BakeAwayGirl

Cooper’s Hawk Gnocchi Carbonara Adapted from here 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 tablespoons Butter     2-1/8” thick slices of pancetta, cut into 1/4'” x 1” slices 20 oz. cooked Gnocchi, precooked and cooled 2 each garlic cloves, thinly sliced     1/2 cup white wine   1 cup fresh chicken stock    2½ cups heavy cream 8 oz. pulled cooked chicken (optional) 2 tablespoons  sage ½ cup peas 1/3 cup parmesan cheese Salt and pepper to taste Boil the gnocchi according to directions on package minus a minute or so (usually 2-3 minutes) and set aside. In a hot pan, add the oil and butter. When butter melts and turns slightly brown, add sliced pancetta. Toss until pancetta starts to brown.  Add Gnocchi and toss until gnocchi browns slightly.  Stir in garlic then remove mixture into a bowl. In the same pan, add wine and reduce by half.  Pour in chicken stock. Once reduced by half, add cream and bring to simmer.  Add g...

 There was some playing with proportions but this was deeeeelicious and will try again. Beef & Broccoli Marinade 1.5 lbs steak, sliced thin (we used ribeye, can use flank) 1 tbsp cornstarch 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp oil 1 tsp ginger 1 tsp garlic Sauce 1 cup chicken or beef broth 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tsp dark soy sauce 1 tsp sesame oil 2 tbsp brown sugar White pepper In the Pan 1 tsp ginger 1 tsp garlic 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine Cornstarch slurry to thicken Cut your steak against the grain. We purchased the pre-sliced ribeye from Costco. Cook broccoli. We spread it out on a cookie sheet and bake in the toaster oven at 350* for 18 minutes. Mix marinade into the sliced meat and set aside for 30+ minutes (the longer the better). Prepare your sauce by whisking all sauce ingredients into a mixing bowl. Set aside. In a large skillet or wok, heat oil until very hot. Add in your marinated meat and spread out to brown. Leave it alone to br...

 We've made this twice and done it differently each time. I liked the flavor better the first time but the texture better the second. Key difference is cooking the potatoes first, and that's a must. Using frozen potatoes is just too wet. Breakfast Casserole 1 lb bacon, cooked and diced 1 onion, diced 1 bell pepper, deseeded and diced 1 can green chiles 12 large eggs 1 cup milk 1 tbsp neutral oil 3 cups frozen diced potatoes 2 cups shredded cheese Salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika to taste Cook bacon in preferred method. We prefer to bake it on a cookie sheet in the oven at 400* for 22 minutes. Dice cooked bacon. Set aside. Dice one onion. Deseed and dice one bell pepper.  In a large skillet, heat bacon fat or oil. Saute the onion and bell pepper, adding salt, pepper, and garlic to taste. Once vegetables are tender, set aside. In the same large skillet, heat oil. When oil is very hot, pour in frozen potatoes. Sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Cook according ...

Red Enchilada Sauce 3 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp flour 1 tbsp chili powder 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp garlic 1/4 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp salt 2 tbsp tomato paste 2 cups chicken broth 1 tsp apple cider vinegar Black pepper to taste Mix your spices and flour together in a small bowl. Make sure you have the tomato paste, chicken broth, and vinegar ready as well. In a medium size pot, heat the oil. You'll know it's ready if it sizzles when you sprinkle a tiny bit of the spice mixture. When the oil is hot, pour in the spice mixture, whisking constantly until it darkens just a bit (about 1 minute).  Whisk in tomato paste, then slowly add the chicken broth. Raise the heat to medium high and bring mixture to a simmer, whisking frequently. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat, pour in vinegar and add pepper as preferred. 

 Honestly, this took forever because of the caramelized onions, but it was SO delicious. Suggestion: either caramelize the onions in advance (even the day before) or plan on dinner being late. French Onion Chicken Bake Adapted from here 2 Tablespoons butter 3 medium sweet yellow onions, sliced thinly 1 tsp granulated sugar 2 teaspoons salt 5-6 cloves garlic, minced 1 ½ tbsp Italian seasoning (or just oregano, garlic, basil) ¾ cup white wine 2 tbsp olive oil 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts* 1 tsp black pepper 1 ¼ cup chicken or beef stock 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp cornstarch 8 ounces (2 cups) gruyere In a large braiser, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and season with the sugar and salt. Sauté for about 20-25 minutes (this took us an hour!), stirring occasionally. The onions should be caramelized and brown. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, ...

