Child of the Wild Blue Yonder: 2016

Chicken, Bacon, and Broccoli Mac n' Cheese

2016 10:10 PM

It's 24 degrees out... 24º F...
It's officially way too cold out. It hasn't even snowed here in Carbondale, so beauty isn't even an excuse to enjoy the winter weather. However, Josh suggested something that brightens up my spirits during the cold winter months: comfort food! The recipe we have for you is what I consider to be one of the most comforting of all: Mac n' Cheese.

What You'll Need:

-1 Chicken Breast

-2 Strips Thick Cut Bacon

-1 Cup Muenster Cheese

-1 Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese

-2 Cups Cooked Macaroni Elbows

-1 Head of Broccoli, chopped into florets

-1/2 Cup Green Onions, chopped

-3/4 Cup Milk

-2 Tbsp Sour Cream

-3 Tbsp Flour

-1 Clove Garlic

-1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika

-1/4 tsp Coriander

-1 tsp Oregano

-Salt

-Pepper

-2 tsp Olive Oil (split)

-4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350º F. Season the chicken breast: rub it in 1 tsp olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, coriander, and oregano. Heat up the other tsp of Olive Oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken breast. Cook over high heat until a nice char is achieved. Cook in the oven until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes, and cut into bite sized pieces. Cook pasta according to package instructions and set aside.

2. Make a roux for the cheese sauce: heat butter over medium heat, add the flour, and stir frequently until it becomes white and bubbly. Add the milk and both of the cheeses. Stir everything together until a cheese sauce is formed.

3. In a casserole dish, combine the macaroni, sour cream, and cheese sauce. Then add the broccoli, and 1/4 Cup of green onions. Mix all the ingredients evenly throughout the casserole dish. Grate some cheddar cheese to top off the mac and cheese. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Top with left over green onions, and enjoy!

Add sour cream, and the cheese

sauce to the macaroni. Mix until

the noodles are completely coated.

Add all the goodies, mix it up evenly and bake the mac n' cheese!

After baking, the mac n' cheese is ready to serve!

White Chocolate Dipped Cardamom "Snow Balls"

baking recipe 8:49 PM

It's getting frighteningly close to Christmas... If you're anything like me, you're ill prepared, and probably have over half of your list of gifts yet to combat. One thing that I know I can always look forward to during the holiday season is cookies! Whether it's eating, or baking cookies, I'm happy to take part. So here we go again with the baked goods; these are flakey, delicious cookies based off of a basic shortbread with a twist to add even more holiday flavor. Lastly, it is dipped in white chocolate to make this treat even more decadent.

This recipe is very easy, and requires minimal effort. Use either a hand mixer or standing mixer to mix the ingredients.

What You'll Need:

-1 Cup Unsalted Butter (softened)

-1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

-2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

-1/4 tsp Cardamom

-1 tsp Orange Extract

-Pinch Salt

-11 oz White Chocolate

-Sprinkles (optional)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350º F. In a bowl off to the side whisk together the flour, cardamom, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter until it is smooth. Add in the brown sugar, and continue to beat together the ingredients until they appear smooth and combined.

2. Add in the orange extract, followed by the flour. Beat over low speed until a slightly crumbly looking dough forms.

3. On a lightly floured surface knead the dough for a few minutes. Add flour if the dough sticks. Separate the dough into bite sized balls and layer on a baking sheet. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, or until slightly golden and cracking.

4. Let cool completely on a cooling rack. Add a small amount of water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. In a heat safe bowl, add the white chocolate and place on top of the hot water. Allow the chocolate to melt, stirring frequently. Don't let any water into the bowl with the chocolate. The secret to melting chocolate is to go for lower heat. Dip in the cookies immediately, and transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put in the fridge until the chocolate has dried.

Cream the butter before adding in the brown sugar.

Then combine the sugar.

Add the flour and beat until a crumbly dough forms.

Knead together the dough and form bite sized balls from the dough.

Bake at 350º F for approximately 10 minutes.

Dip the "snow balls" in melted white chocolate...

Throw on some sprinkles to make the cookies even more festive!

