English Muffins

English muffins are one of my favorite breakfast foods. Since I successfully started making bagels, I've been interested in making English muffins. I was curious if the effort and of making them and the taste would be worth it. So, when I had some spare time on a Saturday, I tried making them. Because I love my breadmaker, I used that to knead the dough and let it rise.

They were a bit tedious to make, but in the long run, they're so much better than the ones you buy at the store. I would definitely recommend trying to make them over buying them.

English Muffins

Recipe from King Arthur Flour website (modified slightly)

Makes 16-20 muffins

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cups warm milk
3 TBSP butter
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 TBSP sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 1/4 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp yeast

DIRECTIONS

Place the ingredients in the pan of your bread machine following the manufacturer's instructions. Use the "dough" setting. After the cycle is complete, transfer the dough to a cornmeal-sprinkled surface and roll it out until it's about 1/2-inch thick. Cut out the muffins in about 3-inch rounds. Re-roll and cut out any leftover dough. Cover the muffins with a damp cloth and let rest for about 30 minutes.

Heat a cast iron skillet to very low heat (a hard-annonized skillet didn't work as well). Do not grease, but sprinkle with cornmeal. Cook 4-5 muffins at a time, cornmeal side down first, for about 5-7 minutes per side.

Check after about 4 minutes to see that the muffins are browning gently and are neither too dark nor too light. If they are cooking either too fast or too slowly, adjust the temperature of your pan or griddle.

When brown on both sides, transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Spicy Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

Amatriciana (pronounced: mah-tree-shawna) is a very traditional Roman dish. Word is that you can find it any any osteria in the region. Despite that, I've never had it in either trip to Rome. I don't know why. I think I'm probably just too obsessed with the plain spaghetti, lasagna, and pizza to branch out too much. Call me a creature of habit.

Now, as you should all know, I love simple recipes that don't take a whole lot of time to prepare. So, when I came across this recipe on foodnetwork one day, I knew I had to try it. I took a few liberties with the recipe, and we both really liked it. I can't wait to try making it again with a few simple changes.

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

Recipe by Michael Chiarello

Serves 4

Prep Time - 5-10 minutes

Cook Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/4 lb pancetta, cut into thin strips*

2 TBSP olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (be generous)

2 tsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 1/2 TBSP red wine vinegar

1 cup tomato puree

1/4 cup chicken stock

3/4 lb spaghetti

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add oil, and cook the pancetta until the fat begins to render out. Do not let it get crispy. Add onions & garlic and cook until the onions become translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and parsley and stir.

Add the vinegar and let cook until it evaporates, about 2 minutes.

Add tomato puree and stock. Reduce heat to a simmer.

Add pasta to the saucepan and toss to coat. Let simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the pasta absorbs a bit of the sauce. Serve with lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

*Given the relatively high cost of pancetta around here, I'm going to try to make this recipe without it next time. I think it added something to the sauce, but I'm not sure it adds enough to outweigh the expense.

Chicken Ragu with Whole Wheat Penne

Whole wheat pasta was on a really good sale at the grocery store a couple of weeks ago. I'd never tried whole wheat pasta before, but had always been a little curious. When figuring out what to do with it, I came across a Rachael Ray recipe that seemed like it had some good concepts. Since I'm always on the lookout for quick, delicious meals, I decided to run with this one.

In the end, we both loved it. I couldn't taste a whole lot of difference between the wheat pasta and regular white pasta, except that the texture was a little bit different. I'd absolutely make this again, and try playing around with the recipe even more next time.

Chicken Ragu with Whole Wheat Penne

Loosely based on this Rachael Ray recipe

Serves 4-6

Cook & Prep time - 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 lb whole wheat penne pasta

1 TBSP butter

1 TBSP olive oil

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

salt & pepper

1/2 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta to al dente. Drain & set aside.

In a large skillet or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add olive oil. Season the chicken with salt & pepper and brown.

Add onions, garlic and rosemary. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until onions get soft.

Add the chicken stock to deglaze the pan and let reduce for about a minute. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Season with salt & pepper and red pepper flakes.

Toss with the pasta and top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Italian Beef

A while back, my husband and I were watching Man v. Food. In the episode we were watching, Adam went to an Italian Beef place in Chicago. Shortly after the episode was over, my husband suggested we try making them at home some day. So, we did. They were delicious. I can't say if they're authentic (though I would guess they're not), but they tasted great.

