First Look, Then Cook

Black and Tan Brownies

Published on April 20, 2010 by Dawn5 Comments

Wow, it is hard to believe that I have made it to 100 posts! I feel like I have barely scratched the surface. Thanks everyone for reading – it just gives me incentive to post more – which I definitely plan on doing. I also want to thank my husband for putting up with me when he is starving – and I have to tell him – nope, we can’t eat yet – I have to take a picture! I’m very glad he is so supportive.

What unusual brownies – that’s all I have to say. You have to make them to believe them. I saw this recipe in Cooking Light– and still had some Guinness left in the refrigerator from the stew I made for St. Patrick’s day. The recipe just looked so interesting, I had to give them a try. The bottom layer is basically a Blondie – a nice caramel flavored Blondie – that is nice and moist and chewy. The top layer was not nearly as chocolatey as I imagined, and definitely had a beer flavor. People either LOVED them – or thought the beer flavor was a little to bitter. My older daughter was not a big fan, but my younger one scarfed one down. I brought them into work – and people either had a couple – or took a bite and that was enough. I have to say though, aside from the flavor, they were soft and chewy and just deliciously moist. You may have to try them just to see what I am talking about!

Ingredients

Tan Brownies:

6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Cooking spray

Black Brownies:

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Guinness Stout
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Place one rack in lower third of oven; place another rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare Tan Brownies, place 6 tablespoons butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 4.5 ounces flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well. Add flour mixture and pecans to sugar mixture, beating just until combined. Spoon into a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with cooking spray, spreading evenly with a knife or rubber spatula. Bake at 350° in lower third of oven for 15 minutes.

To prepare Black Brownies, melt chocolate and 4 tablespoons butter in a large microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 1 minute or until melted, stirring after every 20 seconds until smooth. Add granulated sugar, stirring until well combined. Add 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and Guinness, stirring with a whisk until well combined. Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 4.5 ounces flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring to combine. Pour mixture evenly over Tan Brownies.

Bake on the center rack at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out almost clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack; cut into squares.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Black and Tan Brownies

Buttermilk Spice Cake with Pear Compote

Published on April 18, 2010 by Dawn6 Comments

Making sure we don’t waste any food is almost like a game to me. I am always trying to make sure nothing gets thrown away. Before we left to go on vacation, we had 3 semi-ripe pears sitting on the counter. I had no time to do anything with them, so I decided to just put them in the refrigerator to see if they would stay good until we returned. Sure enough, they didn’t ripen anymore, but they looked fine – they just didn’t seem ripe enough to eat by themselves. I was looking through my Bon Appetit magazine, and noticed this recipe – the Buttermilk Spice Cake looked delicious – but it was the Pear Compote that really caught my eye. I decided this was exactly what these pears in the refrigerator were meant for. I followed the instructions, and they turned out beautifully – even my husband was impressed – since he is usually the one that has to eat up all the fruit. The cake was also delicious – although it did not get as fluffy as I expected. I was picturing it more like this cake which is so rediculously light it almost melts in your mouth. Even so, it went perfectly with the Pear Compote – and there was not a piece left the next day – except for the piece I saved my daughter to put in her lunch…and boy was she happy about that.

Ingredients

Pear compote:

2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Large pinch of salt
3 Bosc pears (about 1 1/2 pounds total), peeled, quartered, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Buttermilk spice cake:

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon (scant) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground whole star anise*
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 3-inch piece vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lime peel
3/4 cup buttermilk
Powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups crème fraîche or whipped cream

Preparation

For pear compote:
Mix sugar, lime juice, and salt in heavy large saucepan. Add pears and toss gently to coat. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until pears are just tender, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill until cold, then cover and keep chilled.

For buttermilk spice cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides; line pan with round of parchment paper. Sift first 9 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating until smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend between additions. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and add lime peel; beat to blend. Beat in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions, scraping down bowl occasionally. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until beginning to brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan on cooling rack. DO AHEAD: Cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto rack; peel off parchment and turn right side up onto platter. Sift powdered sugar over. Cut into wedges. Serve with pear compote and dollop of crème fraîche or whipped cream.

