Tuesdays With Dorie - Cherry & Peach Cobbler

For this week’s TWD recipe, Amanda from Like Sprinkles on a Cupcake chose the Cherry & Rhubard Cobbler. Forget the fact that I don’t really like rhubarb… around here, there was NONE to be found!! I tried 6 different grocery stores in my town and no one had it in stalk (hee, hee!). So, I decided to sub the rhubarb with peaches and boy, am I glad I did - it was SO tasty! The biscuit topping was a little disappointing, but hopefully, third time’s a charm and with the next time I make it, it’ll be fabulous.

Cherry & Rhubarb (Peach) Cobbler (pg. 415)
Source: Baking - From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

 

Lila’s Chicken

I love it when I get to spend a whole day with my little sister… just R and J, no one else. Today was such a day. After hitting our favorite grocery store, we went shopping in a new outdoor shopping haven. I visited Texas’ first Vera Bradley store and picked up a copy of Vera Bradley - Cooking With Friends… a cookbook I’ve been eyeing for quite some time. Of course, I had to open it up and read through it on the drive home. As I scanned the pages, I came across Lila’s Chicken (something I just knew my sis would love). As I read it aloud to her, she decided that we were making it for dinner! Needless to say, it was very tasty and something I’d definitely make again! I love this book!!

Lila’s Chicken
Source: Vera Bradley - Cooking With Friends

8 oz vermicelli
1/2 c (1 stick) butter (I subbed about 2 tbsp olive oil)
1 large onion, chopped
1-1/2 c sliced fresh mushrooms
1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 (10 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
2 c chicken broth
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 c sour cream
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
seasoned pepper to taste

Topping:
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese (omitted)
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
5 slices rye bread, cut into cubes (omitted)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×12-inch baking dish (I used a 9×13-inch, which came close to overflowing!!). Boil the vermicelli for 2 minutes; drain.

Melt the butter (olive oil) in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Combine the sauteed onion, mushrooms, soups, chicken broth and uncooked chicken in a large bowl and mix well. Add the sour cream, seasoned pepper and cheddar cheese. Stir in the slightly cooked pasta.

Spoon into the baking dish. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the bread cubes over the top. Bake for 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through.

 

Baked Honey-Lime Chicken

With company showing up in less than 30 minutes, I needed something great and I needed it fast! So, I reached for my copy of ‘Best Chicken Recipes’. And guess what?? I found this little gem and it WAS good… as soon as I cut into it, I realized that I hadn’t taken any pics of it!!

Baked Honey-Lime Chicken
Adapted from: ‘Baked Honey-Lime Drumsticks’ in Good Housekeeping’s 100 Best Chicken Recipes

3 limes, plus wedges for garnish
1/4 c honey
3 small garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coarse ground pepper
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c loosely packed fresh parsley or cilantro leaves, chopped (I used cilantro)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. From limes, grate 2 tsp peel and squeeze 1/4 juice. In a small bowl, with a fork, mix honey, garlic, coriander, salt, pepper, lime juice and 1 tsp lime peel.

Arrange chicken in a small baking dish. Drizzle lime mixture over chicken. Bake until juices run clear when the thickest part of the chicken is pierced with the tip of a knife, about 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer chicken to serving dish. Drizzle with pan juices. Sprinkle with cilantro and remaining 1 tsp lime peel and serve with lime wedges.

 

Cherry Cream Pie

If you came here for the recipe, I’m sorry, but you’re out of luck. This pie recipe came from my great-grandmother… a tough, mean, full-blooded German immigrant. Who knows, my family says it could’ve even come from my great-great-grandmother. Either way, it’s an old, treasured family recipe… so, it ain’t leavin’ my hands. I will, however, give you some pretty pictures to look at. How thoughtful am I?

