Madeleines

I recently went to a high end bakery where they had the most fabulous madelines on display. They were pricey so I decided to try my hand at making them from home again. I searched for recipes online and came across a recipe from Daniel Boulud, a French chef, that owns several restaurants in the United States. The recipe was SUPER easy to follow and the end result was probably the best madelines that I've had at home. Dr. Sweetpea raved about how good these little treats were and they were perfect with our morning coffee.

Madelines

(Source: Daniel Boulud)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 large eggs

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon or orange zest

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted, warm

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Powdered sugar

Whisk baking powder, salt, and flour in a small bowl. Whisk eggs, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, honey, and lemon zest in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients until just incorporated, then whisk in melted butter until smooth. Transfer batter to a pastry bag or resealable plastic bag and chill at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly coat madeleine pans with nonstick vegetable oil spray and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Snip end off pastry bag (or 1 corner of resealable bag) and pipe batter into each mold, filling two-thirds full (you may have a little batter left over). Bake madeleines until edges are golden brown and centers are puffed and lightly spring back when gently pressed, about 5 minutes for mini and 8−10 minutes for regular cakes. Tap pan against counter to release madeleines. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Chicken Cacciatore

Dr. Sweetpea loves Italian food. We went to several Italian restaurants when we were in NYC visiting my brother because Dr. Sweetpea wanted to eat the best Italian food. Anyway, I had a big pack of chicken thighs in our fridge that needed to be used and I had several cans of canned tomatoes products in our pantry, so I decided to whip up a delicious Chicken Cacciatore dish for our dinner. Plus, it's a super easy weeknight meal since I don't have to stand over the stove while it cooks. This was a huge hit with Dr. Sweetpea and I didn't even have time to take a decent photo because we ate all of it in no time flat.

Chicken Cacciatore

(Source: www.prouditaliancook.com)

1 whole chicken, bone-in,skin on and each breast cut in half for smaller pieces***

1 (8oz package) mixed mushrooms, like crimini and shiitake

1 onion, diced medium

1 small yellow and red pepper, diced medium

2 small carrots, peeled and sliced

5 garlic cloves, shaved

pitted kalamata olives, a large handful

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup white wine

1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 (14 oz) can of tiny whole tomatoes or if not available just whole tomatoes.

Assorted herbs, parsley, basil, oregano and thyme

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Season chicken with salt, pepper and sprinkled oregano. Heat a heavy cast iron skillet, drizzled with olive oil. Place chicken skin side down and do not move it until it reaches a deep golden brown and it's easy to turn, brown other side for a few minutes. Remove chicken and set aside. Add vegetables, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, a few twigs of thyme, sauté for 5 minutes. Add wine and let it reduce. Add chicken broth and tomatoes. Toss in 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper and chopped fresh basil. Place the chicken back into the pan and sink into the juices. Simmer on low, stove top, for a couple of hours or until chicken falls off the bone. Uncovered. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with cooked pasta, polenta or warm crusty bread.

***Note: I used six chicken thighs that have the bone in them. I also removed the chicken skin before browning the chicken. 

Polish Pierogi

Dr. Sweetpea is half Greek and half Polish. Thus, we absolutely loves Pierogi since he grew up eating them. I've tried making them for him in the past but wasn't successful until recently. I used Martha Stewart's recipe for the dough and it's the best that I've tried. I don't think I'll ever use another dough recipe ever again and it's so foolproof too! Once the dough was made, I rolled it out, cut circles, filled them with mashed potatoes and boiled them. They turned out perfect and Dr. Sweetpea RAVED saying they taste exactly like what he ate growing up.

Pierogi Dough

(Source: Martha Stewart)

1 large egg

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 cup milk

1 cup water

4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

In a medium bowl, whisk egg. Add sour cream, and whisk until smooth. Add milk and 1 cup water, and whisk until combined. Slowly add about 3 cups flour, and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and work in about 1 cup flour as you knead. Use a plastic scraper to lift dough as it will stick to the counter before flour is worked in. Continue kneading for 8 to 10 minutes, working in another 1/2 cup flour. The dough should be elastic in texture and no longer sticky. Be careful not to add too much flour, as this will toughen dough. Place dough in a lightly floured bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let rest while you prepare filling.

NOTE: I halved the dough since I didn’t want to make a huge batch of pierogies. Since it’s hard to halve an egg, I just used one egg in my dough and added some extra flour. 

French Quarter Beignet

I've never been to New Orleans, in fact, I've never tried a Beignet in my life until I made them from scratch over the weekend. I decided to make Beignets from scratch over the weekend because Dr. Sweetpea and I are doing a road trip to New Orleans in the spring. These were super easy to make and they turned out wonderful. Dr. Sweetpea took one bite and said these remind him of the ones he ate at New Orleans several years ago.