For a printer-friendly recipe, please click here: Buttermilk Spice Cake with Pear Compote

Moroccan Carrot Soup

Published on April 16, 2010 by Dawn11 Comments

From the day my older daughter started eating solid foods, she was hooked on carrots. She loved them so much, there was a time that she had an orange hue to her skin – I guess it is common for infants who eat a lot of orange vegetables. Even today, there are very few vegetables that she will eat, but I can always count on her to eat a pile of carrot sticks if I set them down in front of her.

A couple of weeks ago we were in one of our really nice local markets, and they were serving samples of their carrot soup – she took a sample, and immediately started asking me to make some at home. How can I resist my daughter begging me to make her healthy carrot soup? Ok, maybe not complete healthy because the carrot soup in the store must have had tons of butter and/or cream, as it sure tasted delicious. That week I was reading my Bon Appetit – and what did they have? A recipe for a Moroccan Carrot Soup – what a perfect coincidence. Unfortunately though – I decided to make this when some friends were coming over for dinner – I doubled the recipe (there were 6 adults) – and we devoured it. My daughter only got a very small bowl… This soup was amazing – beautiful flavor, wonderfully creamy – no one could believe there was no cream. The toasted cumin and yogurt on top went perfectly with the deep flavor of the soup. I see more carrot soup in our future.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 cup chopped white onion
1 pound large carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 2 2/3 cups)
2 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup plain yogurt, stirred to loosen

Preparation

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes. Mix in carrots. Add broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Stir cumin seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes; cool. Finely grind in spice mill.

Remove soup from heat. Puree in batches in blender until smooth. Return to same pan. Whisk in honey, lemon juice, and allspice. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle yogurt over; sprinkle generously with cumin.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Moroccan Carrot Soup

No-Knead Overnight Parmesan and Thyme Rolls

Published on April 14, 2010 by Dawn3 Comments

Yeast is very tricky. When I first started baking bread almost 20 years ago, I didn’t understand what the big deal was. I realized later that I was just getting lucky. I never used a thermometer to make sure the water or milk was the right temperature to proof the yeast, I just felt it – and gambled. I had a really great streak going for quite a while. Until one day, my yeast just didn’t look at bubbly as it usually did – but I made the bread anyway. That’s when I figured out why it was so important for the yeast to proof before mixing in the ingredients. My dough didn’t rise – I had killed the yeast because my water was too hot.

Now I actually use a thermometer to check the liquid before adding in the yeast. I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, and it caught my eye because it was an overnight yeast batter. I had to give it a try. The only problem was when I finally decided to make them (in order to have them ready for the next night’s dinner) it was 9pm. The recipe looked pretty easy though, so I decided to go for it. For some reason I couldn’t for the life of me get the yeast to proof. The water seemed to be the right temperature, so maybe it was the yeast? Whatever it was, I just didn’t see any action happening at all. After 3 attempts, I decided to try just one more time – I was getting very tired, and extremely frustrated. The fourth time worked – and the rolls were delicious. Don’t be alarmed when the dough doesn’t rise after sitting in the refrigerator over night – they still bake beautifully. Eat them right out of the oven, and if you happen to have a nice pot of soup to go with them – you will be even happier.

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water (100° to 110°)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1.1 ounces whole-wheat white flour (about 1/4 cup)
5.6 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups), divided
Cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Preparation

Dissolve yeast in 2 tablespoons warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes or until bubbly.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add thyme to pan; cook 1 minute or until bubbly and fragrant. Add thyme mixture and milk to yeast mixture, stirring with a whisk; add 1/4 cup cheese, sugar, salt, and egg, stirring well.

Weigh or lightly spoon whole-wheat white flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Using a wooden spoon, stir whole-wheat white flour into yeast mixture. Weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) all-purpose flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add all-purpose flour to yeast mixture, stirring well. Add enough of remaining all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to form a smooth but very sticky dough. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Dough will not double in size.)

Remove dough from refrigerator. Do not punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a floured surface; sprinkle dough lightly with flour. Roll dough into a 12 x 7–inch rectangle. Brush dough with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese evenly over dough; sprinkle with pepper. Beginning with a long side, roll up dough jelly-roll fashion. Pinch seam to seal (do not seal ends of roll). Cut roll into 8 (1 1/2-inch) slices. Place slices, cut sides up, on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until rolls have risen slightly.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Place pan in oven, and immediately reduce heat to 375°. Bake rolls at 375° for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Parmesan Rolls

Chicken Carne Asada Tacos with Pickled Onions

Published on April 12, 2010April 14, 2010 by Dawn2 Comments

I love a good taco – in fact, I often crave a good taco. Not one with a crunchy shell, but one with a deliciously soft corn tortilla that is stuffed with shredded chicken or pork, a fresh tomato salsa made with cilantro, and to top it off a delicious dollop of guacamole made with fresh avocado. Even just chunks of avocado will do just fine.

