Finding excuses to use my new Kitchenaid stand mixer!

My husband and I recently purchased a KitchenAid artisan stand mixer and ever since, I have been trying to come up with stuff to make with it. If it wasn't 100 degrees every day I would certainly be baking much more than I have. So far I have made whipped cream, fluffy eggs, rich chocolate mousse and today I made my first ever french bread loaves. They didn't quite come out like I expected looks wise but who cares! They tasted fantastic!

The ingredients were so simple. It's the waiting that was the hardest part. Rise, punch down, rise, punch down, rise again. The mixer came in ever so handy for kneading the dough. I was able to cook breakfast while the mixer did all the work. Gotta love that! I am normally a very hands on person that wants to do everything in the kitchen the long tedious way at least at first to learn but today was about putting this mixer to the test. A+++

I will have to come back and post more about the whole bread process once I have experimented more.

Crunchy Chicken Katsu

I remember the first time I had chicken katsu at a local japanese restaurant. I instantly fell in love with this yummy crunchy delicacy. Since cutting back at eating out, I decided to just try to make it at home. I found it to be incredibly easy and shhh don't tell the restaurant but mine actually tasted better!

I have made this dish with both thigh meat and breast meat and I prefer the breast meat version personally but you can choose your preference. The procedure is the same for both.

Chicken Katsu
Ingredients:
Panko crumbs (Found in asian grocery or maybe international aisle in supermarket). If not can buy here
1 egg
flour
Skinless chicken breasts or thigh meat
vegetable oil for frying
salt

Directions:
What I normally do is get 3 containers or bowls set out in a row. In the first one I put some flour, the second one a mixture of 1 whisked egg and 2 tbls of water, and in the third container a good layer of panko crumbs with a dash of salt added.

Take your boneless, skinless chicken pieces and pound thin with the flat side of a meat mallet. I usually put one piece at a time in a large ziploc bag, makes for easy cleanup.
Now's a good time to heat your veg oil up. I have a deep fryer and had about 1.5 inches of oil in it and set it to 375°. If you have a fryer, please follow your user manual or if using a stovetop pan be sure to use the proper type of frying thermometer.

Take a piece of your chicken and coat both sides in flour and shake off excess then dip in egg and then the panko crumbs. I like to press the panko on good because the crunchiness is my fave thing about this dish. A good tip is to pick a breading hand and keep one hand clean otherwise it's a hand washing nightmare lol.

I don't like to crowd the fryer so I made two pieces at a time, slowly lowering them into the oil to avoid burning myself. This probably goes without saying eh.
Now, it's all about patience. I haven't found the need to time these, I just keep an eye on them and flip them once mid fry. The color is a really good indicator of doneness I've found. Once they are a deep golden color, I've always found it to be cooked through, but always give it a little cut once out of the fryer to ensure it's cooked thoroughly. Add a little pinch of salt as soon as it comes out of the fryer if desired.

All that's left is to cut into strips and top this yumminess off with some sauce. I haven't gotten around to making it from scratch yet but I usually use this Bulldog tonkatsu sauce I found at a local asian grocery but is also available online at the link. I hope you try out and enjoy this simple and delicious dish. -Curvy Cook

Cheese bread croutons

I've gotten into the habit of making something and then making different things out of it...basically stretching the food and being creative. As I mentioned in the previous post, I made cheese bread and made a few different dishes from it. A couple days after making the bread I made a salad and realized I was out of croutons. Aha! I can make my own...easy peasy.

All I did was cut several thick slices of the bread and cut into cubes. I like a large salad crouton, but you can adjust to your preferred size. I then took a large ziploc bag and placed the cubed bread inside. I then drizzled some olive oil in(eyeball it so they are lightly coated not drenched)  along with a pinch of kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder and some grated parmesan cheese and gave the bag a good shake to distribute all the oil and spices very well.

I then placed in a single layer in my toaster oven (you can use a regular oven if you don't have a toaster oven) on a very low heat, essentially drying them out slowly without burning them. I believe I had the toaster oven on about 250° or so. You will need to keep an eye on them and turn once so both sides get toasted. Keep checking on them for crispness. It's really that easy and it beats paying a few dollars at the store for them for sure. Crunch crunch! -Curvy Cook

Cheese + bread= win win

Growing up I always remember my mom using the ol red and plaid cookbook. It was what I knew as cooking. When I first got married back in 1992 it was the first cookbook I bought for myself also and I still use it to this day. This week the weather was chilly and I yearned for something warm and comforting and that means one thing ...bread... warm buttery bread.

