Tomato-Pesto Scones with Kalamata Olives

Did somebody say scones?

Count me in. In fact, it was a request from my wife to make the chicken noodle soup and herby scones and I made a few weeks ago.  I imagine that hasn't been evident to everybody. But I re-make dishes pretty often. If we like them, they're in the rotation. But obviously I'm not going to blog about the same dish again and again.  So believe me, I'm cooking more often than I'm blogging about it.

But thankfully I found another recipe for scones that sounded really good to me. When I asked The Mrs if she was OK with the substitute recipe, I got the green light to go ahead.

I had just been talking about how much I love Kalamata olives. They are so briny and delicious that if they're in a menu item description, there's a pretty good chance I'm ordering that dish. So this recipe had me excited.

It starts with another delicious ingredient. Take a packet of sun-dried tomatoes and soak them in hot water for 10 minutes. This recipe called for the dry packet, not the oil-packed kind of tomatoes.  I actually saved that savory tomato water and added it to the chicken soup stock. I though that was a pretty resourceful twist.

Next you'll assemble your dry ingredients. Take 2 cups of flour, a 0.5 oz envelope of pesto sauce mix, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 2 Tbsp baking powder and mix them together in a large bowl.

Then you will get your wet ingredients ready. Add 3/4 cup of milk and 1 egg yolk to another dish.  Mix them together well. It was at this point that my wife said "You're such a good baker."  She was referring to my discipline of separating dry from wet ingredients. I always thought that made sense, though, so you could evenly disperse the egg yolk. 

Cut in 1/4 cup of cold butter into your dry ingredients. You can do this with a mixer, or possibly even easier with a fork.  

Set two tomatoes aside. Chop the rest of the soaked tomatoes and 1/2 cup of pitted Kalamata olives. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir in the tomatoes & olives. Don't over-work the dough, though. Just get it combined.

Then flip it out onto a floured table surface. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Flour your hands and gently kneed the dough a little.  Then transfer it to the parchment paper and flatten it out to about 1/2" thick. If it sticks to your hands, just use a little more flour.  

Using a floured knife, cut diamond shapes across on a diagonal. Brush some olive oil on the top of the dough and then place the two reserved tomatoes in the center.  Bake them in a 425-degree oven for about 14 minutes.

When they're done, you can separate the scone by hand or with a spatula. The salty olives go great with the rich flavor of the sun-dried tomatoes. There's a lot of great seasoning from the pesto mix too. I love how buttery and rich they are, and these moist & dense scones are great for soaking up soup.

I also have an excellent use for the left-overs. So stay tuned.

Baked Bacon: Perfectly Crisp and Chewy

Like many things in life, my wife and I have different opinions on how bacon should be cooked. We clearly don't have the same taste in music, movies, or TV shows. I thought food was the one area where we could see eye-to-eye. But she likes her bacon crispy. I like mine chewy -- almost like pork belly jerky.  There's nothing I hate more than when you're at a hotel or a banquet hall and they have a big tray of bacon that is razor-thin and completely dry. It's such a bait-and-switch and it drives me nuts. I'm not even sure what the point is in slicing the bacon that thin. Instead of taking two or three pieces, you have to take twice as many because you can practically see right through them.  And that dried-out, brittle texture is enough to make me regret taking any in the first place.

Now that's more like it!

Recently we were at my wife's grandparents's house having breakfast when my she emasculated me in front of everyone by nudging me in the ribs and saying, "That's how you cook bacon."  Her grandpa starts with the bacon in a cold pan and brings it up to temperature, while holding a spatula down on it the whole time to be sure it doesn't curl up on him.

We decided to take a different approach and bake the bacon this time. I read that it will get crispy on the outside, but not be so dried out inside. So it retains that chewy toothy-ness that I like so much. It employs the same concept as Grandpa Gary, though, because you put the bacon into a cold oven and then bring it up to temperature.

Spray a wire cooling rack with non-stick cooking spray and place it on top a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. That will make your cleanup job way easier.

