Battle of the beak!

So after my first over achieving attempts at the Pastry Queen's recipes, I decided to slow my roll. I was a little more selective in choosing recipes... How many ingredients?? How many steps?? How much sanity??

We buy a roasted chicken pretty much each week. I could probably come up with 100 uses for a roasted chicken without even thinking hard. I am most pleased with myself when I get two uses from one chicken. When I am feeling uninspired I chop up half of the chicken, add some mayo and have chicken salad. While making this one weekend, my sweet husband commented how much he loved chicken salad but how much he hated the fat and calories from the mayonnaise.

Later that evening, while looking through the cookbook, I saw Rebecca Rather's recipe for chicken salad. At least once a day I look on Pinterest. That evening I found myself looking for avocado and greek yogurt chicken salads. Today's adventure is the great chicken salad battle of the beak!

I bought two chickens and deboned them. I used half for one salad and half for the other. Here are the cast of characters for the first one.

I had never made mayonnaise from scratch but thanks to my food processor, I made it in a jiffy! The recipe says use a blender and I see now why. The processor left it a bit liquidy but I was not feeling in the mood to get out and clean up multiple appliances. Below is a picture of the chicken and mayo plus apples on the bottom. The bowl next to it is all of the veggies my son and I will not eat. I mixed it up sans veg and took some out. Then I mixed in the veg. Yes, I am that kind of girl!

Then came the avocado recipe. This is easy to find on pinterest (or pin-tear-est if you are funny). 

Chopped chicken, greek yogurt (I did a half cup instead of 1/4 yogurt and 1/4 mayo), two avocados (The recipe said one), fresh garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper. 

Seriously, what kid gets food this pretty on a week night??!!

The winner? The Pastry Queen. I think over time he will slap some hot sauce on that avocado one and go to town. 

Fancy bisquits or ...scones!

Well Happy Monday To Ya!
The second recipe that I made from the Pastry Queen was these cheddar scones.

It was a pretty straightforward recipe. There are some steps so it is good to prep one night, make one night and bake one morning (as if it was al effortless and you just happened to have scone dough laying about!). 

I cooked and chopped the bacon as well as grating the cheese one night. You could buy both pre-bagged but really if you are doing that, just buy pre-made scones. The next day I prepped the onions and then got out my handy food processor. She made this super smooth. I then rolled it out onto a floured surface and cut it into 8 slices. If I were to do this again, I would probably make two circles and then cut them into smaller triangles. Maybe freeze half? You tend to eat what you make and I would like to have just one to two per person and then have some for the next weekend. 

My sweet husband warned me he really did not like scones the entire time I was making them. Guess who loved them the best?! 

Enjoy-worth making when you have visitors coming or just want something special for breakfast. 

Apple-Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Sconessource: Rebecca Rather, The Pastry Queen

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 stick well-chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
4 green onions, thinly sliced
10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped into 1 inch pieces
3/4 to 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 large egg
2 tsp water

Preheat oven to 400.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl on low speed. With mixer running, gradually add cubes of butter until the mixture is crumbly and studded with flour – butter bits about the size of small peas. Add grated cheese and mix just until blended. (This can also be done by hand: In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Gradually cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles small peas. Stir in cheese.)

Add green onions, bacon and 3/4 cup of the buttermilk to flour and cheese mixture. Mix by hand just until all ingredients are incorporated. If dough is too dry to hold together, use remaining buttermilk, adding 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough is pliable and can be formed into a ball. Stir as lightly and as little as possible to ensure a lighter-textured scone. Remove dough from bowl and place it on a lightly floured flat surface. Pat dough into a ball. Using a well-floured rolling pin, flatten dough into a circle about 10 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into 8 to 12 equal wedges, depending on size scone you prefer.

Whisk egg and water in a small mixing bowl to combine. Brush each wedge with egg wash. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown and no longer sticky in the middle. Serve warm.

PQ New Orleans Red Potatoes

This recipe is a delicious, yet easy to create and modify.  You start by rinsing a bag of red potatoes (about 2 pounds).  Put the potatoes in a big pot and cover with water.  Once the potatoes are boiling, set the timer for 20 minutes.

After they become soft enough to stick a fork into them, drain the water and break them apart.  This is the great part of the recipe.  They are not mashed or cubed, they are just broken apart.  From my experience, that makes it taste like potato salad with some mashed potatoes mixed in.  I took a large, plastic spoon and broke them apart one at a time in the bowl.  When I had a new layer completed, I would sprinkle them with cajun seasoning.  At the very end, I poured 2 sticks of unsalted butter over the top and stirred once more.  I know that sounds like a lot of butter, but the potatoes seem to soak it up and it did not feel overwhelming.