Mediterranean Veggie Pita

delicious recipes 7:33 PM

I've always had somewhat of an obsession for the area around the Mediterranean Sea. For one thing, Moorish architecture, the ocean, and the food are all incredible! The colors associated with the Mediterranean represent life, and Josh and I try to do the Mediterranean justice with our food.

For this sandwich we chose to go all out, we made the pita bread ourselves. Personally, when everything is homemade, the meal becomes more satisfying. However, store bought pita bread is totally fine!

What You'll Need:

A Blender or Food Processor

Tzatziki

-1 Cucumber, peeled and seeded

-2 Cloves Garlic

-1 Tbsp Fresh Dill

-1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley

-1 1/2 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt

-1 tsp Lemon Juice

-1 Tbsp Olive Oil

-1/4 tsp Salt

-1/4 tsp Pepper

Veggie Pita Filling

-1/2 Large Red Bell Pepper

-1/2 Red Onion, sliced

-1 Large Clove Garlic

-1 Cup Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced

-1 Tomato, diced

-1 tsp Olive Oil

-1 tsp White Cooking Wine

-1 Tbsp Capers

-Crushed Red Pepper, to taste (optional)

-1/2 tsp Oregano

-1/2 tsp Basil

-1/4 tsp Marjoram

-1/4 tsp Fresh Parsley

-Pinch Coriander

-Pinch Cinnamon

-Salt and Pepper to taste

-Feta Cheese

-Fresh Cilantro

1. Make the tzatziki first, because you can easily just store the finished product in the fridge while prepping and preparing the rest of the food! Combine all the ingredients listed for the tzatziki in either a food processor, or a blender. Process over low speed until everything is blended together into a sauce. Set the tzatziki aside.

2. Prep all of the veggies for the filling of the pita. Set the veggies aside until you are ready to start cooking them.

3. Heat the oil over medium heat. Once hot add in the garlic, and stir constantly until the garlic is fragrant.

4. Add in the mushrooms, green peppers, capers, cooking wine, and all of the spices. Allow the cooking wine simmer, bring the heat down to low. Allow the veggies to cook for about 10 minutes.

5. Heat the pita in the oven if desired. We threw ours in the oven at 350º F for about 5 minutes. Fill the pita with the mushrooms, and top with tzatziki, fresh red onion slices, fresh tomato, feta cheese, and a sprig of cilantro.

Enjoy!

Start off with the tzatziki, you'll be able to keep this in the fridge while you

prepare everything else for your pita.

Then get to prepping! Everything is always easier when you've done your mise en place.

Just assemble, and enjoy. :)

Christmas "Confetti" Shortbread Cookies

baking 5:38 PM

I love Christmas, it's an excuse to bake cookies all day while listening to the classic crooners - I really love the old Christmas songs... there's nothing like Nat King Cole or Dean Martin and the smell of shortbread cookies in the oven.
Today, Josh and I put up my Christmas tree. It's kind of a ritual for me to play Christmas music, admire all my ornaments, and bake cookies on a day as festive as this!
These shortbread cookies are so easy, and using some sprinkles in the dough really adds to the holiday appeal of the cookie.

What You'll Need:

-1 Cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened

-2 Cups All Purpose Flour

-1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar

-1 tsp Vanilla Extract

- 1/4 Cup Sprinkles

1. Whisk together flour and salt in a small bowl.

2. In a separate large bowl, add in the butter, cut into Tbsp cubes. Use a hand mixer to beat the butter until it's smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, and beat this together until it is smooth and kind of white. Add the vanilla and beat until everything is mixed together.

3. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and beat it on low speed. The mixture will look kind of crumbly, but the dough should come together when you squeeze it between your fingers. Add the sprinkles, and just mix them in with a wooden spoon until everything is incorporated.

4. Split the dough into two, and form two disks. Cut two sheets of plastic wrap, and cover them with flour. Wrap the dough in the plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

5. Once the dough is ready to be handled, pre-heat the oven to 325º F. Roll out the dough to be about a 1/4 inch thick. I left the dough in the plastic wrap by leaving some loose edges for the dough to expand into. If you remove it from the plastic wrap, make sure you lightly flour your rolling pin. Cut out the cookies, I used a shot glass because it was the perfect little round size.

