Jalapeno Mashed Potatoes

This is one of our favorites. Peter used to make these for me as a side to our yummy salmon dinners. At some point I took over and started making them myself. In Houston we could find this dressing but I have not been able to find it in Denver. I did come across this variation recently and we were back on for our favorite spicy mashed potatoes.

I like to use one large russet potato and one small russet potato. I find that they make the perfect portion for two people.



Jalapeno Mashed Potatoes
2 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 tablespoons jalapeno ranch dressing
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons butter
cracked white pepper (can substitute black pepper)
kosher salt
jalapeno pepper, sliced thin (optional)

Boil the potatoes in a large pot for about 20 minutes. Use a fork to test the potatoes, When tender, drain and put back into pot. Add the butter and use a potato masher to mash the potatoes. Mix in the dressing, whipping cream, salt and pepper. Top with fresh jalapeno slices.

Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits

I absolutely adore goat cheese. I also adore biscuits. So when I found this recipe I knew I had to give it a try. I had it saved for while but the new baby kept me VERY busy so I'm just now getting around to posting this.

I managed to only get 9 biscuits though the recipe is supposed to yield 10. I guess I dropped big biscuits?





Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) goat cheese
1 cup buttermilk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
garlic and herb seasoning, optional


Preheat oven to 425º.  Place a 10 inch cast iron skillet in oven during preheating.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut in goat cheese and 4 tablespoons butter. Make a well in center and add buttermilk.  Using a wooden spoon, stir ingredients until just moistened, adding up to a tablespoon more buttermilk if needed.

Remove the hot skillet from the oven and add 1 tablespoon butter.  Once butter has melted, use a 1/4 cup measure to drop batter into skillet. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and brush over biscuit tops.
Bake for 14-16 minutes, until biscuits are golden on top.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garlic and herb seasoning.

Yield: 10 biscuits
Adapted from Savory Spicy Sweet, originally from Art Smith

Lemonade

Ok, so it has been pretty hot here in Denver. It's certainly not Houston hot (surface of the sun) but I have definitely been uncomfortable in the afternoons. A few weeks ago, after an especially hot trip to HomeGoods, I discovered the lemonade at Panera. I was instantly hooked and had to have more. I went back the next day and the next day...you see where this is headed. After about ten straight days of Panera lemonade I decided that I needed to cut back a little bit. I had to find a way to make my own lemonade at home!

I found several simple lemonade recipes online and borrowed from a few to create my own. It's the perfect cool-down for these hot August days!



Lemonade
1 3/4 cups sugar
7 cups water
1 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and stir continuously to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Cover and place in refrigerator until chilled.

Remove seeds but leave pulp in lemon juice. In a large pitcher, stir chilled syrup, lemon juice and 6 cups of water.

Pepperoni Rolls

I have obviously been on a pizza kick lately. I guess the baby is a fan!

When I was at UT in Austin I used to love Double Dave's, especially their yummy Peproni Rolls. I probably ate way too many of these but man, they were so good! There are no Double Dave's locations in Denver so I decided to make my own. I searched for an authentic recipe but was not successful. I winged it because really, how hard complicated could pepperoni rolls be? My favorite pizza dough recipe, a few slices of Boar's Head pepperoni and some mozzarella chunks were all I needed to recreate a favorite! They made for a delicious Sunday night treat!

I used mozzarella cheese but you could also use smoked provolone.


Pepperoni Rolls
makes 8 rolls
1 ball pizza dough
4 large slices pepperoni, cut in half
8 pieces of mozzarella cheese, sliced lengthwise into 4 inch long "sticks" 
1 large egg, combine with 1 tablespoon water to form egg wash
Parmesan cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

On a flour dusted surface, roll out pizza dough into a rectangle, approximately 20 inches by 10 inches. Use a pizza cutter to divide the dough horizontally and then vertically into 4 smaller rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally so that you end up with a total of 8 triangles.

At the top (widest part) of each triangle, place 1 mozzarella stick on top of 1 piece of pepperoni. Roll the dough down over the cheese and pepperoni until you can fold the tip over the entire roll. Stretch the 2 ends out and under the roll. Carefully pinch close any holes to make sure that no cheese melts out during baking.  

Space the rolls out evenly on a cookie or baking sheet, lightly greased or covered in parchment paper. Generously brush each roll with the egg wash. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until golden brown. While still warm, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Cast Iron Veggie Pizza

It's no secret that I love pizza. One of my first cooking memories was making pizza with my mom when I was about 7 years old. In high school I worked at Fuzzy's Pizza where I worked my way up to assistant manager! Wow! When I was single and teaching, I used to make a big veggie pizza on Sunday and take it for lunch throughout the week. I have tried about a million pizza dough recipes, both regular and whole wheat. They were all just ok but I had yet to find one that reminded me of the dough at Dolce Vita. My friend Susan mentioned that this one was amazing...she was right! I think we have a winner!

I have always baked my pizzas in the oven but grilling pizza sounded very interesting. We don't have a grill available to us so I decided to get creative and use my cast iron skillet.

I really like to pile on the veggies but Peter hates broccoli on pizza so I left it out this time. I kept it simple with some tomatoes, green bell pepper, garlic and mushrooms. I don't like sauce on my pizza but you could certainly add your favorite sauce and it would still be yummy!

Vegetable Pizza
1 medium ball of pizza dough
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
5 thin slices tomato- enough to almost cover the dough's surface
5 thin slices of green bell pepper
1 cup button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thin
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded


Generously coat cast iron skillet with non-stick spray and place over medium heat. Coat your hands in olive oil and press the dough into a circle covering the bottom of the skillet. Watch the dough carefully and use a spatula to check occasionally. When the dough starts to firm up but before it begins to brown, add the pizza toppings to the dough. Continue to check the dough approximately every 45 seconds. When it has reached desired doneness, remove from the skillet.