They made a great side dish for Trey's spicy nuggets (something a little hot and something mild)

One of the main things I liked about the recipe is that it is almost endlessly adaptable.  Some of the ideas we came up with were:

• loaded potatoes by adding sour cream, bacon and cheese
• seafood potatoes with crab boil as the flavoring
• ranch potatoes with ranch mix and sour cream

They were delicious and we had a very good meal that night!

Trey's spicy nuggets (middle school humor)

My plan was to give you a recipe called Chicken a la Trey.  It was originally called something else, but Trey requested it so much that we changed the name.  Trey and I went by the grocery store and he changed my mind.  He works at a fast food restaurant that serves chicken strips and he is always wanting to make them the way he wants at home.  So, we went for the real lard! (please take your cholesterol meds before trying this)

I don't know why I don't make "real" fried chicken or nuggets, they are really good.  My kitchen was a mess when we were finished, maybe that is it.  To get started, put a big blop of Crisco in a frying pan.  Turn the fire to about medium until it melts.

While you are waiting, put some flour in a baggie or a bowl.  Add whatever spices you want.  I always think dry ranch mix would be good, but Trey went for the cajun spice.  Also, make a bowl that has one egg scrambled and about a cup of milk.

We made nuggets, so just cut chicken breasts into chunks about 2" x 2".  First, drop them into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash.  Finally, put them back into the flour mixture before dropping them into the grease.  Trey says this is the secret - double breaded.  It was crispy and flavorful this way.

I think Trey may have been just having fun, more than battering the nuggets.

After they have browned on both sides ("Minnie don't burn no chicken!"), place them on paper towels to drain.

Trey said they were great!  I am sure we will try this again (when Kati is home for kitchen clean-up).  It would be a fun way to experiment with spices and sauces.

We made some potatoes to go with our nuggets.  That recipe was from The Pastry Queen and I will share it tomorrow.

PQ Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie

Complicated ordah!
Ok, so I chose to cook two recipes from Rebecca Rather's Pastry Queen book this weekend. I saw there were several chunks of the recipe for Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie but I did not really think about what that would mean. Let me just say gird your loins-there are A LOT of steps to this little pie.
First I made the crust. My food processor got a work out this weekend and I wish I had about 3-4 of the whole bowl, lid and pusher things because they are never easy to clean. Once the crust was made (while telling myself this would be worth it as opposed to rolling out a pre-made crust), it had to rest in the fridge for an hour. I then rolled it out and pinched the edges. That was when I discovered I had no parchment paper or beans to use to pre bake the crust. I cut slits and prayed-all was well. The crust had to cool and then I added 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate to the crust.

This part was fun, like painting with chocolate. I then left it in the freezer to set. Then a layer of peanut butter was added.  I may add more next time-will let you know once I taste it! (edited-slightly more but not too much-I think even better would be crunchy)

Remember when I said I am a rule breaker? Well here we go. In the recipe you are supposed to make the pudding first and then do the chocolate, peanut butter part. I put off the pudding because it was the most complicated task. When making the pudding-you will need organization and patience. I put some newly purchase banana liquor and some newly purchased unflavored gelatin in a bowl over bubbling water. It was unclear whether to cook it the whole time or just for a while and then let it sit. I cooked it until well blended and then moved it to the side.  In another pan you have to boil and then steep a vanilla bean and milk. I had some vanilla paste so I improvised. Note we are on pan #2. Then you have to mix 4 egg yolks with sugar (if you don't forget the sugar-no one would ever do that right? right??) and then add cornstarch. The recipe said 15 minutes but I think I did about 5-10. I was using a hand mixer and the recipe thought I would use a whisk. Who is going to whisk for 15 minutes????  Once all that is going, you will slowly add the hot milk to the egg mixture (I used a hand mixer because who wants to whisk on top of making homemade pudding people!). This mixture then gets poured into clean pan #3 and has to cook until it thickens. I added the melted gelatin early during this part. I do not think it affected the pie. Nor did the fact that I completely forgot to add the sugar-thank goodness I tasted the pudding! I added it at this time and no one (except you dear reader) will ever know. 

The pudding has to rest for 30 minutes so it can cool. While I was waiting I cut the bananas and dumped them in lemon lime soda to avoid browning (good to know!). I layered half of the bananas in the crust, add half of the pudding and then did it all over again. I layer plastic wrap on it so no film will form and put it in the fridge overnight.