French Quarter Beignets

(Source: Paula Deen)

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 envelope active dry yeast

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 cup evaporated milk

7 cups bread flour (Next time I'm going to use all purpose flour)

1/4 cup shortening

Nonstick spray

Oil, for deep-frying

3 cups confectioners' sugar

Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. In another bowl, beat the eggs, salt and evaporated milk together. Mix egg mixture to the yeast mixture. In a separate bowl, measure out the bread flour. Add 3 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the shortening and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour. Remove dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Put dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours. Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F. Add the confectioners' sugar to a paper or plastic bag and set aside. Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares. Deep-fry, flipping constantly, until they become a golden color. After beignets are fried, drain them for a few seconds on paper towels, and then toss them into the bag of confectioners' sugar. Hold bag closed and shake to coat evenly.

Dr. Sweetpea's Grab and Go Breakfasts

Dr. Sweetpea rarely has time to eat breakfast at home before heading to work. He also rarely has time to eat lunch at work. He's always ALWAYS ravenous by the time he comes home for dinner because he hasn't eaten anything all day. So because of this, I've been making him overnight oats and yogurt parfaits to grab in the morning as he heads to work. They are nutritious and keep him full when he has time to eat them quickly. These are a HUGE hit with Dr. Sweetpea and loves eating these whenever I make them for him.

Yogurt Parfaits

Yogurt

Fresh Fruit

Nuts

Granola 

I just layer everything in a 2 cup twist top Ziplock container. 

Overnight Oats

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup almond milk or 2% milk 

Agave Syrup

2 heaping tablespoons of yogurt

1 tablespoon chia seeds

Berries/fruit

Vanilla extract

Mix oats, almond milk, splash of agave syrup, yogurt, splash vanilla extract, and chia seeds together. Pour into a 2 cup plastic container. Top with desired fruit and nuts. Refrigerate overnight. 

Chocolate Banana Crumb Cake

We had some bananas that were all brown and speckled, which are just PERFECT for banana bread or in today's case, Chocolate Banana Crumb Cake. If you've been following me this whole time, then you'll know that I absolutely love Ina Garten recipes. She is my idol and I hope to meet her one day so she can sign cookbooks for me. Anyway, when I saw her recipe for the Chocolate Banana Crumb Cake, I knew I'd use the brown bananas to make the delicious cake to go along with our morning coffee. The recipe did not disappoint and it will be something I make regularly for us. Dr. Sweetpea kept telling me how tasty the cake was while he was eating it!

Chocolate Banana Crumb Cake

(Source: Ina Garten)

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 extra-large egg, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (3 to 4 very ripe bananas) (see Recipe Notes)

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the streusel topping:

3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3 tablespoons sliced blanched almonds

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8x8x2-inch square baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer on low, beat in the egg, vanilla, banana, and sour cream and mix until combined. Don’t worry—it may look curdled. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ones. Scrape into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

For the streusel, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a medium bowl and pinch the ingredients together with your fingers until the mixture makes crumbles. Add the chocolate and combine.

Distribute the streusel evenly over the batter, sprinkle the almonds on top, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan and serve warm or at room temperature.

Chicken Marbella

Okay, if you want to make a dish that will impress everyone, this is it! I cannot believe I waited so long to make this. Don't be put off by the ingredient list because I promise it's worth it! It's savory, sweet, tangy, and just so addictive. Dr. Sweetpea devoured his meal and I know I will be making this when we have guests over for dinner. Definitely a keeper! 

Chicken Marbella

(Source: Ina Garten)

1/2 cup good olive oil

1/2 cup good red wine vinegar

1 1/2 cups large pitted prunes, such as Sunsweet

1 cup large green olives, pitted, such as Cerignola

1/2 cup capers, including the juices (3 1/2 ounces)

6 bay leaves

1 1/2 heads of garlic, cloves separated, peeled, and minced

1/4 cup dried oregano

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 (4-pound) chickens, backs removed and cut in 8 pieces (I used chicken thighs and took the skin off)

1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed (I used 1/4 cup of brown sugar)

1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, 2 tablespoons salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken to the marinade. (You can also place the chicken and marinade in a 2-gallon plastic storage bag and squeeze out the air to make sure the chicken is fully covered with the marinade.) Refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally to be sure the marinade is getting into all of the chicken pieces.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place the chicken, skin side up, along with the marinade in one layer in a large (15 × 18-inch) roasting pan, sprinkle with the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper, and pour the wine around (not over!) the chicken. Roast for 45 to 55 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken is 145 degrees. Remove the pan from the oven, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Transfer the chicken, prunes, and olives to a serving platter, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot with the pan juices.

Lasagna Soup

It's been chilly here in Houston, so I decided to make a big bowl pot of soup for the both of us. I recently came across this Lasagna soup recipe and made the soup since it has so many great reviews. The soup was fantastic, but next time I'm going halve the amount of noodles because I think the noodles soaked up too much liquid when I had leftovers.

Lasagna Soup

(Source: Food Network)

Kosher salt

8 ounces lasagna noodles, broken into pieces (about 10 noodles) (next time: halve the amount)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 onion, chopped

1/2 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, plus thinly sliced leaves for topping

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus more for sprinkling, optional)

1/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

Ricotta cheese, for topping

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook as the label directs. Drain; drizzle with olive oil and toss. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the sausage, garlic and oregano and cook, stirring and breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until darkened, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and 1 cup water; cover and bring to a simmer. Uncover and cook until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Stir in the noodles, basil, parmesan and heavy cream; simmer 2 more minutes. Divide the soup among bowls. Top with ricotta and sliced basil.

