Annie’s Eats

Today was the last day of my ophthamology rotation, making tonight my last night of freedom before I begin my surgery rotation. I am looking forward to surgery because I think it will be really interesting and I got my first choice hospital, but I know that my time to cook or bake during the next month may be almost zero. Because of this, I took tonight as an opportunity to get in a little bit of baking before this possible hiatus. White chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies are our favorite kind of cookies to get from Subway when we are in the mood but I have never made them at home. After seeing this recipe on Julia’s blog, I knew I had to give them a shot. I was not disappointed - these are great! Ben and I both loved these, and Ben thinks they are even better than the ones from Subway.

I didn’t make any changes to this recipe other than to only make half a batch. This recipe is easily halved so if you don’t want too many cookies consider that option. The recipe below is the recipe with the original dimensions and yields 3-4 dozen cookies.

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
10 oz. white chocolate chips
5 oz. chopped macadamia nuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°.

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture. Finally, stir in the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. Drop cookies by heaping teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet, about 2” apart.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. When cool, store in an airtight container.

Hooray for another stuffed shell success! Not only did I discover another tasty flavor combination, but I got the added bonus of enough shells to freeze for 2-3 more meals. This is especially helpful since I will be starting my general surgery rotation next Wednesday and will therefore be cooking far less than normal due to the crazy hours I will be working. I didn’t realize it beforehand, but this Food Network recipe actually came from an episode of Giada’s Everyday Italian called “Freeze It”, specifically focusing on food that freezes well for later.

These shells really are delicious, and have a nice spicy kick to them. I made a few minor changes of my own. I used canned artichokes instead of frozen because my store didn’t have frozen and frankly, that eliminates the step of thawing and draining them. Also, I did not add the pancetta to the Arrabbiata sauce since I don’t like bacon. The recipe with my few changes is below.

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells
Ingredients:
1 (12 oz.) box jumbo pasta shells
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
½ large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground turkey
½ tsp. salt, plus ½ tsp.
¼ tsp. pepper, plus ¼ tsp.
1 can of artichokes, drained and coarsely chopped
1 (15 oz.) container of ricotta cheese
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
5 cups Arrabbiata sauce (recipe below)
1 ½ cups grated mozzarella

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is slightly golden and cooked through. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

To stuff the shells, cover the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of Arrabbiata sauce. Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture, about 2 tablespoons. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full, about 24 shells. Drizzle the remaining Arrabbiata Sauce over the shells, top with the grated mozzarella. If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 day and up to 1 month.

To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 60 minutes (20 minutes if shells are unfrozen.)

For the Arrabbiata sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 cups jarred or fresh marinara sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool until ready to use.

I get many of my recipes and menu ideas from the What’s Cooking? board on The Nest. Many of the “regulars” on the board rave daily about goat cheese, and many would probably list it in their favorite ingredients. After hearing all these raves, I decided it was time to finally try some for myself. I have several recipes involving goat cheese that I want to try, but I chose this one to be my first experience because it is a quick and simple meal. This recipe is from Elly’s blog. For other goat cheese lovers, she has a goat cheese tag on the side bar if you are looking for more ways to incorporate goat cheese into your meals.

This was a very tasty dinner and it was quick to prepare. I know this will be a great option when I’m short on time. I must admit, I’m still not quite sure what all the fuss is about with goat cheese. Yes, it was very very good, but I haven’t fallen in love yet the way many others have. Maybe it is because the cheese was melted into the sauce so I couldn’t appreciate the taste on its own - I’m not sure…but no matter what, it was a great dinner. The only change I made from Elly’s version was to use two whole chicken breasts instead of chicken breast halves. I knew Ben and I would both be too hungry to only eat a half piece of chicken. I served this with roasted garlic mashed potatoes on the side. Yummy!

Chicken with Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup white wine
½ cup chicken broth
2 tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (and drained, if packed in oil)
2 oz. herbed goat cheese
salt and pepper

Directions:
Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. When oil is hot, add chicken breasts. Cook through, about 6-8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Set aside and keep warm.

