Southern Fried Chicken

No bones about it, this southern fried chicken was a winner!

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/2-1 tsp Tabasco sauce

2 tsps minced garlic

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 cup milk

2 tsps lemon juice

4 tbsps flour

1 cup Panko crumbs

vegetable oil

Mix 1/2 cup milk with 2 tsps lemon juice. Put 1/4 cup of the mixture aside for later. To the remaining 1/4 cup milk/lemon juice, add Tabasco, garlic and paprika. Pour into a resealable plastic bag along with the chicken thighs. Remove as much air as possible and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Set up a breading station:

- a bag with flour in it

- a bowl with the remaining 1/4 cup milk/lemon juice

- a bag with Panko in it

(I keep and reuse waxed cereal bags for this purpose. Works well and easy clean up!)

 

Remove each piece of chicken from the marinade, drop into flour to coat, then dip in milk and finally shake in the bag of Panko. Place on plate to rest 10 minutes.

Heat about 1/4-1/2" vegetable oil in a skillet to a temperature of 375°F. Cook chicken on each side 8-10 minutes.

They are done when an internal temperature of 165°F is reached. You might also want to slice into the thickest part of one to see that no pink meat remains.

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Braised Cross Rib Steak

Just a simple braised steak with vegetables... perfect with a big baked potato! Simmer it low and slow until it's fork tender. 

Ingredients:

1/4 lb (.272 kg) cross rib steak

2 tbsps avocado oil, divided

1 cup beef broth

2 tsps worcestershire sauce

1 small onion, sliced

1/2 bell pepper, sliced

a handful of grape tomatoes

Pour the worcestershire sauce over the steak and let sit 15 minutes. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until the onion is golden. Remove to a plate. Add 1 tbsp oil to the skillet and sear both sides of the beef on high temperature. Once browned on both sides add the broth, return the onions and pepper and scatter the tomatoes. Cover and simmer 2 hours or until easily cut with a fork.

Serves 2

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Homemade French Onion Soup

Easy and cozy onion soup au gratin for two is perfect for a cold winter's night!

Ingredients:

2 tbsps olive oil

1 lb onions, thinly sliced 

1 tbsp red wine, sherry or red wine vinegar 

1 quart beef broth

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp dry basil

1/2 tsp dry oregano 

1 1/4 cups shredded gruyère or gouda cheese

Salt and pepper 

Rusk, toasted baguette or rusk type crackers

Heat soup pot to medium high and add oil and onions. Do not stir for 4 minutes. Then stir and cook 10-15 minutes until golden and starting to caramelize.

Add wine or vinegar to deglaze the pot, then add broth, bay leaf, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Turn the oven on to broil and place a rack right under the broiler.  

Remove the bay leaf then ladle soup into onion soup bowls or ramekins and top with rusks. I chose these aged cheddar toasted baguette crackers for extra cheesy flavour! They're small so I added 3 or 4 to each bowl.

Pile the shredded cheese on top and pop under the broiler until melted and bubbly, about 3 minutes.

Serves 2

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Blueberry Breakfast Bars

This easy sheet pan cake is the perfect way to start the day, or end the day, or snack in the middle of the day. With fresh blueberry filling and a hint of almond in the lovely textured cake you'll be nibbling on this sweet treat all day long!

Ingredients:

Blueberry Filling:

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp lemon juice

Cake:

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

4 eggs

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

1 tsp salt

Frosting:

2 tbsps butter

3/4 cup icing sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1-2 tbsps 10% cream (coffee cream)

1/4 tsp vanilla

Start by making the blueberry filling. Place the blueberries, 1/4 cup water and sugar in a saucepan and heat on medium for 3-5 minutes (maybe a little longer if using frozen berries) until it just comes to a boil. Mix the cornstarch, 1 tbsp water and lemon juice in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. Then add this cornstarch slurry to the saucepan, stirring constantly until thickened, about 2-3  minutes or just until bubbles break the surface and maybe a few berries pop. Remove from heat and set aside.

