Fall Foodie!

If I had to pick a favorite season, it would be fall.  Perhaps because in Oklahoma spring means getting in your tornado shelter daily, summer means if you go outside you will get scorched, and winter means the if you go outside the wind will blow your face off.  All good reasons to like fall. Other reasons to like fall would include pumpkin lattes, apple cider, and the pumpkin spice m&ms I discovered the other day (where have those been all my life?), I could go on all day.

Halloween and Thanksgiving are my absolute favorite.  I get the bug to cook and bake all sorts of treats around this time.  I had a roommate in college, Michelina, and the girl could not brew a cup of coffee if a gun was to her head, but man she could bake.  During the holidays we would stay up all night making pumpkin rolls, Halloween cookies, and drinking pumpkin lattes.  Whoever put a Starbucks right outside our apartment complex must have known we lived there and could keep them in business.  Michelina would grab two lattes and all the sugar sprinkles she could find.  She would turn on fun dance music, start the cookies and I would whip us up dinner.  To stick with the fall theme I would often bake up some sweet potatoes.  I sometimes feel like the sweet potato gets overlooked as a side dish.  They are nutritious (good source of vitamins and potassium) and can be just as versatile as a white potato.  I like to roast them, make soup out of them, turn them into french fries, and in this recipe, I bake them and stuff them with a honey pecan butter.  They pair great with chicken or even with a grilled steak!  Try them and see for yourself!  Happy fall!  Love as Always, "Big K"

 

Sweet Potatoes Stuffed with Honey Pecan Butter

Serves 4 Potatoes

4       Each      Large Sweet Potatoes

1       Tbs        Olive Oil

1       Tsp        Salt

For the Butter:

2       Sticks    Butter, Softened

1/2    Cup       Chopped Pecans

1/4    Cup       Honey

2       Tsp       Cinnamon

1/2    Tsp       Salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  While heating throw butter, pecans, honey, cinnamon, and salt in a small mixing bowl.  Stir together until well incorporated.  Set aside.  Drizzle your potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  When your oven is preheated, pop your potatoes in for about 45 minutes.  This depends on the size of your potato.  If they are fairly small, they will take less time.  If they are ginormous, they will take more time.  When they are tender to the poke of a fork, they are ready.  Let them cool for about five minutes.  Slice them open and fill them evenly with the butter.  This was a little more butter than I needed, so I just put the extra in the fridge for a later use.  Serve right away.  Love as Always, "Big K"

Big K's Tips:

*  I cut my sweet potato in a zig zag pattern.  Then gently press both ends of the potato to press it open .  It leaves extra space for more delicious butter!!

*  This butter is fantastic on pancakes, waffles, or toast also!  So if it makes more than you need save it for another use!

Stray Dogs...

Have you ever heard the saying "If you feed a stray dog once, it will keep coming back forever"? Well, I don't know about dogs, but this is entirely true as far as relatives go.  Chances are, if you stop by my house in the evening, something is being cooked, baked, or covered in sprinkles.  My mom and sister have long since figured this out.  So, several nights a week they show up.  On the porch.  Generally with tupperware waiting to be filled.  My son delights in this, because while I am slaving away in the kitchen, these two women goo and gah all over him.  He can even con them into building lego castles.  When the food is ready and my house is covered in legos, we all sit and have dinner and talk nonsense, and what is better than that?  I read somewhere that the act of feeding someone is the ultimate act of care and affection, sharing yourself with someone else through food. This is what I live for.  This is why I cook.  So I can feed all the strays and I get their company in return.

The recipe I am sharing is one that I threw together when the girls came over unexpectedly.  I didn't have dinner planned, but I generally have a few random things in the fridge and cabinets. This time I had some chicken and broccoli in the fridge and I generally have several different pastas in the cabinets.  I managed a pretty delicious dinner from what I had laying around.  I have learned at home and at work to adapt the ability to make a few random things into a cohesive dish.
My sister loved this one and requests it often.  Enjoy!

