Brownie/Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes

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  Here's a quick afternoon treat for the kiddies!  

Brownies and chocolate chip cookies all in one delicious cupcake!  

YUM!!!

Use one box of brownie mix and one package of chocolate chip cookie mix 

(or whatever variety you like).  

Prepare both in separate containers according to the package instructions.  

Using a small ice cream scoop, add one scoop of brownie batter to the cupcake pan 

followed by one scoop of the chocolate chip cookie batter.  

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20-25 minutes until toothpick inserted 

in center comes out clean.  Mine took about 23 minutes.

  

Viola'!!!!!!

Yummy brownie and chocolate chip cookie all in one!

Kinda looks like a heart, doesn't it?  :o)

Chicken Coq Au Vin

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Tender chicken braised in stock and wine with pancetta, cremini mushrooms and pearl onions.....delicious!!!!!

INGREDIENTS

5 ounces of pancetta, diced

8 chicken thighs

1 large onion

1 stalk celery

1-2 carrots, chopped

4 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon of brandy or Cognac

2 cups of red wine

2 cups of chicken stock (I used Kitchen Basics)

1 bay leaf

6 sprigs of thyme, bundled with cooking string

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons flour

8 ounces of cremini mushrooms, trimmed and halved

8 ounces of pearl onions, trimmed and peeled (or you can use frozen, which I did - EASY)

Chopped parsley for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

In large stock pot, fry the diced pancetta over medium heat until most of the fat has rendered out (but not until it's crisp).  Transfer the pancetta to a bowl with a slotted spoon.

Generously salt and pepper the chicken thighs and place in the hot pan, skin side down.  Leave undisturbed for 6-7 minuts or until skin is golden brown, then flip the chicken over, allowing it to brown lightly on the second side.  Transfer the chicken to the bowl with the pancetta.

You should now have a nice thick coating of brown "fond". This is what gives the dish much of it's depth and flavor. Remove 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan and set it aside in a small bowl.  Add the onion, celery and garlic and saute' until soft, scrapping the fond off of the bottom of the pan so it doesn't burn.

Deglaze the pan with a generous splash of brandy or Cognac.  Allow most of the liquid to evaporate, then add the red wine, chicken stock, bay leaf, bundle of thyme and tomato paste.  Return the pancetta and the chicken to the pan and turn several times to make sure each piece is well coated and submerged in the liquid.  Cover with the lid slightly askew (so steam can escape) and simmer over medium low heat until the chicken is tender.  Approximately 35-45 minutes.
 

 

Add the flour to the fat that you have reserved and stir until there are no lumps.  When the chicken is tender, transfer it to a plate and tent with foil.  Add the mushrooms and onions to the pan and turn up the heat to medium, simmering uncovered for about 15 minutes or until the onions are cooked and the sauce has reduced a bit.  Add a few tablespoons of sauce to the fat/flour mixture and stir to make a slurry.  Add the slurry to the sauce in the pan one spoonful at a time, mixing well after each addition to make sure there are no lumps.   Salt and pepper to taste, then return the chicken to the pot to reheat and coat with the sauce.

Garnish with the parsley and then serve the coq au vin over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or as a stew with a crusty baguette.
 

 

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Pin It Now! So I was watching Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman, this morning while doing the infamous piles of laundry and she was making this Broccoli Cheese Soup that looked scrumptious! I am a big fan of hers, as well as broccoli so I was all over this recipe. Even my two boys love it!  The more veggies I can get in their tummies, the better.  I headed to the kitchen and started to make it since I had all the ingredients on hand.  Well, we weren't disappointed. It totally delivered. I omitted the cheddar cheese since my youngest son liked it plain and my older son and I added cheese to our bowls.  Both ways were delicious. Give it a try!

Ingredients

1 stick of butter
1 onion, diced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups of whole milk (I used 2% because that is what I had)
2 cups of half and half
1 pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
4 heads of broccoli, cut into florets
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cups of grated cheddar cheese
Chicken broth, if needed for thinning

Directions

Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat and add the onions. Cook the onions for 3-4 minutes then sprinkle the flour over the top. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the milk and half and half. Add the nutmeg, broccoli florets and a small dash of salt and freshly ground pepper.

Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the broccoli is tender. 20-30 minutes. Stir in the cheese if desired (or you can add a little to each bowl instead like I did). Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.  I used an immersion blender and pureed until smooth. You can leave it chunky if you desire. If too thick, add a little chicken broth to thin slightly.

Enjoy!

New England Clam Chowder

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Who doesn't love a good clam chowder on a cold afternoon?  I have been craving this for a while now and went on a search for the best New England Clam Chowder recipe I could find.  Of course I couldn't just settle on one.  I had to merge a few together for my liking and I came up with this recipe.   I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as I did.  

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Ingredients:

1/2 lb. bacon, chopped
1 Tbls butter

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 shallot, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. dried thyme 

    (or a few sprigs of fresh thyme, stems removed)
2 bay leaves

5 potatoes, diced

1/2 cup white wine

6 cans clams, reserving juice

1 bottle clam juice

1 cup water

3 Tbls butter

3 Tbls flour

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk

Fresh parsley, chopped

salt & pepper to taste, if needed

Directions:

In large stockpot, cook chopped bacon until crispy.  Remove bacon and set aside. Drain bacon grease leaving 1 Tbls and add 1 Tbls of butter.  Sauté shallot, celery and garlic until translucent.  Add cubed potatoes, dried thyme and bay leaves. Season with a little pepper.  Add white wine and bring to a simmer.  Add the 2 cups of reserved clam juice from the canned clams, the bottle of clam juice and the water. Bring back to a simmer and cook for approx. 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in small sauce pot, melt  3 Tbls of butter and wisk in flour until combined and bubbly.  Add in heavy cream and milk and bring to a boil, whisking occasionally so it doesn't burn.   Once mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat and add to the pot.  Bring chowder back to a simmer then add in drained clams and chopped fresh parsley.   Cook  for a few minutes until clams are heated through.  Test for seasoning adding salt and pepper if desired.   

I didn't need to add salt since the clam juice had seasoned the chowder to my liking.  Use your discretion.

Serve with a slice of toasted ciabatta bread.   Enjoy.

YUM!  Bacon!

In goes all the veggies!

 

Making the roux base for the chowder

Looking good so far.

Voila'