Day 102 - Chicken Divan

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I have to be honest, I LOVE my life!
I had coffee this morning which turned into lunch with a good friend today and we had some amazing laughs and conversation.  Thank you, Laura!
I've been reconnecting with some old friends lately and I must say that it's wonderful.
It's also comforting to know that when you need someone in times of stress or crisis that someone will be there.
I've always preferred to be there for others.  It's so much easier for me to "pay it forward" as opposed to asking accepting the support or help once it's needed.
But that's what life's about isn't it?  Love thy neighbors as you would love thyself.
Besides, it's ALWAYS good to reconnect with your girlfriends and have a good laugh because that's the best medicine.  And boy, does it feel good when my cheeks hurt!

Tonight's dinner is sponsored by (no, not sponsored, just wanted to sound like a voice-over for a commercial) or rather adapted from The New Doubleday Cookbook; authors, Jean Anderson and Elaine Hanna; publisher, Doubleday, a division of Random House; ISBN 0-385-19577-X.

Chicken Divan - serves 4

¼ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup sifted flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
¾ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1 head broccoli (about 1½ pounds) trimmed and chopped
3 cooked chicken breasts ( about 1- 1½ pounds), cut into small pieces
1 cup shredded Cheddar/ Monterey Jack Cheese
½ cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Melt butter in a saucepan over moderate heat, blend in flour, slowly add broth and milk, and heat stirring until thickened; mix in salt, pepper, ¼ cup cheese, and the sherry.

Arrange broccoli in a single layer in a buttered 8 X 8-inch baking dish and top with chopped chicken.  Spread shredded cheddar/jack cheese evenly over chicken.

Beat cream until soft peaks form and fold into sauce.

Pour evenly over chicken.

Bake, uncovered about ½ hour until bubbly.
Broil quickly to brown and serve.

We really liked this dish - I must say, it's a keeper  I rate all of my dishes on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the absolute best and this one earned 4 rolling pins The sauce was delicious and with the extra shredded cheese I added, it had a lot of flavor.  i always think it's great to have a vegetable in a casserole especially if there are children involved.
Happy Baking!

Day 97 - Manicottis with Strawberry Spinach Salad

Two family recipes today.  The manicotti comes from my mom and the salad is from my sister-in-law, Karin.
Mom made these manicottis a lot.  I remember whenever she'd make the crepes for them she would always save me some and I'd eat them with maple syrup. 
Oh, they were so yummy! 
I miss mom's cooking.
Ok, I didn't meant that - need to clarify. 
She was an ok cook.  What I miss is her taking extra special care of me and her just cooking for me.
And Mother's Day is Sunday...

Ok, we're good.

Manicotti

French Pancakes aka Crepes - makes 12, can be frozen
(I actually ended up making 14, but I ate 2)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

Put ingredients into a bowl or blender.  Stir until smooth.  Cover and let stand at least ½ hour.

Batter should be thin.

Here's a video on how to make a crepe!  I wanted to take pictures of the process, but it's REALLY not easy, taking the pictures, pouring the batter and swirling it around in the pan. 
I needed two extra hands.  They explain it well, anyway, and the pan action starts at about 1:10.

For this one, I again used my trusty ol' Fannie Farmer Cookbook Thirteenth Edition, p. 515; author, Marion Cunningham; publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., a division of Random House; ISBN 0-394-56788-9.  The recipe is for white bread and underneath the entry there are variations, one being the Italian Herb and Cheese Bread.









     White Bread
     2 tablespoons shortening or vegetable oil
     2 teaspoons salt
     2 tablespoons sugar
     1 cup hot milk
     1 cup hot water
     1 package dry yeast
     ¼ cup warm water
     6 cups white flour, approximately

     Mix the shortening, salt, and sugar in a large bowl, add the hot milk and hot water, and let cool to lukewarm. 

In a small bowl or cup mix the yeast with the ¼ cup warm water and let it stand for 5 minutes to dissolve.  Add the dissolved yeast and 3 cups of the flour to the first mixture and beat until well blended. 

*Add 2 more cups of flour, mix, and turn out onto a lightly floured board.

 Knead for a minute or two and then let rest for 10 minutes.  Adding just enough of the remaining flour so that the dough is not sticky, resume kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic.  Put the dough in a large, greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until double in bulk. 

Punch down and shape into two loaves.  Place in greased loaf pans, cover, and let double in bulk again.

