A little pick me up!

These dark, fudgey and full-flavored treats are necessary for late afternoon snacking. If what you're looking for is a late afternoon stimulus to help you make it through the end of your day! Not being a coffee drinker didn't stop me from enjoying several one. My java loving husband and mother said (deliriously) "Ilikethemalot!Ireallydo!They'regreat!", a la 'Hammy' (the squirrel from the movie Over the Hedge)style. They definately had a lot hint of coffee flavor in them. For me it was a tad overboard, but not for those that really enjoy a great cup of joe! I halved the recipe, but in the chaotic arena that is my kitchen, I forgot and added the full tablespoon of espresso powder. They definitely have a kick, but it isn't so overwhelming to render them inedible. Although I shoulda used that excuse and kept them all for myself!

Next time......

Brownie Bites
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

1 cup unsalted butter 2 1/4 cups sugar 1 1/4 cups Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa 1 tablespoon espresso powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 4 large eggs 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 2 cups chocolate chips 1 cup chopped nuts, optional 8 ounces unsalted butter 15 3/4 ounces sugar 3 3/4 ounces Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa 1 tablespoon espresso powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 4 large eggs 6 1/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 12 ounces chocolate chips 4 1/2 ounces chopped nuts, optional Directions Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 10" x 15" jelly roll pan or a 9" x 13" pan. For guaranteed easy removal of the brownies, line the greased pan with parchment, and grease the parchment. 1) In a microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter. 2) Add the sugar, stirring to combine. Remove from heat. 3) Stir in the cocoa, espresso powder, salt, baking powder, and vanilla. 4) Whisk in the eggs, stirring until smooth. 5) Add the flour, chips, and optional nuts, again stirring until smooth. 6) Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. 7) Bake the brownies for 28 to 34 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and barely set in the center. 8) Remove the brownies from the oven, and cool for at least 1 hour before cutting. 9) Use a 1 1/2" round cutter to cut as many circles as possible (about 46) out of the brownies in a 10" x 15" pan. You'll get about 38 from a 9" x 13" pan. Wrap well; enjoy the leftover scraps. 10) Just before serving, garnish the brownies with whipped cream, shaved chocolate, and a dusting of espresso powder.

Pioneer Woman does it gooood!

There is this nifty website called Tasty Kitchen, of which I am a proud member. When I read this post from PW I knew I had to make it!  My husband is a dyed-in-the-wool meat and potato kind of eater and was drooling at the thought of braised beef swimming with mushrooms in a luscious red wine sauce. I added in a few of my own little ideas, despite that the meal was delicious. I served it on homemade butter noodles for a deeply satisfying meal. I cut this recipe in half and still had leftovers for lunch the next day!



Beef Stew with Mushrooms

By Ree Drummond

Potato Crusted Tilapia

My husband likes fish. I, however, do not. So as you can imagine we don't eat a lot of it in our house. Actually we hardly ever eat it. So as a special treat to him I decided to purge my dislike for one meal. I made a buerre blanc sauce to drown drizzle over the fish and served it with rice and steamed vegetables. It isn't a complicated process but it is a detailed one. Here is the recipe for both the fish and the sauce. Don't be intimidated by the process, it really is quiet easy.

Potato Crusted Snapper in Beurre Blanc Sauce
Adapted from Peter Timmins, The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, WV

Cook Time:28 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings
Times:Prep 25 min 
Inactive Prep-- 
Cook 28 min
Total:53 min

Ingredients
2 Idaho potatoes, peeled
Salt and pepper
1 cup warm clarified butter
4 (5-ounce) snapper fillets (I used tilapia)
Beurre Blanc Sauce, recipe follows
2 cups white rice, cooked

Directions
Using a mandoline, finely julienne or slice the potatoes, and immediately put them into cold water and rinse thoroughly. Repeat 2 or 3 more times, or until water is clear. (The purpose of this is to rinse all the starches and sugars so potatoes do not burn when cooking). Drain water from potatoes and towel dry thoroughly. In a mixing bowl, add potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add about 1/2 cup of the warm clarified butter, or enough to coat.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Season fish well with salt and pepper. Take potaotes and put a thin layer on the top side of the fish only. In a large saute pan heat about 1/4-inch of clarified butter over medium-high heat. Carefully lay fillets in pan, potato side down, and pan-fry until potatoes are golden brown. Turn fish over and finish cooking in pan in the oven. Scoop 1/2 cup white rice on each plate then place a fish filet on top. Drizzle with Beurre Blanc Sauce and serve with steamed vegetables.