I went to the kitchen and hunkered over the old faithful Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and decided to give bread a go again. I wouldn't call myself a successful bread baker so far but I'm not one to give up too easily. I decided on cheese bread. Cheese+bread=win win. Here's the recipe I used:



Cheese Bread- Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups + 2 1/2-3 cups All purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 egg
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar, swiss, or monterey jack with peppers cheese (I used cheddar)
1 1/4 cups warm water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Directions

Combine 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour and 1 package active dry yeast. Add 1 egg, 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese as listed above, 1 1/4 cups warm water (120°-130°); 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using 2 1/2 to 3 cups of the flour, stir in as much flour as you can.* Once I noticed the dough ball formed and wasn't sticky any longer I stopped adding flour. The amount of flour used will vary. I did not need the full 3 cups and had quite a bit of excess actually.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes total). Shape into a ball. Place in a greased bowl;turn once. Cover, let rise in a warm place till double(1-1 1/4 hours). I used Pam spray in the bowl and also sprayed some on the cling wrap to prevent sticking.

Punch dough down. Turn onto lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Lightly grease two 8x4x2 inch loaf pans. Shape each half of the dough into a loaf. Place in pans. Cover, let rise in a warm place till nearly double (about 45 minutes). Bake in a 350° oven for  40-45 minutes or till done. Cover loosely the last 20 minutes if necessary. Remove from pans, cool. Makes 2 loaves.

After the bread was made, I went on to use it several ways throughout the week and will post those ideas soon!

As promised..rotisserie chicken action shots!

I was roasting a chicken today and remembered just in the nick of time that I mentioned on my last post that I would post some pics of the Ronco rotisserie in action. It came out perfect as always. This was a 4 pound chicken and it took an hour to roast. You can see the silicone bands keep it all nice and neat and are reuseable which I love. Here's the link to the last post with more details about this awesome rotisserie gadget. Have a yummy day! -Curvy Cook

A kitchen gizmo I love

A few years ago my husband walked in the door with a big box from the store. He was beaming with excitement which at first made me think oh no what did he buy this time and when he revealed it I thought yet again oh no what did he buy this time and is he planning on building me some more counters haha. He had purchased a Ronco rotisserie countertop cooker. As I was asking if he kept the receipt, I thumbed through the accompanying booklet of how to's and whatnot.

Fast forward to present and I have to say this little machine has become indispensable in our kitchen. I use it quite frequently at least a couple times a month I'd say. Last night I roasted a chicken in it and today from the chicken breast, I made a yummy roast chicken vegetable stew. Next time I roast a chicken I will include a pic of it along with some action shots of it roasting lol.

The whole house smells delicious as it cooks away and for most  chickens takes about an hour or so give or take a few for weight. I usually keep the rub simple but you can really experiment with your seasonings have have some fun. I usually just rub with McCormick Rotisserie Chicken Seasoning or Mesquite seasoning and pop it in the rotissierie and it comes out great every time. The rotisserie comes with some disposeable oven safe elastic bands that you bind the chicken with but I decided to purchase something more permanent and I bought these reusable silicone cooking bands which are also up there on my must have list. 

You can roast more than just chicken in this rotisserie but this is my primary use for it. If you have one or buy one feel free to share your yummy discoveries and perhaps I can break out of the just roasting chicken routine haha. Enjoy ~Curvy Cook

PS. I think I owe my husband some husband points for this purchase.

A chocolate fix

I was having a big chocolate craving last night that was brought on by only the mention of brownies by a friend. By the end of the day, the craving was still going strong so I sought out some type of brownie recipe that could be made with easy ingredients that I had on hand. I was in luck and came across this recipe for brownies.

The ingredients are budget friendly also which I love. They came out with a nice chewy crust and dense chocolatey inside. Since they were made with oil they seemed abit on the oily side but delicious none the less. So if you need a quick chocolate fix I recommend these easy brownies. Here is the recipe also. I should snap a picture before they are gone eh?

Mom's Cocoa Powder Brownies
3/4 cup all-purpose flour 
1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Allow to cool before cutting.