Preheat oven to 425ºF.  Bake bread for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 375ºF, and bake for 30 minutes more.  Remove from pans and cool on racks.

Italian Herb and Cheese Bread.  Mix 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, and ¼ cup chopped fresh basil or 2 tablespoons dried, crumbled, and add with the last batch of flour*.

     I neglected the step of kneading for a minute or two and then letting the dough sit for 10.  It just completely escaped me and I wanted rounded loaves, so I decided not to use the pans.  I also added 1½ teaspoons or dried oregano to the dough.  It smelled so delicious when I was mixing it and I could just imagine it dipped in olive oil and vinegar.  Yummmmmmmm...Then house smelled so good as it was baking, too.
    I can always tell when I'm baking something if it has gone past its' peak point, so to speak.  You know, when the bottom of the cookies are a little too brown or if the cheese on the lasagna is darker than I'd like.  Unfortunately, the aroma takes a lot longer to drift into the room down the hall, so by the time I smell it, the items in the oven are "well done".  This happened with the bread today.  I didn't burn it, it's just the crust was definitely browner than I would have liked it to be, so it was crunchier on the outside.  I was disappointed because I had been looking at focaccia recipes and was going to do one of those, but changed my mind and went with this one.  So, I'm sure I had the preconceived idea of a soft crust and a really soft, tasty bread.  Despite the fact that the crust was not up to par, the inside however, was soft and delicious.  The herbs combined with the cheese were really tasty.  And it did taste really good dipped in the olive oil and balsamic vinegar!  The rating on a scale of 1 to 4 rolling pins:  I give this bread a 3. 
     Happy baking!

Day 27 - Lasagna

          Today was an exhausting day and I admit, the last thing I want to do right now is post this blog.  I did go out for a walk, but it's more of a mental and emotional exhaustion than physical.  It was one of those days where I felt like I failed as a parent and then second-guessed my decision.  Instead of being forceful and giving some tough love, seeing it from the child's point of view and having been in the same situation myself, I chose the more sympathetic approach.  It may not have been the right way to handle things at the time, but in the end, it all worked out (as things always do anyway).  They never said this was going to be easy. 
       I made my mother's Lasagna recipe for dinner  I have never had a problem with this turning out really well and love to serve it when we have company because it's so filling and there's plenty of it.  I still make it in the same pan my mom used and the sauce still simmers in the same orange pot- a wedding present from the late 60's.  Some kitchen utensils I just won't part with because they hold such tremendous sentimental value.   
     Lasagna
     1 box lasagna noodles
     Boil noodles according to package directions.  Drain and quickly rinse with cold water.  Lay noodles flat on top of waxed paper to cool.  ( I also spray the paper with some cooking spray - they'll pull off easier.)
 
     1 lb. ground beef
     1 cup minced onions
     3 cloves minced garlic
    
     1 29oz. (1lb. 13oz.) can tomato purée
     1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
     1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
     1 6oz. can tomato paste
     2 teaspoons sugar
     2 teaspoons basil
     1½ teaspoons salt
     1 teaspoon oregano
     ¼ teaspoon pepper

     1 egg
     1 30oz. container part skim ricotta cheese
     1 tablespoon parsley
     1 cup grated parmesan cheese

     4-5 cups shredded mozzarella
    

     Spray 5-quart dutch oven with cooking spray.  Place on medium heat and add beef, onions, and garlic.  Stirring frequently until beef is browned (about 10 minutes).  Add tomato purée, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste.  Stir to combine.  Add sugar, basil, salt, oregano, and pepper, and stir well.  Reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
     In a large bowl, beat egg.  Add ricotta cheese, parsley, and 3/4 cup parmesan cheese.  Mix well and set aside.

     Preheat oven to 350ºF.
     Use cooking spray to generously coat a 13x9x2-inch roasting pan.  Place 3-4 lasagna noodles in bottom of pan.  Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on top of noodles.  Completely cover with 2 cups sauce.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella over sauce.  Place 3-4 lasagna noodles over mozzarella.  Repeat with ricotta, sauce, and mozzarella. 

There should be a total of 3-4 layers before top layer.  Cover final ricotta layer with lasagna noodles and cover with remaining sauce. 

Sprinkle remaining mozzarella  and parmesan cheeses over sauce.

(I find that it's easiest to place pan on a foil-lined cookie sheet.  That way it will catch any spill-overs both when it's baking and when it is cut at the table.  I'm all for an easier clean up.)  Bake in oven for 50 minutes or until bubbly.