 Significantly better than our last attempt. Honestly phenomenal with some fresh crushed cashews on top. Thai Peanut Noodles Adapted from here 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce 1 teaspoon sesame oil 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar or honey 1/2 teaspoon chili paste like sambal oelek 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar 2 garlic cloves minced 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 3 tablespoons water 8 oz. noodles ramen or other Cook noodles according to instructions on the package. Drain and keep warm. Whisk all ingredients for sauce in a small bowl or measuring cup. Make sure the sauce is smooth and the peanut butter mixed well with all ingredients. Taste and add more chili paste if needed. Heat up the sauce in a pan or in a microwave and pour over noodles. Toss to coat. Garnish noodles with chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve.

 This one had great flavor and was pretty easy, but it was gritty and honestly too cheesy. Let's keep trying. Mac and Cheese Adapted from here 1lb dry pasta 1/2 stick butter 1/4 cup salted butter 2-1/2 cup whole milk 2 tsp dry mustard 8oz pepper jack 8oz sharp cheddar 8oz medium cheddar Cook noodles until al dente. Drain. Melt butter in a large pot and sprinkle in flour. Whisk constantly over medium low heat for 5 minutes.  Pour in the milk and mustard (and any other seasonings). Whisk until smooth. Cook for 5 minutes or until very thick. Reduce heat to low. Add in cheese in small batches, stirring to melt. Pour in cooked noodles. Layer noodles and sliced cheddar cheese in baking dish and bake at 350* for 25 minutes or until top is brown and bubbly.

 We've tried this dish a few different ways, tweaking the seasoning, cheese, and veggies to match the theme. If we are going Italian, we do Italian sausage, oregano and basil, and mozzarella. You can do it however you'd like, it's really a blank canvas. One Pot Cajun Pasta Adapted from here Avocado oil, or oil of choice 1 large onion, diced 1 package (12oz) andouille sausage, sliced Salt and pepper, to taste Cajun seasoning Garlic (powdered or fresh) Smoked paprika 4 cups chicken broth 2 cans (14oz) diced tomatoes 1 cup milk 16oz pasta 1 cup (8oz) shredded pepper jack cheese Heat olive oil in a large pot (we prefer our Dutch oven). Add onions and sliced sausage. Stir to coat in oil. Coat in salt, pepper, paprika, Cajun seasoning, and garlic. Toss well. Cook until onions are translucent. Pour in tomatoes (do NOT drain), chicken broth, and milk. Stir in uncooked pasta noodles. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until pasta is cooked through, about 12 min...

 This particular recipe started as a chicken thigh recipe. However we were making something with chicken already that week and wanted to change it up. I suggested pork, and Jeff immediately decided on pork shoulder. Now, I can't imagine it any other way. Chili Soy Pork Adapted from  here 2lbs pork shoulder, cut into bite sized pieces 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons gochujang 2 tablespoons spicy chili sauce 1/4 cup oyster sauce 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 cup scallions, diced Cut the pork into bite sized pieces and place in a ziplock bag or a bowl Combine soy sauce, gochujang, chili sauce, oyster sauce, garlic and scallions. Whisk together and pour over pork, coating well. Marinate at minimum 1 hour, recommend overnight. Preheat the oven to 425F. Add oil to a hot pan and sear each side of the pork for 1-2 minutes, or until browned. Remove from pan onto a cookie sheet. Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice with veggies of your cho...

 Definitely the hit of the season. Easy, quick, cheap, and SO delicious. This is definitely going to be a favorite in our house. Notes: it is enough for us for now... but in the near future, we will need a lot more. The rice is delicious because the chicken cooks in it, so unfortunately, we can't just make more rice. It could be done in the oven, though, so you could easily bake a second dish. Cilantro Lime Chicken & Rice Adapted from here 2-3 tbsp olive oil 4-6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on Salt Pepper 3 cups chicken broth 2 cups jasmine or basmati rice 2 tbsp butter Garlic powder 2 limes, juiced 1/3 cup cilantro, finely diced Coat the bottom of the Dutch oven with oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper liberally over both sides of your chicken. Arrange the chicken in the oil of the Dutch oven, skin side down. Turn on medium heat. Cook chicken 8-10 minutes, untouched, or until skin releases easily from pan. Flip and cook an additional 3-5 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and turn he...