Put it into a cold oven and set the temperature for 400 degrees. Once the oven has pre-heated, let the bacon cook for an additional 10-12 minutes. Mine was thick-cut, so I needed to let it go a little longer. But 10-12 minutes should do just about right for normal bacon.

I patted it dry with a paper towel, and then cut up 3 slices into smaller crumbles for the top of our instant cheese soup. (I had to eat one slice by itself. I'm a bacon junkie after all.)

It was crisp and crunchy enough to be cut rather easily with a sharp knife. But thankfully for my tastes, it was still chewy when I bit into it. This is a much more hands-off method for cooking bacon, and you can find a nice sweet spot between crunchy & chewy that should please most guests.

Italian-herbed Crescent Rolls

I think that I'm pretty good about giving credit where credit is due. And this super-simple idea came from my wife. We were heating up an instant cheese soup packet for dinner recently because it was unbearably cold outside. There's something about a warm bowl of soup that almost makes you forget the howling, sub-zero temperatures outside your door.  (Almost)

I'm a big fan of having something to dip into soup. It's the savory equivalent of dunking cookies into milk. Plus, it gives you something to mop up what's left in your bowl when a spoon just won't get the job done.  It's slightly more classy than lapping up the last morsels with your tongue like a dog would do.

Enter: Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

I have used these before to make a crust for a baked taco pizza. And they're so versatile that they can easily go sweet or savory depending on how you treat them.  In this instance, I used Italian herbs & cheese.

A quick dusting with Parmesano-Romano cheese, black pepper, dried onions, and parsley and you're good to go.  I spread it out on the dough before rolling them up. And since I'm kind of messy in the kitchen, I had a lot of that tasty seasoning all over my counter. I just rolled the outside of the rolled-up crescents in the mix to make sure all sides were coated.

As you can see I only did it with the four on the right. The others were being saved for breakfast with some sweet jam.

These were so quick & easy, I'll have to experiment with other seasoning blends in the future. It was salty and flavorful to add another level with that creamy soup.

Chicken & Rice with Mushrooms

I have mentioned a few times before that I was a picky eater as a kit. But chicken & rice was always a dish that I loved when my dad made it. I'm not talking about "arroz con pollo", but rather the baked dish with rice in a creamy sauce.  Some of you will know the one I'm talking about.  But I decided to make a few little variations on the recipe for this version.

I started by sauteing down some red onions in a little oil with salt & pepper until they were just soft.

Next I added sliced mushrooms in butter with salt & pepper. I thought this would add another level of flavor with that earthiness that mushrooms lend to a dish.

I made a light seasoning batter with flour, cayenne pepper, and ground black pepper.  Press each side of some boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into smaller sections, into your flour mixture.

Brown the chicken on all sides in a little oil in a pan over medium to medium-high heat.

Add everything together in a casserole dish with 1 cup of instant rice, 2 cups of beef broth, and 1 cup of milk.  Season with salt & pepper.  The beef broth was another idea of mine to add more depth of flavor to this dish. You could also use chicken broth or poultry seasoning. I though the beef broth would be a nice compliment to the earthiness of the mushrooms, though.

Bake it uncovered for 50-55 minutes. Mine probably could have gone for a little longer, or maybe I just should have used a little less liquid. It's just my personal preference probably, but I would like my rice a little fluffier. I was trying to reduce a recipe to a smaller size. There was nothing wrong with it. I'm just now looking at the picture and noticing that it should be a bit tighter.

Nonetheless, it was a great warm dish for a winter night. It's filling, pretty darned healthy, and had some depth of flavor with the mushrooms and beef broth. You can serve it with a little lemon wedge like I did for acidity. It's also nice topped with some Parmesan cheese for added richness and salt.

*Here's an interesting anecdote: after one leftover serving, I decided to go a different direction with the remainder. I added Thai chili paste, green onions, cilantro, and a little bit of sesame oil. Boom! Transformed into a pseudo-Asian dish.