The best tacos are usually found at the taco trucks, although I have to say I had one of the best tacos in my life in Los Angeles at the Farmer’s Market. Thinking about them right now makes me want to get on an airplane and go straight there. Lately we have been having taco night more and more, now that my kids are getting into it. They love all the bowls of condiments I put on the table – and the fact that they can pick and choose, and basically make their own dinner.

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, and I had to give it a try. What interested me the most were the pickled onions – and they were a fantastic addition to the tacos. They were sweet, yet tangy and crunchy – they went so well with the avocado and chicken, and that warm corn tortilla that it was wrapped in. The recipe made a lot of pickled onions, so you will have plenty left-over to enjoy in other ways – like on salad or just grilled chicken. I need a taco!

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium red onion, thinly vertically sliced
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into thin strips
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 cup diced peeled avocado (about 1 avocado)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Cotija cheese
Lime wedges (optional)

Preparation

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves. Place onion in a small saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; drain and plunge onion in ice water. Drain onion; add to juice mixture. Chill until ready to serve.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Sprinkle chicken with oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper; toss to coat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes or until browned and done, stirring occasionally.

Heat tortillas according to package directions. Divide chicken evenly among tortillas. Drain onion; divide evenly among tortillas. Top each tortilla with 2 tablespoons avocado and 1 tablespoon cheese; fold over. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Chicken Carne Asada Tacos with Pickled Onions

Chewy Brownies

Published on April 10, 2010 by Dawn27 Comments

Ok – I made it to the chewy brownies – and I am so happy I did. Over the years I have occasionally made boxed brownies when absolutely necessary – like when we went to the Washington coast for a weekend, and I wanted to make brownies at the house we were staying at, but didn’t want to bring all the ingredients. Or in college when it was just too expensive to buy all the ingredients for just one pan of brownies. I have to say, whenever I have done that, the brownies are delicious, and they are usually very chewy. Could it be that you are adding oil to the mix, and not butter?

It just so happens that in Cook’s Illustrated last month, they had an article about the best chewy brownies – they say it is all in the type of fat you use. Well – I can’t refute them – I made their version, and they were amazing. Instead of using all butter, this recipe called for half butter and half vegetable oil. I actually didn’t use all of the oil it called for, and mine were plenty good, I wasn’t missing a thing. Also, I didn’t have any bittersweet chocolate in the house, so I used semisweet – so mine were more on the milk chocolate end, but still ridiculously good.

The best story that came out of these brownies? I served them for my daughter’s book club, and the next day I packed her on of the left-overs in her lunch. She happened to be eating lunch with one of the girls from the book club, and she asked if those were the same brownies that they had the night before. When my daughter said yes, her friend said, “You are lucky, those were the best brownies ever!”

Ingredients

1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso (optional)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon table salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the oven rack on the lowest position. Using a 9×13 baking pan, cut two pieces of foil, and fold the edges over so they fit perfectly in the pan. Place on piece of foil lengthwise, and one width-wise. This will allow you to lift the brownies easily out of the pan after they are cooked. Once the foil has been fitted into the pan, spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Whisk cocoa, espresso powder (if using), and boiling water together in a large bowl until smooth. Add unsweetened chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in melted butter and oil. (Mixture may look curdled.) Add eggs, yolks, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth and homogeneous. Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated. Add flour and salt and mix with rubber spatula until combined. Fold in bittersweet chocolate pieces.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pan to a rack and cool for 1 1/2 hours.

Using foil overhang, lift the brownies from the pan. Return brownies to a wire rack and let them cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Chewy Brownies

Chicken Parmesan Burger

Published on April 8, 2010April 8, 2010 by Dawn1 Comment

I am pretty fortunate that my kids both like meat. I know tons of parents who complain that their kids are addicted to carbs, but will not eat meat. I know that I can always serve them a piece of chicken, steak or pork (without sauce) and they will eat it. Of course their meat of choice is – hamburgers. They are both starting to get into cheeseburgers as well. My older daughter finally likes a nice roll around her burger, while my younger one still prefers the burger to be cut up into chunks just big enough to dunk into ketchup and pop into her mouth.