Oil and flour and 15 X 10" sheet pan and preheat the oven to 350°F. For the cake, cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixer bowl for 2-3 minutes. Then add the vanilla and almond extracts and eggs, one at a time.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt and gradually add to the large bowl. Beat just until combined.

Dollop the batter onto the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. It will be thick.

Add the blueberry filling by spoonfuls, spread out and swirl around without going right through to the bottom.

Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before mixing the frosting ingredients together. Drizzle all over and run a knife through then cut when set.

Makes 20-24 squares depending on how large you cut them.

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Muffin Tin Potatoes

Garlic infused potato wedges with cheese. Just right with pretty much any meal or serve them with your favourite dip to watch the big game!

Ingredients:

4 medium Yukon gold potatoes (or red potatoes)

4 or 5 tsps butter

3 tsps minced garlic

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup shredded gouda

Canola oil spray

Spray a muffin tin with oil. Cut potatoes, lengthwise in quarters and stand 3 or 4 in each muffin tin. Spray potatoes with oil then add a dab of butter, garlic, salt and pepper to taste.

Bake at 375°F for 55-60 minutes or until tender (do the fork test) with crispy edges. Add the cheese and return to the oven for 3-5 minutes. 

And, of course, you can always double the recipe!

Adapted from: cookistwow.com

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Braised Beef and Farfalle

This tomato based beef stew smothers a plate full of farfalle pasta for a delicious dinnertime idea!

Ingredients:

1 lb beef blade roast

2 tbsps olive oil

1 onion, diced

1/2 bell pepper, diced

1 tbsp pesto

28 oz can diced tomatoes

1 cup beef broth

2 tbsps balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp ketchup

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dry basil

2 tbsps fresh parsley

salt and pepper

1 or 2 sliced garlic cloves

3 or 4 small carrots, halved

2 cups farfalle pasta

1 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsps cold water

In a large skillet heat the olive oil to high then salt and pepper the beef and place in the pan. Brown 4-5 minutes on each side then remove to a plate. Add the onion and bell pepper and stir for 2-3 minutes before adding the pesto, canned tomatoes, broth, balsamic, ketchup, bay leaf, basil and parsley.

Return the meat to the pan and top with salt, pepper and garlic slices. 

Add the carrots around the meat, cover and braise in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 325°F for 2 3/4 hours.

Remove the meat to a plate. Mix the cornstarch and cold water together and whisk into the pot. Stir a couple of minutes to slightly thicken then return the meat back to the pot.

But first admire the beauty of it!

Cook the farfalle then drain. You can serve the pasta topped with a piece of beef and all the rest or shred the beef and toss the pasta in the skillet before serving.

Serves 3-4

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Cinnamon Cocoa Banana Bread

Who doesn't love a good banana bread? And who doesn't have bananas sitting on the counter past their best before date? If you've got 4 then you've got what you need for this amazing loaf! Did you know you can throw overripe bananas into the freezer with their peels on, then just defrost when you want to bake with them?  

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsps vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tbsps chia seeds (optional)

4 ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 cups mashed)

Cinnamon Cocoa Swirl:

3 tbsps butter, melted

3 tbsps sugar

3 tbsps brown sugar

2 tbsps cinnamon

1 tbsp cocoa

Whisk cooled, melted butter with the sugar. Then add the eggs, vanilla and mashed banana. Combine the flour, baking soda (and chia seeds) and add to the wet ingredients stirring just until combined. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon cocoa swirl ingredients. Oil and flour a 9 X 5" loaf pan.

Pour 1/4 of the batter in the pan, then a 1/4 of the swirl mix and gently swirl with a knife. Then 1/3 of the batter and 1/3 of the swirl mix, 1/2 the batter and 1/2 the swirl mix and swirl it. Add the remaining batter and dollop the remaining swirl mix on top. Swirl it through.

Bake at 350°F for 70-95 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool 30 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely before slicing.

Is this slice actually smiling?!

Adapted from: thebakermama.com

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