Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

"You've never had biscuits and gravy?"

My husband was shocked, but no, it was not something my parents ever made for breakfast when I was growing up. I'm from the Boston area, and breakfast was usually either cereal, various preparations of eggs, sometimes with bacon, various pastries, or the occasional loaf of Polish rye bread from Alice's Bakery in Southie. My husband is from northern California, which doesn't scream "biscuits and gravy" to me, but his mom grew up in Kansas, so that's probably where it comes from!

What is standard breakfast fare in your neck of the woods?

These tender, flaky biscuits are a fabulous complement to the creamy gravy, which has just the right spice from the fennel in homemade sausage.

Biscuits and Gravy

Source: Slightly adapted from Beantown Baker and Good Things Catered
Yield: Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Total time: 27 minutes

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (I used Earth Balance vegan butter sticks)
• 3/4 cup milk (I used 2%)
• 8-12 ounces chicken sausage (I chopped up 7 pre-cooked patties, which ranged from 1 to 1.5 ounces each, since that is what we had on hand)
• 3 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 cups milk (I used 2%)
• pepper

Instructions

1. For the biscuits: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture until the butter pieces are pea sized. Add the milk, stirring just until combined.
2. Turn dough out onto a work surface dusted with powdered sugar or whole wheat pastry flour. Roll out dough to 1" thick.
3. Cut dough into rounds or other desired shape. Top each biscuit with a small cube of butter.
4. Bake biscuits at 450 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes.
5. For the sausage gravy: Brown sausage in a skillet. Add milk and flour to pan and whisk together to form a gravy. Add more milk to thin the consistency out, more flour to thicken the consistency. Season with pepper to taste.
6. Serve gravy over biscuits.

Irish Soda Bread

Despite a significant amount of Irish in my blood, I'd never had Irish soda bread until last weekend. With Saint Patrick's Day upon us, I've seen requests for this recipe everywhere, and it piqued my interest. When I first saw the (very simple) ingredient list, I thought, "What is so special about this bread?"



It seemed easy enough to whip up, so that I did. My first loaf was dense and almost chewy - not good eats. This recipe turned out so much better for my second attempt, and had me singing the praises of Irish soda bread along with everyone else.

This tasty bread is crisp on the outside, but so soft on the inside. The buttermilk lends great flavor to the bread - tear off a piece and enjoy with butter, jam, or just by itself! Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Irish Soda Bread

Source: Slightly adapted from Cate's World Kitchen
Yield: 1 loaf
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/8 teaspoons baking soda (fresh is best)
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F, and grease a baking sheet (or line with parchment)
2. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl and wisk together with a fork.
3. Stir in half the buttermilk, then add the remaining buttermilk 2 tbsp at a time.
4. You want the dough to be just a little bit moist. It should hold together, but not be sticky. If you accidentally add too much milk, knead in some flour until the dough is no longer sticky.
5. Shape into a ball, then cut an X into the top.
6. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown. (If you tap on the bottom of the loaf with your knuckles, it should sound hollow).
7. Let cool as long as you can stand to wait, then serve with butter and jam.
   Best if eaten within about 3 hours of baking.

Basil Chicken in a Coconut-Curry Sauce

It's easy to get lost in the sea of recipe sources these days. There are cookbooks, family recipes tucked in a recipe box, magazines, Food Network shows, more magazines… and let's not forget all the other food blogs I have in my Google Reader. Every once in a while I think of those poor cookbooks (collecting dust), hanging around the kitchen, and find it refreshing to crack them open and rediscover the recipes waiting inside.





I recently pulled out my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook for some inspiration, and found plenty! I kept jumping from one page to the next, finding quite a few recipes to choose from given what ingredients I already had in the house. I was sold on this recipe, however, as soon as I saw the title. First off, it would use some basil that was dying a slow death in my refrigerator (and good basil is a terrible thing to waste). Second, I've been mildly obsessed with curry lately. In the last month, I've probably made five different curry dishes. Two have emerged as our favorites, for different reasons, and this is one of them.

We love this dish because marinating the chicken in the spices allows for a nice punch of flavor. The dish is balanced by the sauce, which uses fresh garlic, onion, and ginger, and has a surprisingly subtle background of basil.

Basil Chicken in a Coconut-Curry Sauce

Source: Reworded from Better Homes and Gardens Bridal Edition Cookbook
Yield: Serves 4
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes

 

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1 can unsweetened light coconut milk (~14 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil, cut into ribbons
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 3 cups cooked rice (use brown rice if you are following a clean eating diet)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl combine curry powder, black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the chili powder. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Add to spice mixture in bowl; toss to coat. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours to allow spices to penetrate meat.
2. Pour oil into a wok or large nonstick skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken to wok. Cook and stir for 4 to 6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from wok. Repeat with remaining chicken.
3. Add onion, jalapeno peppers, and garlic to wok; cook and stir about 8 minutes or until crisp-tender.
4. Stir together coconut milk, cornstarch, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth. Carefully add to onion mixture in wok. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly.
5. Return chicken to wok. Stir in basil and ginger. Cook and stir about 2 minutes or until heated through. Serve over hot rice.