     Tonight's lasagna was a little darker than I would have liked it to be.  I place it in the oven on "cook time" for 50 minutes so that it would automatically turn off when baking was finished.  We went to my son's baseball game right after I'd placed it in the oven and there it sat until we returned.  It still tasted delicious, was just a little darker around the edges and on the top for sitting in the oven for so long.
     For that reason, instead of a rating of four rolling pins as it usually gets, I need to give tonight's a 3½.
     Happy baking!
 

Day 12 - Impromptu Pasta Bake

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      My husband and I went to this wonderful Italian Bakery/Store/Eaterie called Romanelli's for lunch today.  I can't really call it a restaurant because it only has about 5 tables and you order your meal at the deli counter in the back of the store, but the food is unbelievable and very true to the Italian cuisine.  When pay for your meal (at the front checkout counter), there is a refrigerated case filled with baklava, eclairs, cannolis, tiramisu, and other goodies, and another case completely filled with fresh baked Italian breads and cookies.  And you can bring them home in a little pink box!  Those things elicit memories of going to the bakeries back in Rhode Island or a grandparent coming over with a pink box.  If you see one of those, you know that there's something really yummy inside!  Romanelli's has different kinds of pasta in shapes I never even knew existed, an incredible selection of olives and peppahs (as we New Englandahs say), and sauces.  Oh, the sauces!  With all those incredible flavors and sights, I was extremely motivated to make a pasta dish to bake in the oven for tonight's dinner.  I just haven't come up with a name because I threw so many different things into it, so I'll just keep the title:

     Impromptu Pasta Bake
     1 lb. pasta ( I used radiatorre because it was a fun shape we hadn't had before.)
     1 generous teaspoon salt
     2 tablespoons olive oil
     2 large cloves garlic, minced
     3 small zucchini sliced thin
     ½ head escarole, rinsed well and chopped in large pieces
     1 cup fresh basil, chopped
     1 26 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
     1 28 oz. jar diced tomatoes
     1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
     1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
     1 cup grated parmesan cheese

     Preheat oven to 375ºF.  Boil water for pasta, add salt.  Cook pasta to two minutes less than recommended cooking time - you want the pasta just at al dente.  Drain and set aside.  Spray a 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray.  Heat olive oil in large skillet on medium high heat.  Add minced garlic to skillet and stir.  Sauteé zucchini and mushrooms in oil and garlic for 5 minutes.  Add escarole and cover for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.  Once escarole is wilted, add basil and stir to combine.  Remove from heat and pour in large bowl.  Add spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, mozzarella and ricotta cheese to bowl.  Stir until well mixed.  Fold in pasta. Transfer to prepared baking dish and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.   Bake for 25 minutes.

     I have to say that this turned out better than I expected!  It was really yummy and the whole family really liked it, too.  Instead of using a 9x13" dish as I recommend which will probably feed 6-8, I divided the recipe into two 8x8" pans because there are four of us (and we don't eat much) and I froze the other to have weeks from now after one of my son's baseball games.  I think I would only use 2 zucchini the next time I make it and I did not chop the escarole, but I will definitely do that, also.   The great thing about this dish is you can add whatever ingredients you want to make it your own.  You could even do an alfredo sauce and/or add some meat to it.  I've made baked ziti so many times in the past it has become BORING.  Now I'm glad I've found a new way to make it!  So, be creative and see what you can come up with.  Channel your inner pasta maker.  Remember, if it doesn't work you can always order out for pizza.
     Happy baking!