When I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, I figured it would be right up their alley – and different enough that it would be right up my alley as well. I followed the recipe exactly, except that I didn’t have enough fresh basil leaves to layer with the radicchio. The burgers were excellent – the meat was flavored perfectly – and the fresh mozzarella on top was such a nice treat. In my opinion, these were pizza burgers – which is probably why the kids liked them so much – their two favorite meals wrapped into one.

Ingredients

10 1/2-inch-thick slices French bread (4 inches in diameter); 8 slices toasted, 2 slices (crust removed) diced
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons minced fresh basil, divided, plus 12 large basil leaves
3/4 cup purchased refrigerated marinara sauce
12 ounces ground chicken (white meat)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon grated onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
4 large radicchio leaves

Preparation

Blend diced bread and Parmesan in processor to fine crumbs. Transfer to pie dish; mix in 2 tablespoons minced basil.

Mix marinara and 2 tablespoons basil in small saucepan. Transfer 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce to large bowl. Add chicken, 1/2 tablespoon oil, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle with pepper; blend. Shape into four 1/2-inch-thick patties; coat with crumbs. Heat sauce over low heat.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook patties until bottoms are crusty, 4 minutes. Turn patties over; top with cheese. Cook 3 minutes. Cover; cook until cooked through and cheese is melted, about 1 minute.

Assemble burgers with bread, radicchio, basil leaves, and warm marinara.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Chicken Parmesan Burger

Cappuccino Cheesecake

Published on April 6, 2010 by Dawn10 Comments

My earliest memory of cheesecake has scarred me forever. When I was probably around 13 years old, I was at my friend’s house and we decided to bake something. For some reason that I can no longer remember, we decided on a cheesecake – just a regular old-fashioned cheesecake with a graham cracker crust. This was the most beautiful cheesecake I have ever seen in my life – we did an outstanding job – especially given that neither of us had ever done that before. I am not even sure I had ever had a piece of cheesecake, but at that point in my life – since there were no sweets in my house – I was into pretty much anything that wasn’t chocolate.

We were so proud of this cheesecake – that yes, we took a picture! Little did I know that someday this would be something I do constantly… We found her mom’s camera, and took a picture of this beauty. Mind you – we have still not had a piece at this point. My friend was putting it into the refrigerator to chill – when she stumbled just a little, and there went the cheesecake onto the floor. We just couldn’t believe it. We were so upset. We salvaged what we could – but thank goodness for the pictures. We never forgot that day – in fact, even though we grew apart later on in high school – whenever we saw each other, we would talk about our stunning cheesecake that ended up on the floor.

To this day, whenever I think of cheesecake, I think about that day. When I carried this cake outside to photograph it, I thought how classic it would be if it ended up on the floor.

This recipe is one of my favorites from Bon Appetit – I have adapted it slightly below by changing the crust. I love the chocolate wafer cookies and think they make an excellent crust. This was the first time I made the chocolate curls on top – the cheesecake had such a big crack in it, that I had to cover it up – especially because this was for a school auction. The curls were SO EASY to make, I will definitely do it again. This is a great method – I highly recommend it – even if your cheesecake doesn’t crack!

Ingredients

Crust

20 chocolate wafer cookies, crushed
5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar

Filling

1/2 cup whipping cream
4 teaspoons instant espresso powder or coffee powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Chocolate curls (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix crackers, butter and 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl; press onto bottom (not sides) of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Bake crust 10 minutes. Cool. Maintain oven temperature.

Combine cream, espresso powder and vanilla in small bowl; set aside. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in 1 1/4 cups sugar, then eggs 1 at a time. Beat in flour. Stir espresso mixture until powder dissolves; beat into cream cheese mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter over crust. Bake cake until edges are puffed and beginning to crack and center is just set, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Cool on rack 30 minutes; chill cake uncovered until cold, about 6 hours. Cover; keep chilled at least 1 day and up to 2 days.

