Homemade English Muffins

I can't believe I haven't posted in almost two weeks!  Things have been so crazy around this place lately.  Fall hit and man it hit this house hard.  With two kiddos in preschool we got wiped out with a series of stomach bugs and a bout with food poisoning for the hubby from some take-out.  I am just reemerging and feeling like my brain is back in order!

I have been wanting to share this recipe with y'all for over a month.  I made these amazing English muffins in mini form for Hondo's first birthday brunch.  I sliced them, stuck a fresh sausage patty and some cheese in between the halves and made delightful, kid-friendly "breakfast burgers" as part of his party menu.  (I know, I know, I haven't shared his birthday party with you, but I WILL I PROMISE).

They were such a hit at his party that a few weeks later when we hosted a handful of friends for a brunch I made them again (in full size form this time) and they were perfect toasted with butter or with eggs on top or sliced and filled with cheese and bacon and eggs and sausage and all kinds of deliciousness.

You might be thinking, those all sound great, can't I just use some store-bought Thomas's ones?  Um, of course.  Those are delicious and have been my favorite, until I made these. Its like making the bagels (though much easier and quicker), for me, there is something so wonderful about knowing exactly what ingredients went into them, the quality of the ingredients I choose, and really, almost everything tastes better fresh.  Especially bread.  There is nothing like fresh, hot bread, broken open and covered with butter.  Or maybe that's just me...

In any case, these are worth giving a shot, don't be intimidated.  Plus, no one thinks about how English muffins are made and it can give you some serious kitchen-cred when you just drop into conversation that you made your English muffins from scratch.  Fun-fact y'all, they are cooked on a skillet, not in an oven.

English Muffins

Makes about a dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup hot water (around 110° - I run my water until its as hot as I can get it)
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp approximately)
• 2 cups flour
• 3 tbs. butter, melted
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• Yellow cornmeal, for dusting

In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast and sugar.  Pour in the warm water (and give one stir to make sure its all off the bottom and edges of the bowl) and let stand for 5 minutes until frothy.

*As always, if the yeast doesn't froth after five minutes, its dead.  Toss it and start again with new yeast.

Add 1 cup of the flour and 1 tbs. of the melted butter.  Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir together until combined.  Add the second cup of flour and salt, stir for about five minutes until well mixed.

Using a bit of the melted butter, brush one side of a piece of plastic wrap.  Then place the buttered side down on top of the dough and set it in a warm place until doubled in size (about 30 minutes).

*As always, go for size over time.  Temperature and humidity can affect how long it takes for dough to rise so if its not doubled in size after 30 minutes, wait longer. 

Sprinkle a large baking sheet with some of the cornmeal and then brush an ice cream scoop or large spoon with the melted butter (I just dip mine right into the butter).

Then punch down the dough and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula if needed, this is a sticky dough.  Then using your greased spoon or scoop, drop 1/4 cup sized dollops of dough directly onto the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.  Try to get them to as round as you can, you can use your fingers (floured) to shape them a bit if you want. Repeat with all the dough and then sprinkle the tops with cornmeal.

Set the baking sheet aside and let the dough rise again for about 20 minutes in a warm place until puffy.  You can cover it with a light, dry dish cloth or waxed paper if you like.

In the meantime, heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.  Using a pastry brush, grease the griddle with melted butter (careful not to let the griddle get too hot and brown your butter).

Then, using a firm spatula, lift the puffed dough off of the cookie sheet and onto the griddle and allow it to cook like a pancake.  Once the bottom has cooked to a golden brown (5-7 minutes), flip the muffin over and cook the other side to a golden brown.

You can slice them in half, or to get those "nooks and crannies" use a fork to pull the halves apart instead.

Kitchen Sink Cookies

I had never heard of such a thing as a kitchen sink cookie until Aaron brought home a box of some from Central Market's bakery.  I was hooked.  I was also PMSing so they were kind of perfect.  They are sweet, salty, crunchy, dense, and chocolaty with a crunch.  So ya know, PMS perfect. 

When I started googling some recipes, I couldn't find any that seemed anything like the ones I had from Central Market.  They were just chocolate chip cookies with like candy and stuff tossed in, instead of just chocolate chips.  That was not the case with the Central Market cookies - they had a distinctly fantastic flavor.

So I decided to use my smarts I have acquired from 18 years of school and two advanced degrees to...read the ingredients list.  I know, revolutionary.  I was pretty impressed with my own deductive skills, too.

Good thing I did, because I NEVER WOULD HAVE GUESSED what was in these cookies.  Not in a million years.  You will probably laugh, because I did too - they have pretzels, oats, chocolate chunks, butterscotch bits (so far not CRAZY), coffee and potato chips.  Yup - potato chips. 

NO WONDER I LOVED THEM.  Coffee and potato chips and chocolate! Its everything a mom needs in life.  So, without saying more, I figured out my own recipe that its really close and pretty much awesome.  Go forth and eat your coffee, moms.