Italian Beef

Recipe from CDKitchen.com

Serves 2

Prep Time - 5 minutes

Cook Time - 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups beef broth

1 cup water

3 TBSP tomato paste

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 lb thinly sliced roast beef

1 green pepper, thinly sliced

1 small onion, sliced

2 Italian rolls, sliced in half

DIRECTIONS

Mix together the beef broth, water, tomato paste, bay leaf, pepper flakes, and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the peppers, onions, and beef. Cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Build the sandwiches by adding the meat, peppers, and onions to the bun. Dip the buns into the jus and serve.

Cabbage & Meatball Soup

When I was growing up, one of my favorite meals was my grandma's cabbage & meatball soup. I could've eaten bowls upon bowls of the stuff in a single sitting. Then, I moved away from home and away from Grandma's cooking. Sadly, I was away from my beloved cabbage & meatball soup for almost 10 years.

Recently, I found myself really craving it and decided to take a crack at figuring out the ingredients and making it on my own. I think Grandma would be proud.

Cabbage & Meatball Soup

Serves 6-8

Prep Time - 20 minutes

Cook Time - about 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 TBSP butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

1-2 carrots, sliced

1 medium head cabbage (somewhere between 1/2 & 1 lb), sliced

salt & pepper

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

2 cups beef broth

1/2 lb (more if you like) ground beef

2 tsp parsley, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg

1/4-1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Melt butter in a large stockpot. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and cook about 5 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften. Season with salt & pepper. While the veggies are cooking, chop up the cabbage.

Add cabbage and stir. Let the cabbage cook for about 3 minutes. Add broth & water. Put a lid on the pot and let simmer.

While the pot is simmering, mix together the ground beef, salt & pepper, garlic, parsley, egg, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese. Form into small balls (about 1" - 1 1/2") and add to the pot. Keep the cover on and let cook for about 10-15 minutes. If the pot comes to a heavy boil, turn down the heat. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Grilled Wings

One of my favorite restaurants in the twin cities, Khan's Mongolian Barbeque, has these really great chicken wings. I've wanted to try to replicate them for years but could never find a copycat recipe for the marinade. Finally, at the suggestion of my husband, I decided to just look through my fridge and pantry and try to come up with a similar combination. We grilled them, and they were fantastic, but I'm sure they would be great baked or fried, too.

Grilled Chicken Wings

Serves 2-3

Prep Time - 5 minutes

Inactive time - at least 2 hrs

Cook Time - 10-12 minutes

INGREDIENTS

10-12 chicken wings

4 TBSP soy sauce

3 TBSP teriyaki sauce

1 tsp lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 TBSP brown sugar

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4-1/2 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients, soy sauce through pepper in a zip-lock bag. Add chicken wings and make sure the marinade coats them all. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hrs.

Preheat the grill and cook the wings about for about 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

Serve as either an appetizer or a main course.

Amaretto Cheesecake

I love cheesecake. I also really love almond flavored desserts. So, put the two together and you'll get something really great, right? If you answered yes, you'd be correct.

After searching through a few online recipes and it seemed most simply replaced vanilla with almond extract and/or amaretto, so I decided to give it a shot. This was easily one of my favorite cheesecakes I've ever made. It's rich and creamy and has a nice subtle almond flavor. It's the perfect ending to a really great meal.

Almond Cheesecake

Serves 8-16

Prep Time - 20 minutes

Bake Time - 1 hr

Cool Time - 2 hrs

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups crushed graham crackers

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

3 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, softened

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs, at room temperature.

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp amaretto (optional - if left out, add an additional 1/2 tsp almond extract)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Before starting, wrap your springform pan tightly with foil.

Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press into the bottom of the springform pan.

In another bowl, beat together cream cheese with sweetened condensed milk. Add eggs, almond extract, and amaretto and beat until just combined.

Pour into the springform pan. Put the springform pan in a larger pan (I use my turkey roaster because it has a roasting rack inside). Put the pan in the oven and prepare the water bath, with the pan in the oven and the oven rack pulled out, by pouring 4-6 cups water, or about 1/4-1/2 inch water, into the roaster.

Bake for 1 hr, or until the cheesecake is almost set, but still jiggly in the middle. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for another 15-30 minutes until it is fully set. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 1-2 hrs. Refrigerate for at least an hour, up to overnight.