 

Tuesdays With Dorie - Chocolate Pudding

Yummy, yum, yum! Smooth chocolate… nothing better! To whip this up, I decided to use my KA mixer (with whisk attachment) instead of Dorie’s suggestion to plug in the food processor. Thanks to a few fellow TWD’ers for that little tip… it worked like magic!

Thanks to Melissa of It’s Melissa’s Kitchen for this week’s choice! You can check out the other TWD’ers here!

Chocolate Pudding (pg. 383)
Source: Baking - From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

 

Peach & Blackberry Crisp

Since I had an ginormous amount of blackberries left over from our pickin’ trip week before last, I decided to use them for a nice little Sunday afternoon treat. This came out so lovely… warm and tart (and sweet, at the same time!). You can totally change this up with other fruits. These are just the ones I had on hand.

Peach & Blackberry Crisp
Adapted from: ‘Blueberry Crisp’ in Longaberger’s Fresh From the Pantry - Recipes for Every Day

4 cups blueberries (I used 2 c peaches & 2 c blackberries, both fresh)
2 tbsp water
3/4 c flour
1 c sugar or packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
Extra brown sugar to sprinkle on top before baking

Place the blueberries and water in a buttered 8- or 9-inch deep baking dish. Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Spread over the blueberries. Sprinkle a little brown sugar on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Serves 6 to 8.

 

Pepperoni Roll

As soon as I saw this on Living Insanity’s Loving Food blog, I fell in love. I dug further and found it at Liz’s Cooking Blog, then at Sweet Tea in Texas and finally at Sugar and Spice, where it all started!! This thing’s really been around, so you know it’s good!

I’m also getting to use my new baby, a Nikon Coolpix P80. It’s so tiny and cute, it’s not funny!

Pepperoni Roll
Source: Originally from Sugar and Spice… see above for other great variations!

1 loaf frozen bread dough
Sliced pepperoni
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Prego Mushroom Sauce

Let the frozen bread dough thaw/raise throughout the day and then cut it in half and roll out two rectangles. On the dough, layer the sauce, then the pepperoni and finally, cover with mozzarella cheese. Roll up lengthwise and seal the ends and seam and place seam-side down in a baking pan (or jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper).

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes.

 

Barefoot Bloggers - Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

I apologize for the lack of pictures… we ate it all before I could get some cut shots!! This wasn’t as wonderful as my mom’s cornbread, but it was pretty darn tasty!! I loved the cheese in it and it went perfectly with the Chicken Taco soup I made last weekend.

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread
Source: Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten

3 c all-purpose flour
1 c yellow cornmeal
1/4 c sugar
2 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp kosher salt
2 c milk
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 oz aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
1/3 c chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions (omitted, because I forgot to buy them!)
3 tbsp seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don’t overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Thanks to Sabrina & Alexander of Cooking with the Kids for this week’s Barefoot Bloggers recipe!

 

HornedfroggyBakes on BlakeBakes - Round 3

The skinny girl inside of me desperately wants to get out, but somehow, I continue to stifle her yelling with a little chocolate. This time I went with two of my favorite things… chocolate & bread, my own worst enemies. How could it get any better, though??

To check out the recipe and other BlakeBakers, head on over to BlakeBakes!! Happy Wednesday!!

 

Tuesdays With Dorie - Blackberry Pie

So, I strayed a little from this week’s TWD recipe. It was to be Dorie’s Blueberry Pie. However, I don’t really like blueberries and my mom had been talking about picking blackberries for the last month!! This week’s recipe was extra-special to me, though. Not only was it my first double-crust pie, but I got to pick blackberries with Amy!! We had an awesome morning followed by a great lunch at my favorite local catfish joint. See??

We had SO much fun! Now… on to the beautiful & delicious pie!! I can’t wait to make this again… especially with Dorie’s Good-For-Everything pie crust!! It’s amazing!!

Thank you, Amy of South in Your Mouth, for this week’s choice! It was such a hit!

Blueberry (Blackberry) Pie (pg. 361-363)
Source: Baking - From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan