Easy Rice Cooker Add-ins

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Laura S

The best purchase I ever made for my kitchen was my rice cooker. By combining rice with staples I have laying around the house I can make delicious, healthy meals and still have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes with no effort whatsoever.

I like to buy and pre-grill chicken breasts in bulk and then freeze them. When I know that I’m going to have rice for dinner I’ll pull one or two out the night before so it can defrost in the fridge. When I get home from work I’ll throw rice in the cooker with some of these delicious add-ins and then pop the chicken breast into the cooker (on top of the rice) in the last 5 minutes so that it reheats in the steam.

For Italian rice and chicken try adding:

1 can petite diced tomatoes
½ cup parmesan grated
¼ cup chopped basil
Add cheese and tomatoes to rice before removing from heat, let sit 5 minutes, fold in basil before serving.

For Asian rice and chicken try adding:

2 cups finely chopped broccoli
2 thinly sliced scallions
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sesame oil
After rice cooks 12 minutes sprinkle with broccoli, cook 5 more minutes, fold in other ingredients before serving.

For Laura’s favorite rice and chicken try adding:

½ cup sliced dried apricots
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
½ cup toasted almonds
Remove rice from heat, sprinkle with apricots and lemon zest before letting stand, fold in almonds before serving.

Once you master using these simple recipes with your rice cooker try checking out this amazing book. You’ll never use your stove again:

The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cook Book: 250 no-fail recipes for pilafs, risottos, polentas, chilis, soups, porridges, puddings, and more, from start to finish in your rice cooker by Beth Hensperger and Julie Kaufmann.

Best Ever Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Onions

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Laura S

There isn’t much I love in this world than the smell of a roasting chicken. Other than potatoes roasted in the same pan as said chicken that is. If you can use a mandolin slicer to cut your potatoes and onions nice and thin the prep time on this dish is about 5 minutes. I first time I made it in my new apartment my roommates were beyond impressed. By drying the chicken extra well you ensure a crisp and impressively colored skin.

Prep Time: 30 minutes, Cooking time: 50-60 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons butter
5-6 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8-rounds
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
One 4-5 pound farm-raised chicken
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder
2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)
Unsalted butter

You will need:

Ovenproof frying pan or roasting pan
Kitchen knife
Cutting Board
Paper towels
Kitchen twine and scissors

Method:

1 Preheat the oven to 450°F. Thinly slice potatoes and onion.

2 Melt the butter in a large oven-proof frying pan or small roasting pan. Layer the potatoes all around the bottom of the pan, completely covering it. Scatter the onions over the potatoes. Set aside and prepare the chicken.

3 Rinse the chicken and then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird.

4 Next, salt the chicken very well. Season to taste with pepper and garlic powder.

5 Place the chicken on top of the potatoes and onions in the pan and put it in the oven. Don’t open oven. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are golden and a little crispy, about 50 to 60 minutes.

6 Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with any juices from the pan and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

Like making chicken? Try these titles:

150 Things to Make with a Roast Chicken and 5o Ways to Roast it by Tony Rosenfeld

The Best Chicken Recipes by Cook’s Illustrated

The New York Times Chicken Cookbook edited by Linda Amster

Recipe adapted from Thomas Keller via Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

Dave Kirk’s Mississippi Mud Cake

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Cindy

In sauce pan, melt 2 sticks of butter, add ¼ cup cocoa

Add:

2 Cups sugar

4 eggs

1 ½ cup self rising flour

1 Cup nuts-chopped

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Mix well: pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan bake

Bake: for 25-30 minutes at 350 or until done,

Add 1 bag of mini marshmallows to the top of cake, as soon as it comes out of the oven. ( 7 ounce jar of cream marshmallow in place of mini marshmallows).

Let Cool

Melt 1stick of butter

Add:

1 box confectioners’ sugar

½ cup evaporated milk

1/3 cup Cocoa

Mix well:

Pour over marshmallow topping

Enjoy!!!

Quick Caramel

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Laura S

Everything is better when dipped in caramel, right?

For the CCPl Staff Development Day lunch I made my new favorite treat; marshmallows dipped in caramel and dark chocolate on a stick (because everything is better on a stick right? I already had the marshmallows and dark chocolate chips, but I thought homemade caramel would be a great choice.