Kitchen Sink Cookies

Yields 2 Dozen Large Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted and cool
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/8 cup strong brewed coffee or espresso
• 2 1/3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 generous cup old-fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup crushed traditional potato chips (like Lay's Classic)
• 1/4 cup toffee bits
• 1/4 cup butterscotch bits
• 8 oz bar semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped into chunks

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until well blended.  Beat in the vanilla and eggs, until smooth.  Beat in the coffee or espresso.

Mix in the flour and baking powder until evenly combined.  Beat in the oats and scrape down the bowl.

Add in the chips, toffee, butterscotch and chocolate chunks. Mix until all add-ins are evenly distributed.

Place the dough into the fridge while you pre-heat your oven to 350°.

Once the oven is ready, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.  Scoop out large tablespoons of dough, roll into balls, and drop two inches apart on the cookie sheet. 

Bake for 9-11 minutes until just browning on the edges.  DO NOT OVER COOK. 

Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for at least 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

I remember when Aaron first made these for me, I was super skeptical.  Like super skeptical.  Why are you putting goat cheese in my mashed potatoes? No no, only butter and cream and salt belong there. I guess I was imagining like crumbled feta or something because man, was I wrong.

I was hooked, for real. It may even be responsible for our marriage, they are that good.  I went back to New York for Christmas that year with my family and insisted on making them for my equally skeptical family - they were quickly converted.

All of my friends back here were won over pretty quick too.  They became a staple with any comfort food when I would make a big dinner for everyone.  If they aren't on the table at our Friendsgiving there might be a revolt.  So now I will share them with you.

Its not even hard, these are very simple but are rich and delicious.  Trust me.

Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 4 large red potatoes (each about 3-4 inches long)
• 4 tbs. butter
• 4 oz log of goat cheese
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Salt and pepper

Quarter each of the potatoes and place in a large stock pot.  Fill the pot with water, one-inch above the potatoes. Add a generous pinch of salt to the water. 

On the stove, over high heat, cover the pot and bring the water to a boil.  Boil the potatoes, covered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork tender.  Turn off the heat and leave covered for 15 minutes.

Drain the water from the pot, leaving the potatoes in the warm pot.  Add the butter to the potatoes and half of the goat cheese.  Mash the potatoes with a potato masher (for a "rough" mash) or using a hand mixer (for smoother potatoes). After the butter has melted completely, season with salt and pepper and add the remaining goat cheese.  Mix well.

Slowly add the cream, mixing as you go, until the potatoes are your desired consistency. Serve immediately.

You can sub chicken broth for the heavy cream if you prefer, or do a little of both.  Chicken broth will give it a more layered flavor, but can also make the potatoes runnier, so go slow!

Not Your Momma's Meatloaf

My mom never made meatloaf growing up.  Not once, certainly not that I can remember.  It was something I saw on TV as a "family meal" that everyone ate (except us apparently).  So I guess without realizing it, I had formed an idea in my head of what I thought meatloaf tasted like, without ever having tasted it. 

So one day, as an adult, I went to a restaurant and they had meatloaf on the menu and I thought, what the heck, I'm gonna try it.  Well, it wasn't exactly what I expected.  It was different that I imagined - much less texture than I though, a bit of a blander flavor, and served with a spicy ketchup.  In my mind, I had imagined it more like a big, savory meatball and with a dark, flavorful gravy. 

Since I couldn't find that, I started to just make it my way.  I messed with some recipes and this was the end result.  I seasoned it more towards an Italian meatball, added tiny diced veggies for some texture, and some cheese...because, you know, cheese.  I made a gravy to go with it and serve it with super delicious goat cheese mashed potatoes.

Nadia's Modern Meatloaf

Serves 6

FOR THE MEATLOAF:

• 2 tbs. butter
• 1 tbs. minced garlic
• 3 large carrots, minced
• 3 celery stalks, minced
• 1 medium white onion, minced
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
• 1 tsp. ground sage
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 lb. ground pork
• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage
• 8 oz. fresh, soft mozzarella, cubed

For the Gravy:

• 4 tbs. butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3-4 cups of beef broth
• Sage, thyme, basil
• Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 400°F.  Lightly butter the bottom of a ceramic baking dish (either a long oval or rectangle).

In a large mixing bowl, add the bread crumbs and pour the beef broth over the top, set aside to allow to breadcrumbs to soak. Remove the eggs and meat from the fridge and set on the counter to warm slightly.  I do this because when I use my hands to mix the meat together my fingers turn to ice from the cold eggs and meat - I've found that letting them rest out of the fridge a little can take the edge off.

In a saute pan, over medium-high heat, melt the 3 tbs. butter.  Add the garlic and saute for a minute until bubbly and fragrant.  Add the carrots, celery and onion.  Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sage, thyme and basil. Saute until vegetables are soft.  Remove the veggies from the heat and set aside to cool.