Creamy chicken soup with shell pasta

The weather got a little chilly this week and when that happened the urge for comfort food set in quickly. No, not potato chips, although that's usually my 1st choice haha. This time I was craving something hearty, easy to make but rewarding. I knew I had some chicken broth in the pantry but what else could I pull together? Luckily making these dish takes some basic pantry staples so I could make a nice soup to ward off the chills.

Here are the ingredients I used to make this soup:

1 1/2 of the 32 oz. cartons of Progresso chicken broth reduced sodium
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup small pasta shells (uncooked measurement)
3/4 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup diced onion
1/2 cup peas frozen or canned (I had canned on hand)
1 piece of smoked bacon
1/3 cup heavy cream (optional) -to make creamy if preferred
cornstartch (optional) - to thicken if preferred
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 bay leaves
1 tsp poultry seasoning brand as linked below
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp oregano
dash chipotle powder (optional)
1 tbsp olive oil for cooking chicken
For fast dumplings I used 2 leftover uncooked pillsbury flaky biscuits cut into wedges

To season chicken I used:
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Mccormick poultry seasoning
Mccormick rotisserie chicken seasoning
dash of oregano

---

The first thing I did was prepare my pasta and cut up all my veggies and set aside for later. Then I cut the 2 chicken breasts into slices and then rubbed a moderate mixture of poultry seasoning and rotisserie chicken seasoning onto them once cut. I then heated a pan on medium high heat with the olive oil and a dash of salt and black pepper in the pan. Once pan is hot add the chicken in a single layer if possible for even cooking. Once one side has started turning golden flip over. Continue cooking until completely cooked and no pink remains in center. Once finished set these aside to cool abit.

Next in a taller stock pot I combined 1 tbsp olive oil along with 1 tbsp of butter with dash of salt and pepper on medium high heat. I then added the chopped carrots and bacon slive and cooked them several minutes before adding the chopped onions. I cooked these veggies until they started to soften up abit. Once ready, I then added the chicken broth and bay leaves and brought to a simmer.

While that's cooking abit I went back to the chicken and cut into hearty bite size pieces. The hard part is not eating a bunch while you are cooking..yum and yes guilty of pinching some chicken!  I then added the chicken to the pot and placed lid on and reduced heat to medium and let cook about 10-15 minutes or so.

Now it's time to add the peas and cooked pasta shells to the pot. You can add as little or much of these as you prefer. At this time you can add the optional cream. I usually like to thicken it up abit by adding a mixture of cornstarch and water to the soup. (mix 2tsp cornstarch with 3 tbsp water in a small bowl, mix well). This is something I just prefer. Feel free to leave the cream and cornstarch mixture out.

More optional goodness.... I had 2 uncooked pillsbury flaky biscuits left over from the can and I didn't want them to go to waste so I cut them into small wedges, floated them on top of the soup and placed lid back on. Let them simmer with the soup until they cook and firm up. They float on the surface and gives it a nice finishing touch.

All thats left is to dish up a bowl of comfort! I must have been hungry, I got a little picture happy on this post! Enjoy - Curvy Cook

Trying new things

One thing I am learning as I discover new things I am capable of in the kitchen is not to be afraid of trying new things. I've come to think of it all as one big learning experience. For example, last night I was talking to my friend about chinese food of all things. Of course this set off the craving bell in my head and instantly I wanted some vegetable egg foo yung.

In the past I would have thought nothing of ringing up the old chinese take out and having instant gratification on my doorstep but now as budget doesn't allow much of that I had to envision this dish in my head. I mean I know for the most part what's in it when I order it. How hard could it be to make it? Answer...not very hard at all and luckily I had enough ingredients to pull it off. The sauce on the other hand came out ok but was missing a sweet note. This I will have to figure out next time.

The egg part came out surprisingly yummy and I even surprised myself with how incredibly easy this was. However next time I will use a smaller pan so it is easier to flip. These are the kinds of things you learn as you just get in the kitchen and give it a go. All in all my experience was fun and delicious. So get in the kitchen have some fun and don't be afraid of trying new things. You might surprise yourself. ~Curvy Cook

Ps. I made 2 patties one with regular eggs and the one pictured I made with egg beaters. They both tasted great! Once I perfect the sauce I will post a recipe :)

Chicken in a garlic red pepper cream sauce

Last night I wanted to make something different with chicken breasts besides my usual chicken marsala, so I took to the fridge and started going through crispers and shelves to see what I could concoct. All the while hoping for it to come out tasting great. With minimal ingredients I was able to whip up a pretty tasty meal.