I then called my son in and told him two things....

I have virtually no memories of my parents fighting or arguing. I remember once our car would not start and when my Dad got home we drove to the car and he started it right up. I remember how frustrated my Mom was and it was the only time I remember tense words between them. Once I started making this pie I suddenly remembered one other on-going argument that occurred in my teen years. My Dad swore his Mom put bananas in the hot, homemade pudding when she was making banana pudding and my Mom would argue that she did not but just layered it. It was a funny and lighthearted argument but both were convinced they were right.

The second thing I told him was to think about pudding he had eaten in his life and then to close his eyes and lick the spatula. I wanted him to taste what homemade pudding was like by itself and compare it to what he has eaten most of his life. 

His take away? He got his love of banana pudding from my Dad.

I shared with him (and later my husband) the seemingly endless steps to this pie. Everyone has been warned to cut small slices and savor each bite as it may be awhile before they see this coming again. Who am I kidding, it will be gone 15 minutes after the first slice is cut!

I still have two more steps in the morning... chocolate (well worth adding) and whipped cream. 

I am thinking of the Pioneer Woman's beef and cheese enchiladas and my friend Sheri. This will be the second recipe in my repertoire that you swear you will never make again due to the many, many steps but you know once loved ones taste you know you will be asked to make it again. 

**Edited-my Mom and Aunt Barbara came by so I could chauffeur them to their cruise. They got to taste the pie and another recipe. We all enjoyed it but I want to make it again (crazy I know) with remade crust and one more whack at the pudding before keeping this in my dessert rotation. 

Franny's Fave Peanut Butter-Banana Cream Pie with Hot Fudge Sauce

The Pastry Queen, by Rebecca Rather

Crust

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbs sugar
• 2/3 cup (11 Tbs) chilled unsalted butter
• 4-5 Tbs ice water

Filling

• 1/4 cup banana liqueur, such as creme de banane
• 1 envelope + 1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin
• 1 vanilla bean
• 2 3/4 cups milk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 Tbs corn starch
• 3 oz bittersweet chocolate
• 2 ripe bananas
• lemon-lime soda
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, at room temperature

Hot Fudge Sauce

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 Tbs unsalted butter
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• pinch salt
• 1-2 Tbs whiskey (optional)

Whipped Cream Topping

• 2 cups chilled heavy cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Split Green Peas and Ham

I want to appreciate my sister for getting the blog set up. In her honor, I made a Louisiana dish as my first entry. This is not in the Pastry Queen's book.  Although I like to think of myself as a rule follower this does not apply to cooking. In the kitchen I break the rules regularly and since I am usually the sole mad scientist, no one knows the difference. This recipe was taken straight off the back of the Camellia Brand green split pea bag. It is my experience those are good recipes-even fail proof as they have to be something the average Joe can handle. I had some left over ham that I wanted to use. It turned out the really be less that I thought so I added 3 slices of thick bacon to give the dish some additional meatiness. 

Ingredients?

Onion, ham, carrots, peas, chicken broth, garlic and bacon if you feel the need. 

Cut up the bacon in small pieces. 

Chop all the ingredients-or ingredientses if you are a Miranda fan. 

Get out a medium size heavy pot and lay the bacon in there. Cook it down till brown and crispy. Take the bacon out and drain. Keep the bacon grease in there and throw in the onion and carrots. I covered them to sweat them down. Add in one chopped garlic clove (or squeeze some in from a tube, just sayin'). Once you feel they have begun to tenderize, add the ham and the 6 cups of chicken broth. It said to cook for two hours but mine was done in about an hour. 

I was pretty sure the boys were going to boycott the ham and peas due to the green color. I attempted to attract them with the garlic Bisquick biscuits as a benefit of eating the peas. They have excellent inference skills and knew the peas go with the biscuits. Both gave the peas a thumbs up and I congratulated myself on (1) using all the ham and (2) making a meal with vegetables involved. 

Here we go ...

My sister and I got together over the Easter holiday and she had a great idea - to cook all the way through a cookbook.  She was reading and loving this one, Pastry Queen Parties.  She told me that she was going to cook every recipe in that book, just like the movie Julie and Julia.  I love that movie and I reminded her that the girl in the movie blogged about her cooking trials.  So, we decided to do it together and blog about it.
We will work out the details in the coming weeks, but we have purchased the cookbook and are ready to cook!

Kristi