I placed my pizza under the broiler for about a minute just to fully melt the cheese.

Steak Rub

I have definitely been slacking in the blog department lately! As I get closer to my due date it's just harder for me to keep up with the blog. I feel so huge and I'm just not in the mood to cook! I'm digging into the archives and posting some recipes I have had on the back burner for a while.

I first used this steak rub back in April and Peter still raves about it! It is so easy and absolutely the tastiest steak I have ever prepared! I prefer to use a good, thick rib eye but this will work on any cut of meat.

Steak Rub
serves 2
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder (I use this one)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Let steaks sit at room temperature for thirty minutes.

Combine the ingredients in a small bowl. Generously rub both sides of the steak until completely coated in the rub. Cover each steak tightly in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours. Overnight is best if you have the time.

Prepare steaks as you normally would. This is how I do it. Enjoy!

French Fries

A few months ago I tried making oven baked parmesan fries. They were only so-so and this time I decided to try making the real deal crispy fried french fries.

I did a simple google search and this recipe had amazing reviews! I made these the other night when we had hamburgers. I thought they were pretty good but Peter raved about them so I decided they needed their own post!

Crispy French Fries
yields 2 servings

10 ounces russet potatoes, peeled

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon onion salt

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons water, or as needed

1/4 cup vegetable oil for frying

Slice potatoes into French fries, and place into cold water so they won't turn brown while you prepare the oil.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. While the oil is heating, sift the flour, garlic salt, onion salt, (regular) salt, and paprika into a large bowl. Gradually stir in enough water so that the mixture can be drizzled from a spoon.

Dip potato slices into the batter one at a time, and place in the hot oil so they are not touching at first. The fries must be placed into the skillet one at a time, or they will clump together. Fry until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Fried Chicken

Someone once told me that if your're going to eat junk food then it's better to make it at home. Fried chicken is definitely not something we eat very often but man, it's so good! By the way, when I say "someone told me" I am usually referring to Oprah. 

Peter was all over this dinner. Either he was starving or he REALLY liked this chicken. I am going with the latter. This recipe was spot-on and I didn't have to make any adjustments. Perfection!


Fried Chicken

Serves 4

1 egg

2/3 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cups canola oil

6 to 8 pieces of chicken

In a baking dish whisk together the egg, buttermilk and hot sauce. In a second baking dish combine the flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt and pepper.

Heat the canola oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350 degrees F.

Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture and shake off excess so they are lightly dusted. Dip them in the buttermilk and egg mixture coating both sides, then put back in flour mixture making sure to coat completely.

Fry the chicken in the hot oil until brown and crispy, approximately 8 to 10 minutes per side.  Drain on a wire rack over a baking sheet.  Keep warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.

Hamburger Buns

Ground beef was on super sale this week so I thought this was the perfect time to try making my own hamburger buns! They seemed easy enough to make and I hate buying those packaged ones from the grocery store. I searched high and low for an easy recipe but couldn't find one that matched what I had in mind. So, I borrowed from a few and created my own! Most of the recipes I found were for something between 8 to 12 buns so I drastically cut the ingredients. Peter and I don't need a ton of hamburger buns in the freezer! We ate 2 and I froze 2 so I guess we'll have hamburgers again sometime soon.

I STILL do not own a Kitchenaid stand mixer so I did this all by hand. Maybe one day I won't have to...


Hamburger Buns
yields 4 buns

1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 packet yeast
1/8 cup warm milk (between 105-115 degrees)
1/2 cup warm milk (between 105-115 degrees)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour (I really only ended up using about 2 1/4 cups)
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water (egg wash)

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the mixture and let sit for approximately 10 minutes. Once foamy, add the oil, salt, milk and one cup of the flour. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes. Add the remaining flour a 1/4 cup at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will be very relaxed so add just enough flour to keep it from being sticky. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for approximately 7 minutes. Transfer the dough ball to an oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise for 1 hour.

After the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a lightly oiled work surface. Oil your hands and roll the dough into a log like shape, about 16 inches long. Cut into 8 equal portions, about 2 inches each. Roll each section into a ball and then flatten into a disc, about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Place the discs on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Space them about 1/2 inch apart so that they will touch after rising. Let sit for about forty five minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Before placing in the oven, brush the top of each bun with egg wash. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and place on wire cooling rack.

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

Every few weeks I make a batch of breakfast muffins and freeze them so I have something quick to eat in the morning. I also like to have something on hand for easy snacks when I don't feel like eating yet another banana. I have been loving my strawberry cream cheese muffins but I wanted to try something new. I found this recipe and decided I had to try them because I LOVE blueberries and lemons!


I found that the muffins only needed to bake for about 16 minutes before they were ready. I am not sure if that is because of my crazy hot oven or the altitude. Just keep an eye on yours while baking :)

The recipe indicates that it yields 12 muffins but I was able to make 24.


Blueberry Lemon Muffins
3 cups + 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

10 Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed and softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp lemon zest

1 1/2 cup plain full-fat yogurt12 oz blueberries (thawed if frozen)

Demera sugar (optional)

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix 3 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt in medium bowl; set aside.
Cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add lemon zest.

Beat in one-half of dry ingredients. Beat in one-third of yogurt. Beat in remaining dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with the yogurt, until incorporated. Toss blueberries in remaining 1 Tbsp flour and fold in to the batter.

Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray or line with paper liners. Divide the batter evenly among cups. Sprinkle top lightly with Demera sugar, if using. Bake until muffins are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, until a skewer comes out with moist crumbs. Set on wire rack to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.