Salads

Whenever Dr. Sweetpea and I are out at restaurants, I always look through the salad menu so I can replicate the salads at home. I think it's way cheaper to make delicious salads at home than eating them at a restaurant. Plus, most restaurants have the salad ingredients listed on the menu so it's super easy to recreate at home for a fraction of the price! These are some salads that I have replicated at home and had delicious results. Dr. Sweetpea looks forward to these salads every night!

Copycat Insalata Isabella

(Inspired by: La Grolla Restaurant)

Baby greens

Goat cheese crumbles

Pine nuts

Golden Raisins

Sliced Granny Smith Apples (I omitted) 

Raspberry Vinaigrette 

Toss all the salad ingredients together. As for the raspberry vinaigrette, use raspberry balsamic vinegar instead of regular balsamic vinegar in your favorite balsamic dressing recipe. 

Copycat Lauren's Goat Cheese Salad

(Inspired by: Flying Sauce Draught Emporium) 

Baby Spring Salad Mix

Dried cranberries

Crumbled goat cheese

Grape tomatoes sliced

Chopped Walnuts

Sliced red onion (I omitted) 

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Toss all the salad ingredients with your favorite balsamic vinaigrette. 

Copycat Insalata Di Pera E Roquefort

(Inspired by: La Grolla) 

Baby spring greens

Crumbled Roquefort cheese

Sliced fresh pears, peeled

Red Grapes

Spiced pecans (I use regular pecans)

Citrus vinaigrette (I use my favorite balsamic vinaigrette with a touch of extra lemon zest) 

Toss all the salad ingredients together and serve. 

Louisiana Chicken Pasta

One of my absolute favorite meals at Cheesecake Factory is their Louisiana Chicken Pasta. So when I saw that a food blogger made a copycat recipe, I had to try it myself! I only made the pasta and it's as good as I remember. Dr. Sweetpea was a fan too and I know I'll be making this for us regularly.

Louisiana Chicken Pasta

(Source: Dinner then Dessert)

CAJUN CREAM SAUCE

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon cajun seasoning (I used 2 – 3 teaspoons since I like mine spicy)

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups heavy cream (I used 1 1/2 cups)

1 cup chicken stock (I used 1 1/2 cups)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup Parmesan Cheese shredded

CRISPY PARMESAN CHICKEN

4 chicken breasts butterflied

1/4 cup flour

1 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 eggs

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

PASTA

1 lb Farfalle pasta (I used penne)

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 yellow bell pepper sliced

1/2 red bell pepper sliced

1/2 red onion sliced (I used a bunch of sliced green onions)

8 ounces crimini mushrooms sliced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 cup parsley for garnish (optional)

Set a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta to a minute shy of what is listed on the box.

Drain but do not rinse.

Mix the flour, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, Kosher salt and black pepper together in one bowl. In a second bowl whisk the eggs. Dredge each piece of chicken into the breadcrumb mixture, then into the eggs, and finally back into the breadcrumb mixture. Cook the chicken in a skillet with oil and set aside.

Melt butter in cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the bell peppers, onion, garlic and mushrooms. Cook for 3-5 minutes until just starting to brown but not break down. Stir in the red pepper flakes and Cajun seasoning. Then stir in the chicken broth and heavy cream. Let this mixture come to a boil. Stir in shredded parmesan cheese. Pour some of the sauce mixture into a small bowl and whisk in the cornstarch before pouring this mixture back into the pan with the sauce. Salt and pepper as needed.

Mix the Cajun cream sauce with pasta and serve with crispy chicken. 

Cajun Spice Mix Recipe: 

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix spices together. I usually leave out the salt when making spice mixes and add the salt to my dish later to prevent it from getting too salty. 

Greek Chicken Gyro

Upon coming back to Houston after visiting family during the holidays, I was not in the mood to cook since I barely had time to go grocery shopping. I did have chicken thighs in the refrigerator, so I decided to make Greek Chicken Gyros with the thighs and they did not disappoint! Dr. Sweetpea devoured his meal and ate seconds. This is a definite keeper in our household!

Greek Chicken Gyro

(Source: Recipe Tins)

Ingredients

2 lb / 1 kg boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets

3 large garlic cloves , minced (~ 3 tsp)

1 tbsp white wine vinegar (or red wine or apple cider vinegar)

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp Greek yoghurt

1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

Black pepper

Place all the ingredients in a ziplock bag and massage to mix. Add the chicken into the ziplock bag and massage to cover all the chicken in the Marinade. Marinate for at least 2 hours, preferably 3 hours, ideally 12 hours and no longer than 24 hours.

Brush the outdoor grill with oil, then preheat on medium high. Or heat 1 tbsp of oil in a fry pan over medium high heat. Remove chicken from Marinade. Cook the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through (cooking time depends on size of chicken).

Remove the chicken from the grill / fry pan onto a plate. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

*I baked our chicken in the oven at 430 degrees for 30 minutes and the chicken turned out tasty too!