To make this you will need:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

6 cloves of garlic

1/3 cup of diced red bell peppers

1/2 pint heavy whipping cream

1 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp of ground oregano

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese -can use more or less, adjust for consistency as needed

kosher salt and ground black pepper

olive oil for cooking

large frying pan with lid

The first thing I did to prep for this was to butterfly the chicken breasts by slicing through from the side but stopping before cutting entirely. That way it can be folded out to lay flat in the pan. It makes it abit easier to do this if the chicken is just a little firm from the freezer still. You will definitely need a large pan to fit these in or you can make a smaller serving if needed. I then let them continue to thaw for a short while, placed 1 at a time into a large ziploc bag and with the flat side of meat mallet pounded them abit to flatten slightly. Once all were done I set aside and moved onto the veggie prep.

First I finely chopped up about a 1/3 cup of red bell pepper and set aside. I wanted this dish to have a great savory garlic flavor so I took 2 of the largest cloves of garlic and made slashes to release flavor but did not cut all the way through. Refer to this handy photoshop picture I devised. The remaining garlic cloves I made into very thin slivers and set aside.

What I had in mind was to slowly infuse the garlic flavor into the olive oil by placing these two large sliced cloves into the pan that I had added 2 tbls of olive oil along with the tablespoon of butter to. I also added a pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper to the pan. Bring heat up to medium and keep stirring garlic, butter and oil mixture periodically so as the butter and garlic doesn't burn. If it appears to be caramellizing, turn it down. We don't really want browning at this point, just the garlic fusing flavor with the oil and butter.

Once the garlic has softened slightly and you can smell the delicious garlic aroma it's time to add the chicken breasts to the pan along with another pinch of kosher salt. Increase heat to about medium high. Unfold the butterflied portions and lay flat in pan. Allow one side to slightly brown and then turn over and do the same to the other side. At this point they should not be cooked through, just browned slightly each side.

Now reduce the heat and add the cream, red peppers, and remaining thinly sliced garlic and oregano, keep stirring to mix up the garlic flavor into it. At this point I placed the lid on and frequently stirred it. I let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Always keeping an eye on it. If it needs more cream, feel free to add more. It is going to reduce abit when we add the parmesan. The chicken should be about done at this point and should feel firm to the touch. Go ahead and reduce the heat a little more to a low heat. Now we can add our shredded fresh parmesan cheese. I added it a little bit at a time stirring constantly to melt and distribute it evenly. Adjust as little or as much as you need to firm up the cream sauce. Just make sure the heat has been reduced otherwise the cheese will burn very fast and make a pan cleaning nightmare. Stir stir stir.

Then simply place the chicken on your plate and spoon a little of the sauce on top and it's off to creamy garlic happyland!! -Curvy Cook

Mmm Snickerdoodles

For some reason or other, I am on a cinnamon kick lately. Sometimes I like to justify certain cravings with the body's natural sense of knowing what it needs. I decided to search the health benefits of cinnamon. I mean, c'mon there has to be some, right? Indeed there are. Check out this cool link showing some of the benefits of cinnamon.

Ok, so snickerdoodles aren't the pinnacle of health but they are in a way a comfort food with their delicious aroma and taste. The craving hit me early in the evening so I hit the pantry to see what I had available. Luckily I had all the necessary ingredients on hand, which is wonderful because otherwise I would be making cinnamon toast right now instead. Not the same....really not the same lol.

I came across this snickerdoodle recipe from Martha Stewart this past Christmas and I am hooked. I have come to the conclusion that when I make a cookie gift, it's gonna be these gems.

Here is the basic idea of the recipe in photo form however for the actual recipe please visit the snickerdoodle recipe link in the above paragraph. I don't want to anger the Martha Stewart empire by printing it here for you lol. The last thing I need is to suffer the wrath of Martha *grin*

After the ingredients were sifted, creamed, combined I basically just made a little assembly line as shown. They really are that easy to make. In retrospect, I could have spaced them a tad further on the sheet but otherwise they came out delicious. I use AirBake cookie sheets, they seem to work fine for me but you could use a regular cookie sheet and a silpat if you have it. One of these days I will buy a silpat. I really really want one :) Ok after blogging about these, I can hear the tupperware of them downstairs calling my name! ~Curvy Cook