Cut around cake to loosen. Release pan sides. Top with chocolate curls, if desired.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Cappuccino Cheesecake

Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts with Lemon and Chive Pan Sauce

Published on April 4, 2010April 4, 2010 by Dawn2 Comments

For the first few months of this blog, I was pretty quiet about it at work. I told a few people, but didn’t want to make a big deal about it. A couple of months ago I was in a meeting, and my boss told some people about my blog. They couldn’t believe it, and went right to the site to see for themselves. One of the women was very impressed – it turns out her mother was a chef and she loves to cook – although she doesn’t have nearly as much time for that as she would like. I happened to be working on a project with her – and when it was done, she surprised me by buying me a subscription to Cooks Illustrated. I was completely blown away, and so honored.

Since the ending of Gourmet, I have definitely missed my trifecta every month (Gourmet, Bon Appetit and Cooking Light) – now I am back to having three magazines to create my menus for the month. This month Cook’s Illustrated did an article on the best way to cook chicken breasts. They wanted a chicken breast that was tender on the inside and browned nicely on the outside, without over or under cooking the chicken. I think they got it right. This technique worked like a charm – I did have the added hassle of cleaning an additional baking dish at the end, but I think it was worth it. The chicken was cooked perfectly, and had a nice brown crust around the outside – oh and the sauce, just marvelous! I served this with some mashed potatoes, and we were pouring the extra sauce on top of the potatoes not to waste a single bit. Cook’s Illustrated definitely knows what they are doing…I can’t wait for the next edition.

Ingredients

Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6-8 ounces each)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Sauce

1 medium shallot, minced
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled
salt & pepper

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees and adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position. Using a fork, poke the thickest part of each chicken breast 5 to 6 times. Sprinkle the breasts evenly with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Places the chicken breasts in a 9×13-inch baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake until the thickest part of the breast registers 145 to 150 degrees on an instant read thermometer – around 30-40 minutes depending on the thickness of the breasts.

Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and pat dry. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium high heat until smoking. While the pan is heating, whisk the butter, flour, cornstarch, and pepper together in a small bowl. Lightly brush the top side of the breasts with half the butter mixture. Place the chicken in the skillet (butter side down) and cook until browned, about 3-4 minutes. While the chicken browns, brush the chicken with the remaining butter mixture. Using tongs, flip the chicken, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the second side is browned and the thickest part of the breast registers 160-165. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let rest while making the pan sauce. If you are not making a sauce, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes anyway before serving.

Add shallot to the skillet and cook over medium heat until softened about 3-4 minutes. Add flour and stir constantly – around 30 seconds. Add broth and increase heat to medium high, and bring to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Simmer rapidly until reduced to about 3/4 of a cup, 3-5 minutes. Stir in any accumulated juices from the plate holding the chicken, and return to simmer and cook 30 seconds more. Turn off the heat, and whisk in the lemon juice, chives and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over chicken and serve immediately.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Pan Seared Chicken Breasts

Chocolate-Orange Brownies

Published on March 30, 2010April 5, 2010 by DawnLeave a comment

Some people like them nice and chewy, some people like them rich and dense, some people like them more cake-like – yes, I am talking about brownies. I already made a rich and dense version that was spectacular – so I figured it was time to make one more cake-like. I definitely accomplished my goal.

I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit – and although I am not a huge fan or adding orange flavor to my chocolate – I figured I had to try these out. I was so pleasantly surprised – boy were this fantastic. I brought them over to my friend’s house – and she likened them to the bottom of a Trophy Cupcake – our favorite place to buy cupcakes. They had a wonderful chocolate flavor with a hint of orange – but the texture was just perfect. Eat one with a cold glass of milk, and you have a treat beyond belief. The best part of these brownies – you can wrap them up, and they stay good for days. For a cake-like brownie, that is definitely something worth being proud of. Something else about this recipe? It is super simple – it took me less than 15 minutes to get them into the oven. What could be better?

Ingredients

Non-stick vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup boiling water
6 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, cooled
1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x9x2-inch metal baking pan with non-stick spray. Whisk 1/2 cup boiling water and cocoa powder in a small bowl to blend. Whisk sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Whisk eggs in large bowl. Add butter, orange peel, and vanilla; whisk to blend. Whisk cocoa mixture into egg mixture. Add flour mixture; stir just to blend. Transfer to prepared pan.

Bake brownies until tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on rack. Cut into 16 squares and serve. Adapted from Homepage Cafe.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Chocolate-Orange Brownies

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