 More Dutch oven.  Why not? It's absolutely delightful and so easy. First of all, this calls for "stew meat." What is stew meat? Google says round steak or chuck steak. Take your pick. We tried this 3 ways over the course of the winter. First we added the potatoes into the stew as the recipe suggests. That was fine. Unremarkable but fine. Then we skipped the potatoes in the stew, made a separate bowl of mashed potatoes, and served the stew over those. Oh yes, this is how it was intended to be. The pure definition of warm comfort food. Last, we put the stew over white rice made separately. That was Jeff's favorite. Ultimately, my suggestion is to skip the potatoes in the stew and make whatever starch you want for your bowl, whether it's mashed potatoes or rice. Beef Stew Adapted from here 1 tbsp butter 2lbs stew meat, diced 1/2 cup flour Salt Pepper Garlic powder Paprika Thyme 1 cup dry red wine 1 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 small can tomato paste (about 2-3 tablespoon...

 I'm on a Dutch oven kick. Why not? I can cook the entire meal in one pot, usually on the stove, and it looks pretty too.  It helps that it's so cold outside. I have no measurements for my seasonings. I season with my heart. I season until my British Isles ancestors roll in their graves. Chicken & Dumplings Adapted from here Soup 2 tbsp olive oil 1lb chicken breasts 1 medium onion, diced 1 cup diced carrots 1/2 cup diced celery Salt Pepper Thyme Garlic powder Onion powder 4 cups chicken broth 1/4 cup heavy cream Dumplings 1 cup flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 egg 1/2 cup milk 2 tsp dried parsley 1 tsp salt Dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven. Add chicken and onion. Season as you stir. Cook for 5 minutes. Add carrots and celery, cooking for another 3-4 minutes. Pour in broth and season again. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes until veggies are soft. Add cream. In a separate bowl, mix the dumpling ingredients together wit...

Quarantine day one bazillion We've stopped counting.  We stopped counting days, glasses of wine consumed, calories, and meltdowns.  We're safe in our house, we're avoiding all human contact, and nothing else matters. Baking and cooking gives us a pretend purpose during the day beyond responding to work emails, zoom meetings, changing diapers, and potty training.  It's a nice reprieve.  So here's our newest recipe! Couple of things to note: You can use either sweet or spicy Italian sausage.  We used spicy because I never buy anything else.  Also we used uncased, but there's really no reason you couldn't cook links and chop it up or slice it. Our bell peppers were tiny and there was enough, but I wouldn't have been sad if we had normal sized ones and more in the pasta We used our favorite marinara sauce, but you can use whatever tomato based sauce you want.  Plain tomato sauce?  Arrabiata? Do you. We used Costco's 5 cheese tortellini and...

Quarantine Day 9287473829. Or at least that's what it feels like.  Mostly due to anxiety.  Every time one of us coughs, it sends a panic shock through the house (at least for me).  The worries cause tension, of course, and the age old question of "What should we have for dinner" is a little loaded because we can't/won't go out if we're missing an ingredient.  And I'm a crazy person, so when I see a recipe call for an ingredient I have in limited supply, I discard it because the thoughts "What if I want to use that ingredient later?!" overtake any rational ideas. Luckily, we do love trying new recipes and I have a whole enormous Pinterest board filled with ideas, which is where we found this one.  I actually pinned this one years ago, but today proved a perfect opportunity for it.  We had heavy cream in the house because we wanted to make a soup and I forgot how much we needed, so I bought the big carton and now we have leftover!  It actuall...

Another fantastic crockpot dish to add to the long list of ways to cook lazily.  My favorite type of cooking!  I prefer to prep, go to work, and come home to a house that smells like I don't have to do anything.  It's my favorite smell of all. Wow, this one is spicy.  We went to my cousin's annual pumpkin party, where there is always copious amounts of delicious food, and this year was no exception.  The hostess with the mostest made this chili and it was a big hit.  We quickly added it to our to-do list, and quickly learned a critical component. All jalapenos are different sizes! The original recipe calls for 5 jalapenos, but doesn't specify size and it DEFINITELY matters.  We used 3 large-ish jalapenos.  So be as bold or as cautious as you prefer.  I love spicy, Jeff does not.  That said, this was perfectly spicy for me, but it would still be delicious with significantly less heat.  Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili Adapted f...