6. Bake the cookies at 325º F for about 15 minutes, or until the bottoms and edges of the cookies are golden. Let them cool before enjoying.

Cut in the butter and whip it to a creamy texture

along with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract

Beat in all of the ingredients and mix in the sprinkles.

Separate the dough into two separate disks, and refrigerate for at least an hour!

Bake, cool, enjoy. :)

Happy Holidays :)

Spiked Hot Chocolate

chocolate 10:34 PM

Carbondale has been gloomy since Thanksgiving... Clouds, rain, the whole shebang. The parking lot of my apartment complex was so flooded that the cars parked on the lower ends of the lot had water halfway up there tires. This type of weather doesn't exactly put me in the holiday mood... Regardless, I woke up, put on my ugly Christmas Sweater and headed to work.

After a long boring day of what I like to call, "the pizza life," I really wanted a drink. To brighten our holiday spirits Josh and I made up these Spiked Hot Chocolates and watched a couple of our favorite Christmas movies.

This drink is really easy, and will, without a doubt, warm you up. Josh and I will definitely be drinking these when we put up our Christmas tree (I know, how have we not done this yet...?)

What You'll Need:

-3/4 Ounces Vodka

-3/4 Ounces Gingerbread Kahlua

-1 Packet Hot Cocoa Mix (I used Swiss Miss)

-1 1/2 Cups Hot/Boiling Water

-Chocolate Syrup (enough to create a

thin layer along the bottom of the mug)

-Mini Marshmallows

-Whipped Cream (for garnish)

-Maraschino Cherry (for garnish)

-Sprinkles (for garnish)

1.Boil some water, enough to make however many drinks you intend on. Add chocolate syrup to a mug, and then the hot cocoa mix. Once the water has boiled, pour it in the mug as well and stir until everything is well mixed.
2. Add in the kahlua, and vodka. Give the drink and stir. Top with desired amount of marshmallows. Then Garnish with whipped cream, sprinkles, and a maraschino cherry. Enjoy, and be merry!

Fresh and Delicious Frittata

baked 8:13 PM

Did you guys know that a frittata was an Italian dish? I guess it roughly translates to "fried." In my opinion, a frittata is somewhat of an omelet, one that you could totally eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Alright, I guess you could even call it a 'crustless quiche,' but I'm sticking with frittata because it's fun to say!
Since the frittata is considered an Italian dish, Josh and I chose to use staple Italian ingredients, but this dish is so customizable - the options are endless!

What You'll Need

-6 Large Eggs

-1/4 Cup Milk

-3/4 Cup fresh Mozzarella

-1 Tomato

(we used an heirloom tomato, only because it was what we had)

-1/2 Cup Onion

-1/4 Cup Basil, chiffonade

-1 Clove Garlic, minced

-1/4 tsp Oregano

-Pinch Crushed Red Pepper (optional)

-1/2 Tbsp Butter

-Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350º F. Start with prep: dice the onion, and tomato. Cut the mozzarella into 1/2 inch cubes. Chiffonade the basil, and mince the garlic. Set everything aside.

2. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add in the milk. Whisk the eggs and the milk together, only long enough to mix the egg yolk with the whites. Try not to over beat the mixture - this may cause the frittata to fall during the cooling period! Stir in the oregano, crushed red pepper (optional), salt, and pepper.

3. Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add in the minced garlic, and stir frequently until it's fragrant. Sauté the onions with salt and pepper to taste for about 5 minutes.

4. Add the onions into an 6-8" diameter round baking pan (I just use a ceramic pie pan,) spread the onions over the bottom of the pan evenly. Then add the egg mixture, mozzarella, and tomato. Try to spread all the ingredients as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the basil over the top of the frittata.

5. Bake the frittata in the oven for a half an hour to 40 minutes, or until the egg starts to brown slightly. Top it off with parmesan, and crushed red pepper if desired.

Prepping ingredients before making the meal makes things so much easier. I always recommend to prep first! Saves time and sanity. :)

Oh, another tip! Chiffonading the basil prevents it from bruising so I always recommend doing this for better visual effect. I'm a firm believer that half the flavor comes from what you see!