Day 5 - Eggplant Parmigiana

     I have to tell you that the crust on the Apple Cream Pie turned out really well.  Ok, it was thicker than I would have liked it to be, but it was flaky and buttery.  Next time I'll have to roll it thinner.  The recipe called for 1 3/4 cups shortening, but I only had maybe 1 1/2, so I just substituted 3 more tablespoons of butter and I couldn't tell the difference.  The pie was so good and the kids really loved it.  It brought me back to when we'd have family get togethers and my aunt would make it. (sigh)
     Now do you ever wake up in the morning feeling like your body REALLY needs some fruits  and vegetables?  Today was one of those mornings.  I just knew I couldn't bake any cookies, cakes, or breads because I'm already on carb overload.  This could be a very long year, but in a good way.  So, it was vegetable soup for lunch and baked Eggplant Parmigiana for dinner WITHOUT any garlic bread (which is something we'll usually have). 
     This one comes from deep inside the recesses of my brain.  I actually use the same recipe from a Chicken Parmigiana that my father's sister, Carol, gave to my mother.  I'll be making that, too sometime during the year.  Don't worry, it's still early yet.  We have PLENTY of time.  Just wait, I decided today that no blog on baking should be complete without that all important fruit cake at Christmas time.  I'm telling you all now so that you forget and will be pleasantly surprised when I bake it.  I have to say, I don't know how much of that thing I'd eat though.  Have you ever tried to pick one of those things up?!  They're heavy and being that heavy probably doesn't do well in your stomach!
     Eggplant Parmigiana
     This fed our family of four tonight and I had minimal leftovers for hubby for tomorrow's lunch.  He said that tonight's meal was, "of restaurant quality".  My son liked it, too; our daughter, not so much.  She's not an eggplant eater, but loves the Chicken Parm.
     1 medium size Eggplant
     1 Egg (beaten)
     1 cup of Italian Bread Crumbs
     1 cup of shredded or grated Parmesan Cheese
     1/4 Olive Oil
     3 cups Spaghetti Sauce
     1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese
 
     Peel Eggplant and slice into 1/4 inch rounds.  Some cookbooks say to drain the eggplant for 30 minutes on paper towels.  I never have and it's never been a problem.  I just don't have the patience and want to complete my dinner.  Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese on plate.  Dip eggplant slices into beaten egg and then into crumb/parm. mixture.  If I find I'm running out of the mixture, I'll just add more of both in a 1:1 ratio.  Heat oil in skillet on med. high.  Place eggplant in skillet and cook on both sides til golden brown.

 Pour 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce into 8x8" baking dish.  Layer eggplant in dish and cover with remaining sauce.  Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese on top.

 Bake at 375 for 25 minutes until bubbly.
     I suppose I should have been writing the steps down as I went tonight, but I have done it so often that it's just really second nature.  Blogging it now though after the fact is another story and I'm really hoping I didn't miss anything, but I really don't think I did.  Questions, just ask and I'll give you an answer.

It was yummy.  I love those nights when dinner tastes really good!

     So on Sunday, my couponing cohort, Cady (Oohh, all that alliteration!  My high school English teachers would be so proud.) and I went to our local grocery store on a mission.  We have recently joined a couponing website here in AZ and I highly recommend it.  It is http://www.couponsense.com/.  It is national, so I would encourage all of you to check it out.  This is probably one of the best and easiest ways to save money.  I could blog all night about this, but I want to set up a separate page so you can all just go to "Couponing" and of course, I'm technically challenged with it.  Will work on it more tomorrow because it is so very important.  So, Cady and I went to Fry's and each saved quite a bit of money on our bills.  I had a savings of $60.92 (48%), and Cady saved $80!  It can be pretty exciting standing there at the checkout watching the total decrease as they use the store club card and then the coupons.  It's an even better feeling when you get home and tell your husband how much you saved.  There are ways to do it and you need to be informed.  I rarely pay full price for anything now.  It's all about being prepared, knowing the meals we'll be eating for the week, knowing what is on sale where (couponsense is a great help with this and tells you which coupons you'll need), and combining the coupons from the Sunday papers, internet and magazines with the sales. 

     I purchased two packages of Kraft American Singles for $.25 each the other day!  The store was honoring Competitor's coupons and I had one from Target for $.50 off of two.  Each pack was on sale at Fry's for $1.49 and I had two manufacturer's coupon for $.75 off one which they raised to $1.00.  So, $1.49 x 2= $2.98 -  $2.50 (comp. coupon + manufac

     It is so much easier buying things when they're on sale than running out to the store every day trying to figure out what we're going to have for dinner.  This way, I have a lot more food on hand and can just make dinner with what is available in the house and I'm not having to pay full price for a last minute dinner.  Believe me, there will be plenty more discussion on this as well.  It has now become another passion and as my husband says, that is my job.  I may be grocery shopping and spending the money, but I'm doing it in a much smarter way and it is very rewarding.  You can do it, too!

   Ok, I still have to add pictures of the pie to yesterday's blog.  I had done it, but then they "magically" disappeared. Grrrrrrr...darn laptop.  So until tomorrow...Happy baking!  I still have to get this super glue off these two fingers and my thumb....