Seared Chicken & Broccoli Atop Angel Hair Pasta
Serves 4

For the Chicken:
8        Each        Thin Chicken Breasts 2 oz Each (see K's tips)
4        Cloves      Fresh Garlic, Minced Finely
1        Tsp          Paprika
1        Tsp          Chili Powder
1        Tsp          Salt
1/4     Cup          Olive Oil

Place chicken in a large ziploc bag.  Add in the olive oil, garlic, and spices.  Shake it all about.  We like the hokey pokey around here.  Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.  Heat a skillet over medium high heat.  Before you put your chicken in, flick a few drops of water into the skillet. If they sizzle and pop, you know your pan is ready.  If not let it heat up a little more.  Then place 4 of the breasts in the pan and cook about 4 minutes on each side until cooked through.  Remove from the pan and place on a plate tented with foil.  Repeat with next four chicken breasts.  While chicken is resting do the pasta.  It only takes 10 minutes so my chicken stayed warm.

For the Pasta:
2        Tbsp        Olive Oil
4        Cloves      Fresh Garlic, Minced Finely
3        Cups        Chicken Broth
1        Each        Red Bell Pepper, Julienne (which means sliced into strips)
1        Cup         Broccoli Crowns, Chopped
1/2     Pound      Angel Pasta, Break in Half
1/2     Cup         Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2     Cup         Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1        Tsp         Salt
1/2     Tsp         Fresh Cracked Pepper
1/8     Cup         Fresh Basil, Chopped

Put a medium sauce pot over medium high heat.  Stir in the olive oil and garlic.  Saute for one minute.  Do not let garlic turn brown, this can make it taste bitter.  Add in the chicken broth and turn up the heat, let it come to a boil.  Add in the pasta, broccoli, bell pepper, salt, and pepper.  Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta has absorbed the chicken broth and become tender.  Turn heat to low and stir in the cream, cheese, and basil.  Stir until cheese is melted and sauce thickens, about 2 more minutes.  Remove from heat.  Portion into four bowls.  Top with two chicken breasts and more parmesan if desired.  Love as Always, "Big K"

Big K's Tips:

*   My grocery sells thin chicken breast.  If yours does not get four chicken breasts about 4 oz each and slice them length wise created 8 thin equal sized breasts.

*   Angel hair cooks quickly so be sure not to overcook it.

You, Me, and Five Dips

What does September mean for you?  For me, it means football time!!  I am of course an OU Sooner's fan!  I grew up in Norman, OK, fairly close to the campus and went to a lot of the games with my step dad and my uncle.  We are as die hard as it gets!

Today, instead of fighting the crowds and drunk people (wow how old did that sound!) my sister and I usually put the game on my flat screen and make some game food.  We invite a few people over and have a little party.  It is also an excuse to make (and eat) deep fried, wrapped in bacon, and dipped in ranch foods.  We also always have an abundance of dips.  We are the dip queens!  Every fall, we go the various festivals they have around our town and scour the booths for dip mixes.  Last fall, we were planning a little gathering for one of the games.  I planned some appetizers and a few dips.  I went to the store and bought all the ingredients.  When Saturday came around, I whipped up all the food, threw on my crimson and cream, and got the pregame on.  My sister always comes early to help with the food (and the dishes).  We sat down and waited.  No hungry fans came.  The game started and no one showed up.  We made a couple of calls and realized no one could make it.  I started to get bummed,  when my sister, the voice of reason said, "Hey Kels, don't be upset, it's you me and 5 dips!"  She was right, we had a blast and ate way too much.  Now, whenever we get together, we never worry if people show up or not.  We are perfectly content with you, me, and five dips.

I had a hard time picking a dip.  I love spinach dip, I am obsessed with hummus, and I could eat queso on just about anything.  So eeny meeny miny....QUESO!!!  I added beer and fresh cilantro to this one and it is delicious!  My sis took the leftovers from the test batch to work and it was a huge hit.  So, for your next football party or any potluck grab some chips and try this out!!