Vanilla Bean Cake

In 2007 after we moved to the Chicago area, I started a job that allowed me a 4 day work week. I jumped at the chance to have that schedule, since I had a long commute and it meant saving wear and tear on my car, and making a dent in the gas bill. However, when you combine 3 day weekends + a husband with a demanding job + not being close to family or friends... you get a whole lot of free time.

I dove into cooking, then blogging, then cooking groups like TWD and BB. I filled my weekends with trying new recipes and new techniques, hoping to find favorites that I could someday share with someone other than my husband.

Last year we moved back to the east coast, little more than an hour from where I grew up. When it was time to plan our son's baptism, I knew right away that I wanted to make the cake. This is what I'd been working towards - years of building experience in the kitchen, so I could share the fruits of that labor with family and friends!

For this cake, I pulled from some old favorites, tried new recipes, and built my first stacked cake! I was really happy with how it came out, considering how rushed I was putting it together.  The top section is a 6-inch, triple layer cake made with Beatty's Chocolate Cake (water instead of coffee, though) and chocolate mousse filling.  The bottom was a 9-inch, triple layer cake made with vanilla bean cake and raspberry filling.  I also made Swiss Meringue Buttercream for the first time for this cake, and loved it!  I'll be posting that recipe once I work out some kinks that I had with it.

This vanilla bean cake recipe was perfect. Fluffy, moist cake with great vanilla flavor - I couldn't get enough!  This is definitely my new favorite white cake recipe.  I made 1.5 times the below recipe to have enough for three 9-inch layers. 

Vanilla Bean Cake

Source: Reworded from Confections of a Foodie Bride
Yield: Two 8 or 9-inch cake layers
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cubed and softened to room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter and line two 8-inch or 9-inch baking pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment. Split and scrape the vanilla pod into the butter, discard pod (or reserve for another use). Beat for 3 minutes on medium-high speed until the butter is light and creamy in color. Stop and scrape the bowl. Cream the butter for an additional 60 seconds.
3. Add the sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl before each addition. Add the eggs one at a time. Reduce the mixer speed. Stir vanilla into the buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Mix just until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an off-set spatula. Lift up the pan with the batter, and let it drop onto the counter top a couple of times to burst any air bubbles and allowing the batter to settle. Center the pans onto the lower third of the oven and let bake 45 to 50 minutes or until the cake is lightly brown on top and comes away from the sides of the pan and a skewer inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.  I found that 45 minutes was too long for my cake and ended up overbaking them a bit, so check early. 
5. Let cool completely in the pans before removing the cakes and frosting.

Party Punch

In February, we celebrated our son's baptism. Such an event brought all sides of my family together (sadly my husband's family lives clear across the country, so it's hard to attend events like this). When planning the menu, I arrived at the beverage category and things quickly got out of hand. You see, there are some polar opposites in my family. When my mom's side gets together to celebrate an event, they bring along certain friends: Caymus, Cakebread, Jameson (why not add a little Irish to your coffee?), Veuve, Van Gogh, Bud, and Coors. My dad's side? They bring out the Martinelli's. Yup - sparking apple cider is about as wild as it gets there!

I created the Mom's side portion of the menu with simply red and white wine, and two types of beer. After running it past her, she thought that mimosas, espresso martinis, and a third beer offering were in order. I had to politely remind her that this was a Sunday afternoon event - no need to run the gamet on alcoholic beverages! We compromised and ended up somewhere in the middle. For the Dad's side of the menu, I found this suggestion for punch on a cooking board that I frequent. I wanted to do something other than just water and soda, and this was a fabulous choice! What are your family gatherings like? Are the offerings more like Mom's side or Dad's side?

This party punch is easy to throw together, fruity with a little zing from the ginger ale. A great treat for all party guests!

Party Punch

Source: Ammie of Adventures in my kitchen
Preparation time: 5 min

Ingredients

• 2 quarts cranberry juice
• 1 can pineapple juice (46 ounces)
• 2 cups orange juice
• 2 liters ginger ale
• 1 orange, sliced

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients except orange slices to a large punch bowl with ice. Stir to combine.
2. Float orange slices in punch for garnish.

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate with Whipped Coconut Cream

Hot chocolate is one of the most comforting winter indulgences, I think. Warm, creamy, delicious chocolate - perfect for curling up with when it's cold and snowy outside. I look forward to enjoying hot chocolate all winter long, and it's one of the only ways I truly enjoy chocolate. My husband loves it, too, and when I saw this recipe for peanut butter hot chocolate, I knew he'd be excited about it.