Banana Chocolate Milkshakes

I was looking through one of our cookbooks this weekend before heading to the store, trying to find a few new recipes that sounded good to me. I usually would skip over the "beverages" section; but I actually found two different ones I'm going to try this week.

We had an overly ripe banana that might be a little mushy (or "gross" in my wife's words) if you were to eat it by itself.  But I happen to be one of the many people that feel this is precisely when they are the most flavorful. If you're ever baking with bananas, I would recommend waiting until they have browned like this.

Add a 6 oz vanilla yogurt, 1 ripe banana, 1 cup of small ice cubes, 1/4 tsp vanilla, 2 Tbsp chocolate syrup, and 1/2 cup of milk into a blender.  You can freeze the ice cream first to add a little more frozen texture to the milkshake if you want it thicker. Otherwise, refrigerated will be fine.

I once made a smoothie that I dubbed "The King" because it had peanut butter and banana. This is pretty similar. But I might actually prefer the chocolate-banana combination. This was really tasty. My wife liked it. So that was all I needed to know.  It only take a couple minutes to make. And it really isn't that unhealthy. Other than the chocolate syrup, it's all good for you.  So I'm not going to feel guilty making these often.

Sticky Pecan Overnight Rolls

Yuuuuuu-uuuuuuuuu-uuuuuuu-ummmmmmmm!

I got this recipe from a client of mine. Whenever we come over for an appointment at their home, we try to make it for breakfast so Cherie will make us these delicious sticky rolls. After licking my plate the last time we were there, she offered to give me the recipe. I quickly snatched up that offer and couldn't wait to make them for my wife.

As the name suggests, you make these overnight. You'll need some frozen dinner rolls, brown sugar, pecans, margarine, and butterscotch pudding mix (the kind you cook, not instant).

Start by greasing a 13x9 baking dish and arranging the frozen dinner rolls evenly. Give them plenty of space because they will expand.

Sprinkle them with the pudding mix, 3/4 cup brown sugar, chopped pecans, and 1/4 cup of margarine -- sliced into little slivers.  Then place it into your cold oven and let it sit overnight.

Here's what they looked like in the morning.  They look like they could be ready to eat. But you need to bake everything together to get them warm, fluffy, and most importantly STICKY.

Ah, now that's more like it.

Spread some waxed paper out onto a cookie sheet or a large cutting board. Then place them on top of your making dish and carefully (with oven mitts) flip the whole thing over.

To quote Tom Petty: Oh my, my. Oh hell yes.

The smell will make your family ravenous. This entire plate will disappear before you know what hit you.  It's everything you love about cinnamon rolls or monkey bread. But I think these are just a little bit different with that brown sugar & butterscotch combination.

Serve them right away while they're hot and gooey. That sauce is amazing. So you'll want to use a rubber spatula to get every last drop off the waxed paper and out of the bottom of your baking dish. The pecans give it a nice crunch and the rolls are so soft and buttery. But the real star is that sticky sauce. It's amazing. Seriously.

Thanks Cherie.

Portuguese Baked Eggs

I wasn't really sure what to expect from this dish. But I was intrigued.

I started by slicing red & green bell peppers and a red onion. Saute them in a pan with some olive oil and salt & pepper.

Cook them down for about 10-12 minutes over medium heat until they are soft, and the onions are just beginning to brown.

The recipe called for wedges of "beefsteak tomatoes" but we felt the larger tomatoes haven't been very good this time of year.  So we used these bright cherry tomatoes.

Next comes the fun part. Add garlic, jalapeno peppers, basil, oregano, chili powder, paprika, and salt & pepper. For the exact recipe, check out Bon Apetit magazine. But let me tell you, it smells amazing.  If you ever happen to be in Montpelier, Vt (which I never have), the recipe is credited to "Kismet" restaurant.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes until everything is really soft.

Spread it all out in a casserole dish and make six wells with the back of a large spoon. Scoop in some ricotta cheese and make little nests (get it? nests for eggs?) and carefully crack an egg into each one.