Spicy Sausage and Beer Queso
This Recipe Makes About 4 quarts of queso

1       Lb       Hot Pork Sausage
8       oz       Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
8       oz       Heavy Whipping Cream (I can usually find a small 8 oz carton in the dairy section)
16     oz       White American Processed Cheese, Cut Into Cubes
7       oz       Mexican Beer
1/4    Cup    Fresh Cilantro, Chopped Finely
1       Each   Fresh Jalapeno, Minced
1       Each   10 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles, Drained
1/2    Tsp     Ground Cumin

Grab a saute pan and brown the sausage, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat.  Drain in a colander.  Now for your crock pot, put the sausage in it.  Then put the rest of the ingredients in on top of the sausage.  Put the lid on the crock pot and turn it on to low. Cook it on low for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally.  Serve hot with tortilla chips.  Love as Always, "Big K"

Big K's Tips:

*    Be sure your crock pot is plugged in.  I say this because I have turned on a crock pot thinking I was so efficient to have dinner cooking all day when I was gone.  Got home and I had left it unplugged.  No easy dinner for me that night!

*    Don't judge me on the whole processed cheese thing:)  I'm from the land of tex-mex and that's just how we do it.  I do like the monterey jack to give it a little stretch.

Birthday Party Mayhem

Who is that girl?  Oh, you mean the girl sitting on the kitchen floor, pitifully crying?  Oh ya, that would be me.  Why, you ask?  If you have a child that has birthdays, then you will relate to this...if not, when you do, you will see.  Every year, right before Trenton's birthday, I plan all these DIY decoration projects, pick an elaborate cake to make, and orchestrate a five course menu.  He won't remember.  All he cares about is cake.  Yet, I do this every year.  Then two days before the party, no projects have been made.  No groceries have been bought.  I have turned into a crazy monster.  I thought this was just me.  Oh no it isn't!  My good friend Vickie has three boys, so I see her turn into a monster three times a year.  A week before Trenton's party, we went to his friend Eastyn's birthday party.  We got there a few minutes early, just in time to see her mom, Lesli's head spinning in circles like the exorcist.  The wind was blowing her decorations down, her tape wouldn't stick to her birthday banner, and the sun was melting her cake.

(Isn't Eastyn a doll!)

So, I figure this...when it is time for your toddler's birthday party you are no longer a rational human.  You are no longer a teacher, a nurse, a lawyer, or in this case, a chef.  You are crying on the floor because the cake that has turned out perfectly for you four hundred and eighty five times is a huge crumbled pile of mush.

I texted my sister, "I quit and I am just going cancel the party".  She texted me back, "put your big girl panties on and try again".  This snapped me out of it.  I stayed up until two in the morning strategically placing m&m's on a giant cake in the shape of a three I found on Pinterest.  Curse you Pinterest!

With the help of my sister, all the projects got completed, the food cooked, and the cake re-baked and decorated.  The party was a success and my sanity restored. One of my favorite quick and easy party recipes is this cheesecake fruit dip I make.  Fresh lime juice and vanilla bean fancy it up.  I actually just took it to a Labor Day party this last weekend.  I have learned to keep the food for my parties delicious, but easy.  Keep your SANITY!!  Enjoy  and party on!

Creamy Lime Fruit Dip with Fresh Fruit Skewers
This makes about 3 cups of dip

8       oz       Heavy Whipping Cream
8       oz       Cream Cheese
1       Cup     Powdered Sugar
1       Tsp     Vanilla Bean Paste or Extract
1       Each    Lime, Juice and Zest Only
20     Each    6" Bamboo Skewers
60     Cubes  Assorted Fruit

In a mixing bowl whip the cream on high speed for 2 minutes until a stiff whipped cream is formed.  Put the cream cheese in and whip for 30 seconds.  Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a spatula.  Add in the sugar, vanilla, lime juice, and zest.  Whip for about 30 more seconds until smooth.  Refrigerate about an hour before serving.  Next thread 3 pieces of fruit on each skewer and serve cold with dip.  Love as Always, "Big K"

Big K's Tips:

*   Let your cream cheese sit out for about an hour to get the chill off, otherwise it can get lumpy in the cream

*   For this recipe I use my Kitchen-aid stand mixer.  If you do not have one, you can use a medium mixing bowl and a handheld mixer.  If you do not have a hand mixer, get one!  They are affordable and perfect for whipping up cream, or cake batter, or even mashed potatoes.