White Wine Butter Sauce
Beurre Blanc

2 shallots, minced finely
2 tablespoons vinegar
4 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons heavy cream
7 ounces cold butter, cut into 20 or so pieces
salt and white pepper (so that it doesn't color your sauce)

Cook the shallots in the vinegar and wine in a small heavy saucepan on low heat until there is only two tablespoons of liquid. Stir in the heavy cream, bring to a low boil on higher heat, and reduce once again to two tablespoons of liquid.
On low heat, add the butter, piece by piece, to the reduced wine whisking continually. Fully incorporate each piece of butter before continuing. From time to time, remove pan from heat to prevent the sauce from over-heating (you don't want it to boil, but you want it stay warm.)

Makes about 1 cup

Clarified Butter

I never really understood the purpose in clarifying butter. Until a recipe I was making called for it. I had to look up the how and the why. Wikipedia Rocks! Clarified butter has a higher smoke point, which makes it great for sauteing vegetables or fish. And it has a longer shelf life than fresh butter.  

So, I was making Potato Crusted Tilapia with Buerre Blanc Sauce and it called for the fish to be cooked in clarified butter. From what I read you have to start with more solid fresh butter than what you're going to need at the end. 

We're going to be channeling Paula Deen here a little with all this butter! But that's never stopped me before! Starting with two stickes of unsalted butter in a pan set on low heat until it is melted.



The milk solids sink to the bottom and some water evaporates and the rest of the solids float to the top which need to be skimmed off.




Stretch a piece of cheese cloth over a bowl then gently pour the butter through the cloth straining out any other solids.



And what you're left with is clear more shelf stable butter with a higher smoke point! Whoo hooo.         Now what?



Check back soon and I will show you one thing I did with it.

Tomato Bisque

I got a request recently for this recipe which sent me scouring the internet, my files and my books here to find a suitable one. "Suitable", meaning one that didn't require me to run to the store for the ingredients but rather use ones I already had in my fridge or pantry. Which is exactly what I need. Cause it's not like I go to the store every other day or something......



So this recipe starts with bacon. (Shouldn't ALL of them?) I mean, we can stop right there cause ya had me at bacon! And then it progressed into the trinity (carrot, celery, onion) and got even better when it ended with cream! Is this dish healthy for you, eh, probably not, but it taste damn good! So, just eat healthy tomorrow!

Here's the breakdown.

Tomato Bisque

Adapted From Food Network Kitchens

Prep Time: 15 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 45 min Level:

Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter 
2 slices bacon, minced
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced 
scant 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
5 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes (with liquid), roughly chopped
3 parsley sprigs *
3 fresh thyme sprigs *
1 bay leaf *
1 cup heavy cream
1 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Heat the butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until crisp and most of the fat has rendered, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Lower the heat to medium, add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Pour in the broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil while whisking constantly. Tie the parsley sprigs, thyme, and bay leaf together with a piece of kitchen twine and add to the pot. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

When the soup base is cool, remove and discard the herb bundle. Working in batches, transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Using a sieve over a large bowl, strain the tomato puree. Return the puree to the pot and reheat over medium heat.

Whisk the heavy cream and salt into the soup and season with pepper to taste. Divide among warm soup bowls and serve immediately.

** Note: I didn't have any fresh herbs on hand, so I bundled up 1 Tbls of Parsley, 1 Tbls of Thyme and 1 bay leaf into some cheese cloth, tied it off and threw it in.



I threw the crumbled bacon from the beginning of the recipe on top with some scallions and cheddar cheese. Ok, actually I had to make more bacon cause I had eaten that first batch while I was cooking. But hey, anything for soup!