My family has a secret recipe that almost always results in a great caramel and can be tweaked to provide soft and chewy or hard and lollipop like candies. Here’s how it works:

In a deep, thick pot with attached candy thermometer combine the following:

1/2 lb butter (2 sticks)
1 lb light brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup Karo pancake syrup

Cook, stirring but not scraping the sides until candy is 225° F. When temperature is reached stir in:

1 tsp vanilla extract

Pour from pan (being sure to not scrap sides) into desired dish.

Remember this recipe is super easy to change so that you get any sort of caramel you like. Try using dark brown sugar instead of light for a darker caramel. Cook to 228°F for caramels you can cut with a cookie cutter. Cook to 230°F for a darker, peanut brittle consistency.

To make our Staff Day treat lightly grease a cookie sheet, place marshmallows on it so they are not touching. Using thin pretzel sticks in place of sucker sticks impale marshmallows and dip them in caramel once you have removed it from the pot (into a bowl works best). Place in freezer to harden for 5 minutes and then dip into melted chocolate chips and then immediately dip just the bottom of your pop into sprinkles or jimmies (they help keep the chocolate from sticking to your serving dish).

If you enjoy this recipe try one of the following books:

Candy Making for Dummies by David Jones

Candy Making for Beginners by Evelyn Howe Fryatt

Charlene’s Shingled Cheese

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Cindy

Need a great appetizer for a get together? My friend Charlene brought this wonderful treat, to a party recently. This recipe, is one I couldn’t wait to share.

Make both parts ahead and pour vinaigrette over right before serving. Serve with crackers or baguette.
Cheese:
On a platter, make rows like shingles of sharp cheese and cream cheese. Alternate sharp cheese slices with cream cheese slices. You can stack them up side by side or lay flat.Before serving, drizzle this vinaigrette on top and garnish with whatever fresh herbs you have on hand.
Vinaigrette:
Mix together:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
handful of fresh parsley, chopped
handful of fresh basil, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
Minced green onion or onion chives, 2-3 tablespoons or to taste
Chopped pimiento or chopped roasted or fresh red bell pepper

Cool Weather Chicken

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Laura S

Now that fall weather is finally here I feel justified in using my oven again. All summer I long for casseroles and baked treats but I can’t stand the thought of using the oven in such oppressive heat.

My very favorite recipe to make for family dinner is one that my brother Thomas concocted using an amalgamation of what he had seen on the Food Network, his one cookbook and what turned out to be a secret knack for cooking. Chicken breasts roasted in a tangy rich sauce with the side dish cooked right on top. It comes out of the oven looking complicated and time consuming but with a little blender action is easy to throw together.

Le Poulet de Thomas

Serves 4

Preparation time: 25 minutes, Cooking time: 1- 1½ hours

Ingredients:

1lb 8 oz trimmed leeks- about 3
10 oz small waxy potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic- peeled and chopped
1 cup soft cheese with garlic and herbs- Boursin is best
½ cup white wine
¾ cup chicken stock
2 tsp Cornstarch
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp butter, melted
Salt and pepper to taste

You will need:

A large, shallow oven proof dish (about 7½ cup capacity)
A skillet
A cook’s knife
Measuring cups
A cutting board
A blender

Method:

1 Preheat oven to 350 F. Clean and thickly slice leeks.

2 Slice the potatoes as thinly as possible.

3 Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the leeks and garlic 3-4 minutes or until beginning to soften. Remove from skillet and put in the ovenproof dish.

4 Place the cheese, wine, stock and cornstarch in blender and process until smooth.

5 Arrange chicken pieces on top of leeks, season well and pour in the sauce.

6 Layer potatoes on top, season and brush thoroughly with melted butter.

7 Cook in the preheated oven 1- 1½ hours or until potatoes are well done and brown. Serve at once with the parsley sprinkled over.

Want some other amazing one dish family meals? Try these awesome books:

The One-Dish Chicken Cookbook : featuring 120 soups, stews, casseroles, roasts, and more from around the world by Mary Ellen Evans

The Best One-Dish Suppers: a best recipe classic by the Editor’s of Cook’s Illustrated

Perfect One-Dish Dinners: all you need for easy get-togethers by Pam Anderson

White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Laura S

Crock pot soup is the fastest, easiest way to make sure you have a delicious dinner waiting for you when you get home after a hard day of work. In my house we like to make something we affectionately refer to as Refrigerator Soup, dumping everything that we can find in a pot together.

