with a hammer. sometimes i even garnish the marzipan with them. i have also used cinnamon, cocoa powder and fleur de sel. ***when using large crystal salt, USE ONLY A LITTLE! it's very potent and learning the hard way is not a tasty treat. i don't use all these garnishes on the same piece. that's over kill.

-refrigerate. any remaining marzipan can be refrigerated for up to 8 weeks so don't press the panic button. at least, not for this.

11 Minute Asparagus (seriously. i timed it.)

This is a great dish to bring to a summer pot luck or anywhere really. But I recommend this one for warmer weather.....because it's cold. I didn't make this recipe up so I can't take credit for it completely...but I will. :) *the additions i've made are in bold.

(this is copied from the website)

1 1/2 lbs asparagus (or however much you want)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil (oil all the way baby!)
1 teaspoon oriental (how rude!) sesame oil
4 teaspoons lemon juice (i've found this to be too much so i just add a little squeeze. go ahead and use the suggested amount if you're a big ol' lemon fan. i am not.)
1 teaspoon soy sauce
toasted sesame seeds (i use black sesame seeds cause it's pretty)

1. Cook asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water until almost crisp tender.
2. If serving chilled, cook until crisp tender.
3. Drain.
4. Place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
5. Drain, pat dry, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
6. If serving cold, mix 2 T olive oil, sesame oil, lemon juice and soy sauce.
7. Toss with asparagus to coat.
8. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Autumn Lamb Goodness

2 things about lamb: they're adorable and tasty. here are 2 ways i prepare it:

Rib Chops:

-a good amount of olive oil in a hot pan is a good start.

-i now season the chops with salt, pepper and za'atar, that delish middle-eastern spice. i use a lot of that.

-toss in the lamb

tada! very tasty. lamb cooks like other red meats so it's done when it's the way you like it. i then top off the meal with either some polenta, cooked grit-style OR some sauteed asparagus which involves using either olive oil or this wonderful marinade called Soy Vay. it makes everything amazing.

Just Chops:
-slice up a macintosh apple and if you like, some baby carrots. those can be cut in half or thirds.

-heat the pan with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar.

-while waiting for the pan contents to caramelize itself, season the lamb with just salt. i don't add pepper because this dish is on the sweeter side.

-drop in the chops (but not from too much of a height. i got a nice butter burn and i was just standing around)

-make sure there's a good amount of cinnamon and brown sugar in the glaze so it can become a sort of glaze. add more than you think you'll need because meat can be hard to flavor on demand.

-when the lamb is about halfway done cooking toss in the apples and carrots (if you said 'yes' carrots). between flipping the lamb chops, cover them with the cooking apples so to flavor the meat.

-yada yada yada everything's cooked. once again, cover the meat and accessories with foil on a plate.

-now, i like more than one item on my plate usually so i cook a packet of Carolina saffron rice which includes a little butter with the boiling water. I then enjoy the rice mixed with the apples and carrots as a side dish to the lamb.

because of the absence of alcohol in my life, i can't suggest a wine to accompany this dish but i can suggest a cup of Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice tea afterwards.

cozy.
cozy.

The Best Burgers Ever

The key to awesome burgers seems to be good meat. So get good quality meat. Always. For anything. Unless it doesn't call for meat. But it should. Everything should. ANYWAY, ground chuck is good for burgers but it cooks really fast and i find it to be not as juicy. If you're feeling gutsy, combine ground chuck with ground sirloin. Otherwise, I use ground sirloin. Though it takes longer to cook through, it's super juicy.

I live in an apartment so I cook them in a pan on the stove. Make sure the pan is preheated so when the burgers hit the metal there's a nice sizzle.

-Season patties with salt & pepper. Sometimes I use a middle-eastern spice called za'atar. If you can find it, buy it.

-I let the burgers cook in their own juice so no need to add oil to the pan. Just make sure you flip the burgers shortly after the first sizzle so the meat doesn't stick to the pan.

-When the burgers are almost done I throw on some of this Montana City Grill huckleberry bbq sauce, straight from Montana so it cooks into the meat. You can get it here.

Cover the meat in foil on a plate to keep it warm and let the juices redistribute. Meanwhile...

-now pour some olive oil in the pan

-toss in some tarragon leaves and diced onion and caramelize them. (cooking it with the oil)

Top the burgers with your choice of cheese and the tarragon and onions. I then put a little bbq sauce and mayo on. The tarragon and huckleberry sauce compliment each other really well apparently.

Pre-Made Butternut Squash Ravioli w/ Brown Sugar Butter Sage Sauce

Say you wake up from a 3 hour nap on a chilly Saturday evening (oops!) and you feel groggy and gross. That kind of situation is not conducive to cooking a lavish meal nor is it tempting to order in because you feel just that icky already. So, here's a nice little solution that's light on your tummy and filling enough to be cozy.

My local market sells a nice butternut squash ravioli so the major work is already done for me. Boil those in water with a pinch of salt until the raviolis plop to the top.

The Sauce:

-melt whatever butter you have around. the recipe i read called for 3/4 of a stick. i think i scooped out about a 1/2 stick from my tub.

-while melting the butter, throw in a bit of brown sugar or even some maple syrup to taste

-add 8 sage leaves, thinly sliced and stir.

Do this all on low heat and serve! Delish.