In the same skillet, add the wine. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced by half, being sure to scrape up the browned bits from the chicken. Add the chicken broth and reduce that by about half too. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and heat through.

Remove skillet from heat and stir in the goat cheese. Top the chicken breasts with sauce and serve.

Mmm mmm! These homemade breakfasts I have been making have really been much more enjoyable than my old standby, cereal. Having a homemade baked good and a glass of juice is much more enticing, and anything that makes my morning better is a very good thing. These scones are awesome! Raspberry and chocolate are really two things that were made to go together, and their flavors really come together in these scones. I also really like these because they are made with yogurt which I think gives the scone a softer, smoother texture.

This recipe is from Joy of Baking. I used fresh raspberries because, since they are in season, I would consider it a crime not to The recipe calls for whole milk plain yogurt, but I used low-fat vanilla because that is what I had and they turned out fine. Finally the recipe recommends sprinkling with powdered sugar and broiling for a few seconds to achieve a “crunchy crust” on top, but I didn’t think it was necessary so I just skipped that step.

Raspberry Chocolate Scones
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
~1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips
¾ cup fresh or frozen raspberries
½ cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten

For egg wash:
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp. milk or cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375° F and place rack in middle of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chunks (chips) and raspberries. In a small measuring cup, whisk together the yogurt, vanilla extract, and egg. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently four or five times and then pat, or roll, the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches (18 cm) round and about 11/2 inches (3.75 cm) thick. Cut the dough into eight triangles. Place the scones on the baking sheet. Make an egg wash of one well-beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk and brush the tops of the scones with this mixture.

Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Incredible! That is the best word to describe these pork chops. They are very quick and easy to make but taste absolutely delicious. I came across this recipe on the cooking message board I read and saw many rave reviews. The same was true when I looked it up on the Food Network site, and now I see why. This is a great recipe to make after a long day because it is so easy and takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. Plus, I went ahead and made four pork chops so now we have dinner for another night too.

This recipe is originally from Giada’s show Everyday Italian on Food Network. I made a few changes of my own, mainly reducing the amounts of ingredients that didn’t get used (bread crumbs, olive oil). Not much else needs to be changed because these are great already. I served these with parmesan cheese bread (see blog entry below) and a spinach salad. Delicious!

Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
¾ cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan
4 pork chops
salt and pepper
3 tbsp. olive oil

Directions:
Whisk the eggs in a bowl to blend. Place the bread crumbs in a plate. Place the parmesan cheese in another plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the egg, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to a plate and serve with lemon wedges.

I have been dying to make this bread ever since I started browsing recipes on Williams Sonoma. However, it is far easier to make with a stand mixer and up until a couple of weeks ago I didn’t have one. Since my wonderful hubby got me one for our anniversary I have been able to make all sorts of new things, and I have gotten tons of use out of the mixer already. I finally got around to trying this bread today because I had quite a bit of free time on my hands and I thought it would be a great addition to our meal of parmesan-crusted pork chops. We both loooved this and I’m sure I’ll be making it again soon.

I didn’t change much of anything with this recipe since breads aren’t really something to tinker with. My one change was to add a bit of garlic powder to the cheese for topping, inspired by Amber who did something similar when she made this bread. Otherwise I made this as the recipe instructed and it was easy to follow.

Parmesan Cheese Bread
Ingredients:
3 ¾ cups unbleached bread flour, plus more as needed
1 tbsp. (1 pkg.) active dry yeast
2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cups warm water
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
garlic powder (to taste)
extra virgin olive oil for brushing

Directions:
In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, combine the 3 3/4 cups flour, the yeast and salt. Add the warm water and stir with a wooden spoon until just mixed together. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese over the dough. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and begin mixing and kneading on very low speed. When the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl, increase the mixer speed to medium-low and continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 12 to 15 minutes, adding more flour if the dough is too sticky. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead by hand for 1 to 2 minutes.

Form the dough into a ball, brush it with a little olive oil and return it to the bowl. Cover with a towel and let rest in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 425°F. Brush a 9-inch round pan with olive oil.

