Show Me Some....Beignets??

Facebook is responsible for these beignets...these dirty, dirty little beignets.

The Butcher totally called me out on making something for Mardi Gras. To be honest, it hadn't even crossed my mind. I said I would make something with Nutella, considering that I had just gotten a new jar the night before. She said beignets. Keep it Cajun. 

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

M F'n Nutella Beignets

1 tsp. active dry yeast

3/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

1/3 cup + 2 tbs. + 1 tsp. evaporated milk

3 1/2 cups flour

2 tbs. shortening

oil for frying

1 jar Nutella

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add sugar, salt, egg, evaporated milk and blend well. Mix in 2 cups of flour and beat until smooth. Add shortening, and then the remaining 1 1/2 of flour. Mix until completely combined. Cover and chill in refrigerator for one hour. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to about an 1/8 on an inch thick. Cut into 2 1/2 inch squares. Fry in oil heated to medium high. Be sure to let oil heat up all the way before dropping dough. They will float to the top almost immediately. Fry to golden brown and transfer to paper towel lined plate to drain. Spoon a few heaping tablespoonfuls into a piping bag fitted with the smallest tip, or a sandwich bag with the corner cut off. Turn over beignets and poke a small hole big enough for tip and squeeze yummy Nutella into the doughnut, repeat with rest. Dust with powdered sugar. 

Love them.

Shit, marry 'em.

I would....

 

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!

I have become Tessa's personal chef. I say chef, she says slave. This is her all time favorite dish that I make.

Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 tbs. olive oil

1 tbs. butter

1 tbs. oregano

1 tbs. garlic salt

1/2 tsp. rosemary

1/2 tsp. thyme

salt and fresh ground pepper

3/4 cup crumbled feta

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/2 of a red onion, finely chopped

2 cloves, minced

1 6.5 oz. jar of marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

1/3 cup chopped Kalamata olives

Place chicken breasts in a gallon size storage bag. Using the flat side of a meat tenderizer, pound out chicken until about 1/2 an inch thick. Lay out on cutting board and season with spices from oregano to salt and pepper. Set aside. In a medium skillet, over medium heat, melt butter and add 2 tbs. olive oil. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic and salt. Saute until onions are tender. Add remaining ingredients, and cook until the feta somewhat melts. Remove from heat and let cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place about 2 tablespoonfuls of veggie mixture onto chicken and roll up, making sure to tuck in sides as you go. Secure with toothpicks. In the same skillet, add remaining olive oil. Sear chicken rolls until golden brown on each side, about 4-6 minutes. Place chicken in a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Take out of oven and let sit for at least 10 minutes before cutting or serving.

I serve this over Basmati rice only because Basmati is just yummy. You could even serve it with pasta that has been tossed into a little olive oil and butter.

< Insert Clever Line About Kimchi Here >

I am no good at this blogging thing. I really need a secretary. Who wants to be my personal food blog slave?

I will pay you in food :)

Cucumber Kimchi

3-4 large English cucumbers

2 tbs. sugar

1 tbs. salt

5 cloves garlic

1 1/2 in. piece fresh ginger, peeled

1 dried red Thai chili

1/2 cup chili powder

2 tbs. soy sauce

1/4 cup water

Wash and dry the cucumbers. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut into 1/2 inch quarter pieces. Toss cucumber with the sugar and the salt. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, strain the cucumbers and set aside. Place the remaining ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth. Toss with cucumbers. Cover and let sit in refrigerator 6 hours before eating.

Eat it up, bitches. 

How Do You Make an Apple Turnover?

Push it down a hill! Get it?! Heh.

Apparently I'm a slacker. Pffffft. Happy Birthday to my Butcher!! If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't even be doing this. 

Also, I don't even like apple pie. But, my Daddy does. I got to spend last Christmas with him and I hadn't done that in almost 10 years. So, as the the good daughter I am, I made him one for Christmas.

BEST.DAUGHTER.EVER.