 

Chocolate and peanut butter is such a classic combination, and they marry well together in this lovely twist on classic hot chocolate. Growing up, my favorite topping was none other than the classic Fluff. I loved that stuff (well, I still do!) but it's not exactly fitting into the clean eating lifestyle. Enter: the genius happening over at The Gracious Pantry. Tiffany recently introduced her readers to a whipped cream alternative made from coconut milk. Given my recent addiction to all things curry, I had some coconut milk in stock and decided to try it out.



All I can say is coconut cream = awesome. I forgot all about Fluff once I topped my hot chocolate with this heavenly stuff. I'm sure you are wondering if you can taste the coconut. I could when sampling it alone, but I skimped a bit on the honey/vanilla. Once atop the hot chocolate, I couldn't pick out the coconut at all. Just lovely, creamy deliciousness to perfectly complement more lovely, creamy deliciousness.

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate with Whipped Coconut Cream
Source: Slightly adapted from Dolcetto Confections/Martha Stewart
Generously serves 2

2 cups skim milk
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
3 tablespoons natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons sucanat
1 tablespoon whipped coconut cream

In a medium saucepan over low heat, warm milk until it just begins to simmer and bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Whisk in chocolates, peanut butter, and sucanat until melted and smooth. Cover and continue warming over low heat until warmed through. For a thicker cup of cocoa, simmer hot chocolate uncovered until desired thickness is achieved. Ladle hot chocolate into individual mugs, top with whipped cream.

Whipped Coconut Cream
Source: Reworded from The Gracious Pantry

1 14 ounce can regular coconut milk (do not use light milk)
1 tablespoon. agave or honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut cream (recipe follows)

1. Identify which end of the can you'll open with the can opener (for some cans that's the bottom) and place it that-end-down in the fridge for at least a day. The longer, the better. Gently turn the can over and open it. The cream should be solid at the (now) bottom of the can, with a layer of clear liquid on top. Pour off the clear liquid (great for use in smoothies or added to juice for a tropical touch).

2. Scoop the cream out of the can and into a medium bowl. Add honey and vanilla extract. Blend or whisk together until well combined.

3. Refrigerate coconut cream for a few hours to set; it will thicken slightly when chilled.

Note: If you find that even after chilling, the cream won’t stiffen up, put it into a blender with 1 package of unflavored gelatin. Let it sit out for about an hour. Once it’s thick as it should be, put it back into the fridge to chill further.

Mediterranean Vegetable, White Bean and Feta Penne

Loaded with fresh ideas, I pulled this recipe from my "to make" list for an easy weekend meal. When I showed the recipe to my husband, he requested that I add some chicken. I thought it would be a great addition, too, and decided that seasoning it with Herbs de Provence would be a great complement to the flavors in the dish.




This dish is not only delicious, but a cinch to throw together.  The flavors are great (of course, I am a huge fan of feta cheese), and we discovered an added bonus - it is also delicious as a cold pasta salad for leftovers! 

Mediterranean Vegetable, White Bean and Feta Penne
Source: Slightly adapted from Clean Eating Magazine, February 2011, Page 40

6 oz whole-grain penne pasta
1 cup cooked canned white beans, drained and rinsed well
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced, divided
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium zucchini, cut into eighths lengthwise, then cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into thin strips, then cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta
2 boneless, skinless chicken breats (optional)
1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Cook penne according to package directions, adding beans during the last minute of cooking.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, 2 cloves garlic, vinegar, basil, pepper flakes and salt; set aside.

3. (Optional if using chicken) Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium heat, tilting skillet to coat bottom lightly. Sprinkle chicken with herbs de provence, then add to skillet. Cook about 8 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Remove from skillet.

4. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in same skillet over medium high heat, tilting skillet to coat bottom lightly. Add zucchini and bell pepper and cook for 4 minutes or until edges begin to brown, stirring frequently. Add remaining 2 cloves garlic and cook for 15 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in tomato mixture and drizzle with remaining 1 tbsp oil. Chop chicken into bite size pieces and add to vegetable mixture. Cover to keep warm.

Four: Drain penne-bean mixture, place in a serving bowl, sprinkle evenly with rosemary and all but 1/4 cup feta. Spoon vegetable/chicken mixture over top and finish with remaining feta.

Orange Chipotle Chicken

My desire to finally get back in the kitchen was greatly influenced by the arrival of the latest issue of Clean Eating Magazine. I can’t get enough of this magazine. I’ve said it before and I will say it again – I seriously love it! The latest issue is chock full of recipes I can’t wait to try (many of them are listed as $2 per serving!), but this one jumped out at me immediately. The flavors sounded perfect, and I knew my husband would love them. Already having the ingredients in stock also helped to make it attractive (getting to the grocery store is somewhat more challenging these days).