Place the remaining 1/4 cup cheese on a plate and mix with garlic powder as desired. Punch down the dough. Return it to the floured work surface and knead a few times. Then, using your palms, roll the dough to form a log about 12 inches long. Cut the log in half crosswise, then cut each half crosswise into 6 equal pieces. Knead each dough piece a couple of times, roll it between the palms of your hands into a ball, and then roll it in the cheese to coat lightly and evenly, shaking off any excess. As each ball is coated, place it in the prepared pan, resting it against the rim and pressing down slightly to form a 2-inch disk. Arrange 9 balls around the rim and 3 balls in the center. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise again in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes.

Sprinkle the top with the cheese remaining on the plate. Using a razor blade or sharp knife, cut a slash 1/4 inch deep in the top of each ball. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking until brown and crusty, 20 to 30 minutes more. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the rolls rest in the pan for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove them from the pan; the rolls will come out in a single loaf.

Serve the loaf warm, breaking off the rolls at the table. Or let cool, top side up, on the rack. Makes 12 rolls.

Ever since I was a little girl coffee cake was known to me as a special treat, normally reserved for visits with my grandparents. It dawned on me recently that since now I’m technically an adult (although I may not feel like one), I can eat coffee cake whenever I want I made this coffee cake to have for my breakfasts this week. I am still on my anesthesia rotation which means very early mornings so my breakfast has to be very low maintenance. Even though I don’t drink coffee, this is a yummy way to start my day.

This recipe is from Williams Sonoma. My only slight modifications were to use reduced fat sour cream and to line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper to make it easier to serve the cake. This is a simple recipe and I think the result was at least as good as (if not better than) the store-bought kind I loved as a kid.

Raspberry Sour Cream Crumb Cake
Ingredients:
For the crumb topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
grated zest of 1 lemon
8 Tbs. (1 stick) of butter, melted

For the cake:
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups fresh raspberries

confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch round springform pan.

To make the crumb topping, in a small bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar and lemon zest. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

To make the cake, in a bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla until well blended. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the sour cream mixture. Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Cover evenly with the raspberries. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the berries.

Bake until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 38 to 42 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove the sides of the springform pan. Dust the cake with the confectioners’ sugar and serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges. Makes one 10-inch cake.

Wowza! This bread is awesome! I have made homemade bread many times, and it has always turned out well, but I think this bread is in a class of its own. I chose this recipe after reading many reviews that talked about how this bread was much lighter and softer than many homemade breads, which often turn out rather dense. I completely agree! I made this to put in Amanda’s housewarming basket, and since the recipe yields two loaves I kept one for us. I have eaten it with every meal since

This recipe is from Allrecipes and my only change is that I used melted butter instead of shortening. This is a very well written recipe - clear and easy to follow. I used my beautiful KitchenAid Mixer to do most of the work so it was a breeze.

Honey Wheat Bread
Ingredients:
1 (.25 oz) pkg. rapid rise yeast
1 tsp. white sugar
½ cup warm water (110° F/45° C)
1 (12 fl. oz.) can evaporated milk
¼ cup water
¼ cup melted butter
¼ cup honey
2 tsp. salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups bread flour
2 tbsp. butter

Directions:
Dissolve yeast and sugar in ½ cup warm water.

Combine milk, ¼ cup water, melted butter, honey, salt and wheat flour in food processor or bowl. Mix in yeast mixture, and let rest 15 minutes. Add white flour and process until the dough forms a ball. Knead dough by processing an additional 80 seconds or mix and knead by hand 10 minutes. Place the dough in a buttered bowl, and turn to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise for 45 minutes, or until almost doubled.

Punch down, and divide dough in half. Roll out each half, and pound out the bubbles. Form into loaves, and place in buttered 9×5” loaf pans. Butter the tops of the dough, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm area until doubled; second rise should take about 30 minutes.

Place a small pan of water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until tops are dark golden brown. Butter crusts while warm. Slice when cool.