Day 3 - Pepperoni Bread

     Since I've been telling people that I've decided to bake something everyday for 365 days and write a blog about it, I've received various comments.  Some have been related to weight: "How much weight do you think you'll gain?".  As I wrote on Day 1, that was one of my initial thoughts, too.  My thirteen year old son's response was, "Are we going to get fat?!".  This came from a child whose Phys. Ed. teacher suggested the best way to ever punish him would be to make him sit still for 10 minutes straight.  It's not happening.  And hey, just because I make the food doesn't mean we have to eat it!  We could just "taste" it as Winnie the Pooh says about honey.  Ok, I know that's not realistic.  I know that I need to refrain from overindulgence which of course, is easier said than done.
     Segue into my stepping on the scale this morning.  Though I won't tell you the exact number (because it's a known fact women don't like to discuss their weight), I will tell you that it is more than the 98 lbs. I weighed in high school and less than the 151 lbs. I weighed while carrying each of our children.  I have decided that I will keep track of weight gain and or loss and provide weekly updates. As of now, I have no current exercise regimen, but know it could prove to be extremely important and alas (sigh), for overall health reasons I should be doing it anyway.  This will be a challenge in itself and may need to be a separate blog.  I suppose Baking 365 is better than a Frying 365.  Any takers for that blog?
     Pepperoni Bread
     Tonight it's Pepperoni Bread for dinner!  Both the kids and my husband love this and it is so easy.  We eat it at least twice a month and I always make it to take to parties because everyone loves it and it's a great finger food, especially for those Superbowl parties.  This is my own and I've made a few changes to it over the years and have tried it different ways.  Today I made my own dough (a first!) since I'm doing a blog about Baking, I figured I should probably be as true to it as possible and I was thrilled that the Fleischmann's Pizza Dough yeast didn't require a rising time.  I have used Pillsbury French Bread loaves, but wasn't nuts about the taste.  I've gotten good results with packaged bread dough or pizza dough I've gotten from grocery stores, but the only place I can find it around us is at Trader Joe's.  However, they sell one with herbs in it that's really good!  The best results are with pizza dough from restaurants.  If you have a favorite pie place ask them if they sell it to you.  Usually they'll be happy to.  There's a great pizza place that we fell in love with up near my daughter's college and I asked them if they sold their dough.  They charged me $5 per bag which I thought was worth it because it saved me the trouble of making it and I LOVED the taste.  I have this habit which drives my kids nuts when we go out for pizza.  When I get down to the crust, I tear it open, stick my nose in it and take a deep whiff.  Aaaaahhhhhhhh, it's so awesome!  Many times I've heard from the kids as they're rolling they're eyes, "Here she goes again.".  It's a ritual, what can I say?  So if you find a place you like, ask to bring some home.  We also like to have a cruet of Good Seasons Italian Dressing for a sauce to dip it in.  It's so yummy!
     Preheat Oven to 375.
     Ingredients:
     2 Pkgs. Fleischmann's Pizza Crust Yeast
     8 oz. Pepperoni
     8 oz. Provolone Cheese
     3 Tbs. Butter (melted)
     1 Tsp. each of Basil and Oregano
     2 Tbsp. Shredded Parmesan

     Mix pizza dough according to directions.

     I had mixed only one package, but realized it wasn't enough to feed a family of 5, so used a 2nd one.  And, doesn't it figure you make dinner and then the teenagers tell you they already had plans.  That's alright, it's Saturday night.
     Place dough on well floured surface and use rolling pin to form rectangle.  Sometimes this part isn't so easy for me, it's never really a complete rectangle as you can tell from the picture, but the good thing is, it doesn't have to be.  Make sure dough is not rolled too thin because it will tear apart as you roll it up.  While rolling out the dough, I'll put the butter in the oven to melt it.  Just remember that it's in there or you'll burn it (as I did tonight).

     Starting at short end of rectangle, place row of pepperoni on end.  Cover with cheese slices.  I split the Provolone in 1/2 because it's easier when rolling.  Take edge of dough and roll tightly over pepperoni and cheese until covered.  Continue process until end.  I can usually get four to five rows of meat and cheese before I finish depending on the rectangle size.

 

Use rimmed cookie sheet and spread light coat of butter on bottom.  Place bread roll in pan seam side down otherwise it will split open (ok, it still does sometimes anyway, but it helps).  Baste loaf with remaining butter.  Sprinkle with Basil, Oregano, and Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

 

    Enjoy and happy baking!