In mixing bowl with the soaked breadcrumbs, add the three meats, two eggs, and the sage, basil, thyme, and salt and pepper. Using your hands, combine the meats and mix with the eggs and breadcrumbs. Try to make sure all the ingredients are distributed pretty evenly.

Next, add the veggie mixture to the meat and combine with your hands until the veggies are evenly distributed throughout the mixture. You do not want to add the veggies earlier because if they are not cool enough, they may cook the raw egg if pour directly on top of them.

Finally, gently mix in the mozzarella cheese.  Transfer the meat mixture to the prepared pan and shape into a loaf in the middle of the pan with your hands.  If you like, sprinkle some bread crumbs on the top of the loaf (or even a bit of Parmesan cheese).  Bake for 50-60 minutes, until it has reached an internal temp of 165°F.

Remove from oven and allow to rest (while you make the gravy), before cutting and serving.

To make the gravy:

In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, melt the 4 tbs. butter.  Just as it has melted, whisk in the flour so it forms a paste.  Cook the paste for just a minute or two, whisking constantly. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the beef broth and season with the spices to taste. 

A bit at a time, add in the remaining beef broth, whisking until smooth after each addition, no lumps! Add enough broth until the gravy is the desired consistency.  Taste, re-season as needed, then allow to simmer gently, while stirring for just a few minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Creamy One-Pot Pasta

I feel like easy dinners are all the rage right now.  Well, I guess they always are, who doesn't like easy?  I also haven't met anyone who likes doing dishes, so it makes sense that one-pot dinners are also a hit.  However, I have seen a lot of recipes that use one pot, but a lot of bowls - no way, that's still dishes I have to clean!

This pasta is actually just one-pot (and a cutting board, I will be transparent here), but you don't even need a bowl if you plan accordingly!

It also has ENDLESS variations.  I use it all the time, its pretty much the base of almost any simple pasta dinner.  Its a great thing to have in your back pocket when you are looking around the kitchen for something to make for dinner and don't feel like running to the store - you can probably make it with the majority of what you already have.

I've got two variations to share with you right now, but keep your eyes out for other ones - I really do make it all the time and when one variation becomes popular I will make sure y'all know about it!  I'm going to show you guys the Spinach and Spicy Sausage version and the Sun-Dried Tomato, Basil and Chicken version.

The plan is simple: start with butter, then add garlic.  Add your veggies of choice.  Season.  Add your meat of choice.  Brown the edges and then mix into the veggies.  Season accordingly.  Addbroth.  Boil.  Stir in cream.  Boil.  Add pasta.  Boil until pasta is cooked. Reduce heat and simmer.  Add cheese and a final splash of cream.  Simmer until desired thickness.  Enjoy!

Creamy One-Pot Pasta

Serves 4-6

Ingredients (Spinach and Spicy Sausage):

• 3 tbs. butter
• 1 (generous) tbs. minced garlic
• 2-3 cups fresh spinach
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 tbs. dried basil
• 3 links of cooked sausage, diced or sliced (I used spicy venison sausage that we have in the freezer, extra easy!)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1 lb. pasta of your choice (rotini in this case)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt the butter.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and bubbly, just a minute or two.

Add the spinach and saute until wilted.  While its cooking, season with salt, pepper, and basil.

Add the sausage and saute.  Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Add 1 cup of the cream, stir and return to a boil.

Pour the pasta into the pot and boil for the recommended time on the package, stirring occasionally.

The pasta will not be cooked all the way, but it will finish as the sauce thickens and simmers.  Don't panic.

Stir in the Parmesan and the remaining cream.  Lower the heat to keep it at a lively simmer. Stir occasionally, until the sauce is preferred thickness.  Serve immediately. 

Ingredients (Sun-Dried Tomato, Basil and Chicken):

• 6 tbs. butter, divided
• 1 (generous) tbs. minced garlic
• 2 cups fresh basil, sliced
• 1-2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 medium jar (14-16 oz) of sun-dried tomatoes in oil, sliced
• Salt and Pepper
• 3 chicken breasts, diced into bite-sized cubes (an equivalent amount of chicken tenders will work too, I just buy one package)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1 lb. pasta of your choice (casarece in this case, my favorite for holding sauce)
• 1/2 cup shredded Asiago

In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt 3 tbs. butter.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and bubbly, just a minute or two.

Add the basil, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes and saute until greens are wilted.  While its cooking, season with salt and pepper.

Push the vegetable mix to the side of the pot, drop 1 tbs. of butter onto the exposed area and then add 1/3 of the chicken and lightly brown the outsides.  When browned, mix into the vegetables and then push mixture aside and repeat with remaining 2 tbs. of butter and chicken in two batches.

Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Add 1 cup of the cream, stir and return to a boil.

Pour the pasta into the pot and boil for the recommended time on the package, stirring occasionally.

The pasta will not be cooked all the way, but it will finish as the sauce thickens and simmers.  Don't panic.

Stir in the Asiago and the remaining cream.  Lower the heat to keep it at a lively simmer. Stir occasionally, until the sauce is preferred thickness.  Serve immediately.