The most recent batch was made of some leftover kale and Italian sausage and was a HUGE hit with the ladies of the Amelia Branch Library. It was spectacularly simple, delicious and deserves its own recipe designation. After spending the night in the slow cooker the beans were buttery smooth and the sausage had infused everything with a smokey, delicious taste. I usually prefer spinach in Italian style soups, but kale holds up wonderfully under the hours of slow cooking, coming out still slightly firm and delicious.

White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup

Ingredients

1 lb Italian Sausage- browned
1 medium white onion- finely chopped
4 cloves garlic – finely chopped garlic
1 can tomato paste
3-4 cans chicken broth
4 cans white beans- rinsed
3-4 handfuls Kale loosely chopped (enough to fill up any space left in your pot)

Instructions

Brown and drain sausage, do not rinse. Set aside
In same pan sauté onions and garlic until translucent, scrapping sides to get off all the delicious sausage bits that were left.
In bowl of your slow cooker whisk together tomato paste and chicken broth.
Add sausage, onion mixture, beans, tomatoes with juice and kale.
Cook on low setting for 8+ hours.

Remember, you can assemble all the ingredients in the cooker and refrigerate overnight. Just pop the pot to your slow cooker in the base in the morning and let it simmer while you work!

Looking for more delicious slow cooker recipes? Try some of these great resources:

Slow Cooker Revolution: one test kitchen, 30 slow cookers, 200 amazing recipes by the editors at America’s Test Kitchen

The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone

175 Essential Slow Cooker Classics by Judith Finlayson

Candy Bar Dessert

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Cindy

Chill out, it’s too hot to turn on the oven! Just marinate some meat, fire up the grill, toss some salads, whip up a creamy candy bar dessert and the party’s good to go. This is a dessert you’ll have a hard time resisting until the end of the meal. It’s every bit as yummy as it looks.

Ingredients • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs • 3 tablespoons sugar • 1/2 cup butter, melted • 1 jar (11-3/4 ounces) hot fudge ice cream topping •

FILLING: • 1/2 cup cold milk • 2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla or chocolate pudding mix • 2 cartons (16 ounces each) frozen whipped topping, thawed • 6 to 7 (2.07 ounces each) Snickers candy bars, chopped, divided.

* For variation you can substitute Snickers Bars, with your favorite candy bar. Butterfingers and Reese’s Cups work well.

Directions • In a small bowl, combine the crumb and sugar; stir in butter. Press • onto an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. dish. In a small bowl microwave • fudge topping until warmed; pour evenly over crust. •Cool. • In a large bowl, beat the milk, pudding mix and whipped topping for • 2-3 minutes or until stiff, scraping sides of bowl often. Stir in • Three-fourths of the candy bar pieces. Pour over crust. Sprinkle • with remaining candy bar pieces. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours • or overnight. Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 15 servings.

Recipe:Taste of Home

Chocolate Gingerbread with Bittersweet Glaze

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Emily

I recently made this gingerbread cake for a friend’s birthday. It was my most successful attempt ever at making a glaze look pretty! The recipe comes from The Best Quick Breads by Beth Hensperger.

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1/2 cup light molasses

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 tbs. unsalted butter

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

In a double boiler, place the chocolate, molasses, vegetable oil, and butter. Stir over low heat until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan or spray it with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt. In a small bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until foamy. Add the buttermilk and vanilla extract.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk-egg mixture. Stir to combine. Add the chocolate mixture. Beat with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven until the top springs back when touched and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Set the cake on a rack and remove the springform sides. Prepare the Bittersweet Glaze as directed. Cool on a rack to set the glaze until time to serve.

Bittersweet Glaze

6 tbs. unsalted butter

4 1/2 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

1 tbs. light corn syrup.

In a double boiler, combine the butter, chocolate, and corn syrup over low heat, stirring with a whisk until the mixture is melted and smooth. Pour the glaze onto the center of the gingerbread and use a metal spatula or other tool to coat the cake in a few strokes, letting the glaze drip down the sides of the cake.

Cheddar Chive Muffins

Posted on July 15, 2011 by Emily

1¼ cups milk

¾ cup mashed potato flakes

1 egg

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons snipped chives

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

In a saucepan, bring milk to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in potato flakes. Let stand for 2 minutes. Whip with a fork until smooth; cool slightly. Beat in egg, oil and cheese. Combine remaining ingredients; stir into potato mixture just until moistened (batter will be thick).

Fill greased muffin cups ¾ full. Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Makes 1 dozen.