Cover all of them with sharp cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.  Bake it until the cheese is melted and the egg whites are almost set (rotating half way through).  This could take 15-18 minutes.

In full disclosure, I baked mine a little too long and the yolks set up.  They should be runny when you cut into them.  And they will continue to cook in the the pan. So be sure to serve them right away.

All wasn't lost, though. Because there was still those super-seasoned, soft peppers & onions. The rich gooey cheeses are a great touch too. And the tomatoes add some sweetness and acidity.  If only I had a nice runny egg yolk to pull the whole thing together with some buttery toast!  But it was still really good.

(Good news: you can always reheat it with a fried egg.)

Zucchini Fritters

I decided to make this little tasty fritters because: A. I love fried food. and B. the dipping sauce looked really nice.  They are light & crispy. Technically it's a vegetable. So as far as fried food goes, it isn't all that bad for you. And the dipping sauce goes really well with these savory little bites.

Shred 2-3 zucchinis and place them into a colander. Toss them with a fair amount of salt and leave it sitting for 10 minutes to extract a lot of moisture. Then wring them through a fresh clean towel to remove as much water as you can. This will help to ensure your fritters are crispy, not soggy.

The recipe called for chives, but I didn't have any. So I took the liberty of using minced ginger, green onions, and cilantro. I thought they would go really well with the Asian dipping sauce in the recipe.

Then mix in one egg, 1/4 cup of flour, and 1 Tbsp of corn starch. Mix that together with the shredded & drained zucchini.

Heat 1/3 cup of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. A good way to test your oil temperature is to flick some water into the pan. It should sizzle and pop away pretty rapidly. If it's just sizzling, it isn't hot enough.

Drop 1/4 cup size scoops of the zucchini mixture into the oil carefully. Then lightly press them down down the back of a spatula.  Let them cook until they are crispy and golden brown -- about 3-4 minutes per side. Flip them over and do the same on the other side. Then place on a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt & pepper.

You'll want to cook these in multiple batches. If you put too much into your oil at one time, it will lower the temperature and the food won't be as crispy. You don't want your food soggy and heavy with all the cooking oil.

Mix together 3 Tbsp rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce, 1 1/2 tsp sugar, and crushed red pepper flakes in a small bowl. This is a really wonderful dipping sauce that you could make any time you have egg rolls or pot stickers.

Perfectly Hard-Boiled Eggs

This is a very simple, sure-fire way to make perfect hard-boiled eggs every time. Start by placing the eggs gently into a pan, covered by at least one inch of cold water.

Then bring the water to a boil. It's important to start with cold water, and then bring the water to a boil. If you cook your eggs too fast in hot water, you can end up with that unappetizing green ring around the yolks. And nobody wants that!

It's been said that "a watched pot never boils".  Well, simple chemistry would argue with that claim. It may seem like it takes forever; but as soon as that water reaches 100-degrees Fahrenheit it will boil.

Not yet. But we're getting closer... ... ...

Now that's what I'm talking about.  As soon as the water is boiling, remove your pan from the heat and cover.

Let them continue to cook in the hot water for 12 minutes.

Carefully remove them with a slotted spoon and put them into cold water. I actually rinsed out the pan and filled it with ice water and put these back into it. But the important thing is to get the eggs cool to stop the cooking process.

Carefully crack the shells and peel them off. I read that eggs should be at least 5 days old before you hard-boil them. One of my 5 eggs was from a new carton. It could be a pure coincidence. But one of the eggs came apart when I was peeling off the shell.  But it worked out well because I could illustrate the perfect color and consistency of the whites and the yolk.

Hard-boiled eggs are great to keep in the refrigerator. They make a nice addition to a salad. Deviled eggs are always a hit. Egg salad sandwiches are also very popular.  And sometimes it's nice to just snack on a hard-boiled egg with a little celery salt.  So make up a few and pop them in a tupperware so they're ready to go when the urge strikes you.