Corn Chowder

2 tbsp. butter
extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
10 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups canned vegetable stock
2 cups heavy cream
2 Idaho potatoes, peeled & diced
1 bag of frozen corn
salt & pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Heat the butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme and cook until the vegetables are good and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Dust the vegetables with flour and stir to coat everything well. Pour in the veggie stock and bring to a boil. Add the cream and the potatoes, bring to a boil and boil hard for about 7 minutes, until the potatoes break down.

Add the corn kernels to the soup. Season with salt and pepper and simmer until the corn is soft, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Stir in the parsley and some more olive oil.

Serve with twisty bread sticks.

Hello Dolly Bars

This is my favorite dessert of all time! This was actually the dessert that made my dad fall in love with my mom. Enjoy!

1 cube butter
1 package graham crackers, crushed
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1 package milk chocolate chips
1 bag coconut
half bag of chopped pecans (if you like nuts)

Melt butter in a glass casserole pan. Pour graham cracker crumbs over the butter. Add a layer of coconut. Next, add a layer of chocolate chips. Add another layer of coconut. Add a layer of nuts and then the rest of the coconut. Pour 1 can of sweetened condensed milk over the top. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly golden on top, about 20-35 minutes. Soooooo yummy!!!

Chicken Milanese

My mom sent this recipe to me the other day and I tried it on the hubby last night....it was a big hit!

For the chicken:

4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 cup Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
2 whole Large Eggs
1 Tablespoon Water
1 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
½ cups Grated Parmesan
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

For the salad:

1 bag Arugula Or Spring Lettuce Mix
½ whole Red Onion Very Thinly Sliced
½ cups Toasted Pinenuts
¾ cups Tomatoes, Cut Into Bite Sizes Pieces
⅓ cups Shaved Parmesan
6 slices Lemon (on The Side)

Using a mallet (or a rolling pin or even a cup) pound chicken until it is about 3/8 inch thick. Salt and pepper chicken.

Prepare 3 pie plates, the first with flour, in the second pie plate whisk together eggs with water. In a third pie plate mix together grated Parmesan and bread crumbs.

Dip your chicken into flour. Shake. Then dip into eggs, then into breadcrumbs.

Heat butter and olive in a skillet over medium to medium low heat. Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes a side until browned and cooked through.

Place cooked chicken on individual plates and top with salad greens, onions, tomatoes, toasted pine nuts and shaved parmesan.

Drizzle with Brianna’s Blush Wine Vinaigrette or here is a Red Wine Vinaigrette:

¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. sugar
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together ingredients until emulsified.

Beef Stew in Red Wine Sauce

2 lbs beef from flatiron part of the shoulder (pot roast)
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp flour
1 bottle sherry or red cooking wine
3 bay leaves
15 cremini muchrooms
20-30 baby carrots
3 shallots
1/4 cup water
dash of sugar
1 16oz box fettuccine noodles

Remove the skin from the top of the meat. Cut meat into 1-inch cubes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a cast-iron pot (I use my Le Creuset pot). Arrange the meat in one layer in the pot and season it with salt and pepper. Cook on top of the stove over high heat for about 8-10 minutes, browning the meat on all sides.

Add 1 cup of finely chopped onion and 1 tablespoon of finely chopped garlic. Cook over moderate heat for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 tablespoon of flour. Mix in well so that the flour doesn't form lumps. Stir in 1 bottle of sherry or red cooking wine. Add 2 bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir well and cover.

Place the pot in the oven and let it cook for about 2 hours; the meat should be soft and tender and the liquid properly reduced.

For the garnish, wash 15 cremini mushrooms and 20-30 baby carrots. Chop mushrooms in half length wise. Peel and quarter 3 shallots. In a deep pan, combine mushrooms, carrots and shallots with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 cup of water and a good dash each of sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes; at this point, there should be practically no water left. Uncover and cook over high heat, sauteing the vegetables until nicely browned on all sides, about 4 minutes.

While the vegetables are cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook fettuccine noodles until soft. Drain and set aside.

To serve, place a generous helping of noodles on a plate. Top with meat and vegetables. Delicious!

Cream Puffs

My friend Whitney and I made these today and they are to die for!!!
For the custard:
1 (5.1 ounce) packages Instant Vanilla Pudding
1 1/2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
3/4 cup milk

For the puffs:
1/2 cup Butter
1 cup Water
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 cup AP Flour
4 Eggs

Mix together vanilla instant pudding mix, cream and milk. Cover and refrigerate to set.

Preheat oven to 425.

In a pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl, then cover it and put in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to cool.

Using a mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Spray your baking sheet with cooking spray and then sprinkle flour on top. Move around the flour to fully coat the sheet and then turn it over to dump the excess. Spoon your batter onto your baking sheet.

(It works best to use a small cookie scoop, as it is perfect size and the perfect shape.)

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry. Poke a small hole in the bottom of your cream puffs to allow steam to escape and prevent collapsing.

When the shells are cool, fill them with the pudding mixture by using a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells.

Yields: 30 (when using a little cookie scoop)

Teriyaki Chicken

5-6 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 tbsp of fresh grated ginger or ginger powder
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 2 tsp of water
1 1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
5 lb chicken, bone-in, skin removed
Green onions, chopped (optional)

Combine all ingredients except chicken and green onions in a large bowl or leak-proof resealable bag. Add chicken to marinade. Marinate at least 4 hours; overnight is best. Place chicken in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour marinade over the chicken. Sprinkle with green onion. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2-2 hours. The chicken can also be grilled on a barbecue and basted with the marinade. Eat with white rice.

Popovers

These are a family favorite! So yummy!

3 tbsp melted unsalted butter
3 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
Butter and jam

Have a standard 6-cup or miniature 12-cup popover pan. Lightly grease the pan or dishes with 2 tbsp of the melted butter.

In a blender, mix together the eggs, milk, and the remaining 1 tbsp of melted butter until foamy. Mix in the flour and salt until smooth. Do not over-mix. The batter should be thin. Fill each prepared cup two-thirds full with the batter.

Place the pan on the center rack of a cold oven and immediately turn the temperature to 375 degrees. Bake the popovers until they are puffed high and deep golden brown. Bake 35-45 minutes for standard-sized popovers and about 25 for miniature popovers. Do not open the oven door for the first 30 minutes of baking, or the popovers may not rise fully.

Remove the pan from the oven and immediately pierce the side of each popover with the tip of a sharp knife to allow steam to escape. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with butter and jam. Enjoy!