This is the most delicious soup we've ever made, and we've made some great soups.  It sounds sinful with its bacon, its sausage, its cream, but don't worry, there's kale.  Kale is the miraculous ingredient that just erases any semblance of calories while not tasting bad itself.  Who knew all these people who have been blending it in smoothies and eating it on everything were onto something?  Here I've been living my life thinking it was only useful to line salad bars! Just kidding, yes, this has all sorts of delicious ingredients.  And they are worth every. single. bite. Zuppa Toscana Adapted from here 1lb ground Italian sausage 8 slices of bacon, diced 1 medium yellow onion, diced 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tsp red pepper flakes 1 tsp dried parsley 1-1/2 tsp basil Salt & Pepper to taste 2 Tbsp flour or cornstarch 48oz chicken stock 4-5 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 bunch of kale (leaves only) ...

This recipe was a find years ago, but I never remembered to take a picture for the blog until this last time.  It combines two delicious things into one.  As the name indicates, it is a combination of taco salad and pasta salad.  I will admit, I was skeptical at first.  First off, I'm not a fan of French or Western dressings (which this recipe uses), however it does work with the other ingredients. I've played with a few different ingredients, but the nice thing about both tacos and pasta salads is that you can add anything you'd like.  Besides the basics (taco meat, lettuce, pasta), I use cheese, black beans, and tomatoes.  You can do corn, any kind of peppers, or other types of beans.  This practically begs  for black olives, but I hate them so... no. Important:   We ate this the very first time without the crushed fritos.  We decided we wouldn't make it again.  Then we ate the leftovers with  the crushed chips and i...

Jeff's work has an awesome tradition of taking turns to provide Friday lunches.  Everybody who wants to participate signs up with a small group for a couple of Fridays during the year so that every Friday, one small group is providing lunch for everyone.  He really enjoys it and frequently comes home to brag about the delicious food he had that week.  Our recipe this week comes directly from his Friday food. Last June, Jeff came home raving about a fantastic soup he had at work that Friday, and he wanted me to make it.  I have a thing about "winter food" and "summer food," so I didn't make it over the summer.  But with the nice cool weather lately, I suggested we try it this week.  We had the ground beef, but we were low on all the canned veggies this recipe calls for, so I hit the grocery store. Now, I like mine very savory, so I went a little heavy on the spices.  The original recipe called for one packet of taco seasoning, but I used an equivile...

So it's been a long time!  My Pinterest-ing this year has mostly been wedding related and staring at all the delicious food on Pinterest certainly doesn't mesh with that.  But today, Jeff suggested I browse for dinner options, and the one I stumbled on required ingredients we always keep on hand, such as chicken, rice, black beans, and chicken broth.  However, the original author states (and I agree) that you can make this with whatever veggies you have on hand.  So feel free to take a little creative license with this! The burrito bowl originally requires chicken, but we both said it would be easy to make it with ground beef.  If you do, brown the ground beef in a separate pan, drain it, then add it to the sauteed onions.  It was quite delicious with chicken, and probably would be good without any meat, though you'd need to add many more veggies.  I also added some seasoning to the raw chicken, then a little more to the uncooked rice, and then abo...

I know, it sounds heavenly, doesn't it?  Pesto grilled cheese... is there any part of that that sounds bad?  Nope.  This recipe is actually a rediscovered one for me.  I tried it for the first time before Jeff moved out here, in my first couple of weeks in the apartment.  I always pesto on hand, mozzarella is never difficult to get, and (here's my mistake) I used whatever bread I had around.  I was all excited for the deliciousness that I expected, and I was disappointed by the mediocrity that followed. I forgot about the recipe, but somehow it came up this past fall, and Jeff thought it sounded fantastic.  I acknowledged that the bread I used wasn't great and I was a little skimpy on the pesto, so we decided to try again with our favorite bread from the best bakery.  It was a success! Now we make it with some regularity and have tried on a couple different breads (like roasted garlic bread), but the key thing is the bread has to be pretty hea...