Apple Pie

2 rolled out frozen pie dough rounds

2 lbs. granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced

2 lbs. honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

4 tsp. cornstarch

2 tbs. butter cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 egg, beaten with 1 tbs. milk

2 tsp. sugar

1 tbs. orange juice

Fold on pis dough round in half and carefully transfer to a pie dish. Unfold and ease into pan. Using kitchen scissors, trim the edge, leaving 3/4 of an inch to overhang. Set aside with other dough round. In a large dutch oven or stock pot, stir together apples, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cornstarch. Set over medium heat, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are just tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Uncover and cook until the liquid has thickened and becomes glossy. Remove from heat, stir in orange juice and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, transfer to the dough lined pan. Dot with butter. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out second pie dough round to 12 inches. Cut the dough into 10 strips about 3/4 inch wide. Place five strips and weave the other five into the first five. Brush crust with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. To keep crust from browning too fast, spray tin foil with non-stick spray and wrap edges. Bake for 25 minutes, remove foil and bake another 35.

I had a bite, and it was pretty darn good even I do say so myself. I didn't get fancy with though. Maybe next time. 

OMGWTFBBQ

I had to buy tortillas for a work luncheon. They didn't even get touched. I bought 50. Sigh. What to do with them? Taquitos like a mug...

BBQ Chicken Taquitos

2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or processed

1 cup shredded  cheddar cheese (I used a triple cheddar mix)

3/4 cups bottled bbq sauce

1/4 cups finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

10 corn tortillas

vegetable oil for frying

toothpicks

Heat about 3 inches of vegetable oil in a large stock pot, or heat up your Fry Daddy ;) In a large bowl, combine chicken, cheese, bbq sauce, red onion and cilantro. Mix well. Heat corn tortillas in microwave for a few seconds to make them easier to handle. Lay out corn tortilla and spoon about 2 tbs. worth of chicken mixture on, roll up as tight as you can without tearing. secure with a toothpick. Repeat with all tortillas or until mixture is used up. Drop in hot oil 2 at a time, fry until golden brown. Let drain on a wire rack lined cookie sheet to keep crunchy. Let cool slightly and eat immediately. I don't see you being able to resist anyway.

I don't even have any recommendations on dipping sauce. I think that would just ruin these little delicious taquitos, but of course you can do what you want. Whatever. 

Your Moms a flaming Hibachi...

I heart me some Asian food. I heart me some wasabi, almost to a point of ridiculousness. I don't feel that you have really ever had wasabi unless it has burned your nose hairs from your nostrils. I heart me some coconut milk also. I usually have both these ingredients in my house at all times. Let's put them together!! :)

Shrimp with Tangy Coconut Sauce

1 lb. shrimp

1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 tsp. cornstarch

4 tsp. wasabi paste

1 tsp. grated ginger

2 tbs. fresh lime juice

2 tsp. wok oil

1 1/2 tbs. soy sauce

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

In a small saucepan, stir together the coconut milk and the cornstarch. Cook and stir over low heat for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl combine the wasabi paste, ginger and lime juice. In a wok over high heat, cook shrimp for 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, garlic and red pepper. Cook for 30 seconds more. Pour in coconut mixture and wasabi mixture and cook until thickened. Serve over rice.

Skadoosh. Awesomeness. Yum.

Basil, Goat Cheese and Fresh Corn Souffle

Sarah bought me 4 small souffle dishes like a good friend, because she be loving me and all that mushy stuff. 

So, on a day that (shamefully enough) I didn't have any kind of culinary inspiration, I saw these little dishes of amazingness and decided I needed to make souffle, but a savory one.

BEHOLD!!!

Basil, Goat Cheese and Fresh Corn Souffle

2 ears fresh corn, shucked

1/4 cup roughly chopped basil

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

2 tbs. melted butter

2 eggs

2 tbs. flour

1 tbs. sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bowl, cut the corn kernels right off the cob and into the bowl. Once all kernals are off, turn your knife around to the dull side and "milk" the cob. Get as much yummy corn goodness off as possible. In another bowl, Beat eggs slightly, add corn, flour and the rest of the ingredients. Pour equal amounts of mixture into dishes. In a shallow baking dish, add about 2 cups of hot water and set dishes in water. Bake for 30-45 minutes. Let cool slightly before stuffing into your face.