Lightly beat the eggs to mix together the egg whites, yolk, and milk!

Add all of the ingredients to a round baking sheet, and top off the frittata with the fresh basil. Like I said, I've just used a pie pan!

Bake the frittata until the egg browns slightly. Top off with crushed red pepper, and grated parmesan if desired.

And if you're anything like me, enjoy your eggs with some hot sauce!

Gilmore Girls Inspired "Pizza Pie"

easy 6:13 PM

The Gilmore Girls reboot is going to be on Netflix in just a few days, if you're a 90s kid like myself, you're probably really excited for this! I remember watching Gilmore Girl's on my sick days home from school, and since Netflix picked up Gilmore Girls I'm not ashamed to say I've binge watched a bit...
The inspiration for this dish is a whole lot of Sookie, some of Luke's Diner, and the girls love of junk food. Bring all of that together to create a to die for "pizza pie!"

Although Josh isn't a fan of Gilmore Girls, he did not complain once while we ate our pizza pie, and played Gilmore Girls in the background, (I'm pretty sure that's a sign that the food was good!)

So you can either buy a crust, a puff pastry would probably do best, or make one. Here's how I made mine, I recommend making your own, because you don't want to miss out on the flakey goodness of a pie crust. This is a simple pie crust, but keep in mind that you'll need to put it in the freezer for at least an hour.

What You'll Need:

-3 Cups All-Purpose Flour

-1 tsp Salt

-1/2 Cup Vegetable Shortening

-1/2 Cup Butter

-8 to 10 Tbsp Ice Cold Water

1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Cut in the butter and shortening using either a dough cutter, or 2 forks/knives, until the mixture kind of resembles a course, grainy mixture.

2. Add in the ice water, one Tbsp at a time, mixing with your hands until dough forms.

3. Separate the dough into two almost equal parts. It's important that one half is slightly larger so that it spreads enough to cover the entire base of the pie pan.

4. Place each dough ball onto plastic wrap covered in flour, flour the top of the dough ball and place another large piece of plastic wrap on top. Do this with both dough balls. Roll out the dough until it is large enough to take on the shape of the pie pan, the other dough ball just has to be large enough to cover the top.

5. Place the larger pie crust, while still wrapped, into a pie pan and into the freezer. Make sure the top crust is left on a flat surface, and placed in the freezer. Leave these in there for an hour, and you can store it in there for up to 24 hours.

When you've gotten to the point where you are ready to make your pie, make sure you pre-bake the crust in a 375º F oven for about 10 minutes, or until the edges start to brown. Take a fork to the pie crust and poke some holes in the bottom before you cook it, this insures that it will cook evenly. If there are any bubbles in the crust, pop them.

Cut in the flour, and shortening until a grainy mixture has formed. (Pictured below!)

Make sure to flour the plastic wrap before you

place the dough on it.

Freeze the dough for at least 1 hour before making the pie.

Moving on to the filling for the "pizza pie!"

What You'll Need:

-1/2 Cup Fresh Basil, chiffonade

-3 Cups Tomatoes, seeded and diced into 1/2" cubes

-2 Cups Mozzarella, diced into 1/2" cubes

-1/2 tsp Pepper

-1/4 tsp Salt

-1 1/2 tsp Olive Oil

-2 Cloves Garlic

-1 1/2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

-1 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese

-Crushed Red Pepper, to taste (optional)

-1 Egg White for egg wash, 1/4 tsp water

1. Chop the basil, mozzarella, and tomato, add everything into one bowl. Add in the salt, pepper, garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, parmesan, and crushed red pepper (if you so choose,) and mix all of the ingredients together until everything is evenly coated.

2. Spoon in all of the ingredients into the base of of the pie crust. (Make sure that you've pre cooked the pie crust if you've followed my pie crust recipe.)

3. Take the top half of the crust, and cover the pie. Fold the crust under itself and press it to the bottom crust. Cut the top crust a few times, and make a quick egg was and brush the top of the pie.

4. Bake the "pizza pie" at 375º F for about 50 minutes to a little over an hour, make sure the crust becomes slightly browned. Allow the pie to sit for at least 20 minutes before diving in.