This meal has the perfect trifecta – quick to make, packed with great flavors, and easy on the wallet. I am sure we will be revisiting it soon!

I neglected to deseed the chipotles, and the dish was pretty spicy, so remember to remove them if you are sensitive to that.


Orange Chipotle Chicken
Source: Clean Eating Magazine, February 2011, Page 38


1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin (cumin haters like me can use coriander)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp safflower oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb), rinsed and patted dry, pounded to 1/2-inch thick
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tbsp chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (remove seeds to keep the heat down)
1 tsp orange zest
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions

One: In a small bowl, combine chile powder, cumin, and 1/4 tsp salt. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Tilt skillet to coat bottom lightly. Season both sides of chicken with chile-cumin mixture and cook for 3 minutes per side or until no longer pink in center. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Two: Add orange juice and maple syrup to juice and bits left in skillet and cook for 1 minute to thicken slightly (until it measures 1/4 cup liquid) stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in chipotle chiles in adobo sauce and orange zest. Add chicken back to skillet, return to heat and cook for 1 minutes on medium high turning constantly.

Three: In a medium bowl, combine rice, cilantro and remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Serve chicken over rice and spoon any excess glaze over top of chicken pieces.

Nutritional Information (per serving: 3 oz chicken and 1/2 cup rice):
Calories: 283
Fat: 4g
Sat. Fat: 1g
Carbs: 32g
Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 8g
Protein: 29g
Sodium: 337 mg
Cholesterol: 32 mg

Quick Chicken Fricassee

I'm a huge fan of Cook's Illustrated for trusted, tested recipes. I've been getting the magazine for a few years, but recently let my subscription run out because I think I'd benefit more from the online subscription the offer. I love to research products and having all of their tests and ratings at my fingertips is more beneficial to me, than getting new recipes sent to my door a few times a year. However, in the last magazine issue I received, there were quite a few recipes that seemed perfect for us. This was one of them. I happily added the ingredients to my grocery list, but somehow completely forgot to write down the mushrooms. I decided to make it anyway and it was still fabulous! We are huge fans of chicken with a pan sauce recipes, and this was just one more recipe for our arsenal.



Quick Chicken Fricassee
Source: Cook's Illustrated, November/December 2010, page 20

Note:
Two tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley leaves may be substituted for the tarragon in this recipe.

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or a combination
• Table salt and ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed, caps wiped clean and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon (see note)

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Heat butter and oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, place chicken in skillet and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Flip chicken and continue to cook until browned on second side, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to large plate.

2. Add mushrooms, onion, and wine to now-empty skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add flour and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add broth and bring mixture to boil, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add chicken and any accumulated juices to skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees when inserted in breasts and 175 degrees when inserted in thighs, 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Transfer chicken to clean platter and tent loosely with foil. Whisk sour cream and egg yolk together in medium bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly stir ½ cup sauce into sour cream mixture. Stirring constantly, slowly pour sour cream mixture into simmering sauce. Stir in nutmeg, lemon juice, and tarragon; return to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Quinoa Vegetable Soup

The snow has been piling up around here, and that generally means one things: comfort food. In an effort to keep things healthy around here, I turned to this soup recipe for something warm, comforting, and most of all - filling!



I didn't have any marjoram (and wasn't about to go out to the store for some), but I found a spice blend in my cabinet that seemed like it would work well. I also used chicken broth, since that's what I had on hand. This is a delicious soup that is so easy to throw together. It's a great way to get in some vegetables and grains, so you can feel a little less guilty about some other comfort foods calling your name!

Quinoa Vegetable Soup
Yield: Approximately 4 quarts
Source: The Gracious Pantry

• 8 cups vegetable broth + 8 cups vegetable broth on reserve
• 2 cups uncooked quinoa (rinsed well, unless you buy pre-rinsed)
• 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 small bunch celery, cleaned and sliced
• 1 small head broccoli, washed and chopped
• 2 lbs. mushrooms, washed and sliced
• 1 red onion, peeled and diced
• 2 tbsp. garlic powder
• 2 tbsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 2 tsp. celery seed
• 1 tbsp. marjoram
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube

Directions

Step 1 – Saute the onions and mushrooms over low-medium heat in the olive oil until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms have completely wilted.

Step 2 – In a large soup pot (a 4 quart pot), combine 8 cups of broth, carrots, celery, broccoli, onion/mushroom mixture, bouillon cube and spices. Bring to a boil.

Step 3 – When the soup is at a full, rolling boil, add the quinoa.

Step 4 – Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are soft and the quinoa is transparent.

Step 5 – Add extra vegetable broth as needed to maintain a soupy consistency.