Sauteed Chicken in Riesling (Poulet au Riesling)

***I know, I know...you're probably wondering why in the world I haven't been posting as much lately. I apologize...things have been kind of busy. I did accomplish something pretty cool though. I ran my first 5K this weekend! It was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I had a blast! It's such an amazing thing to see SO many people unite for one cause. There was somewhere between 13,000 - 16,000 participants!

But, don't fear...I have A LOT of posting to catch up with. I've been in the kitchen almost every night, and there are tons of photos on my camera right now...and they can't wait for their turn in the spotlight. :)

Tonight's post is yet another wonderful dish from my new favorite cookbook, Williams-Sonoma: Paris. This dish was incredibly tasty...I can't imagine chicken sauteed in a fabulous wine not being good...can you? The meat was so tender, and we were all glad there were left-overs for the next night.

You'll enjoy this one!***

Ingredients:

4 1/2 lbs. chicken pieces, preferably legs with thighs attached

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp. extra virgin olive-oil

6-8 shallots, about 1/2 lb. total weight, chopped (I used onion)

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bottle dry Riesling (I used Relax Riesling...in a blue bottle)

3 Tbsp. small pieces dried mushrooms such as chanterelle, cepe, or fairy ring (I left these out)

2 cups chicken stock

2 tbsp. coarsley chopped fresh tarragon

3/4 cup heavy cream

A few drops fresh lemon juice (optional)

2 tbsp. chopped fresh chives

1-2 tbsp. chopped fresh chervil (I used fresh parsley)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper, then rub with the olive oil. In a large, heavy nonstick pan over medium-high heat, brown the chicken in batches, turning occasionally, 10-15 minutes per batch. Transfer to a platter.

2. Pour off all but 1 tbsp. of fat from the pan and return to medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the Riesling, raise the heat to high, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, 10-15 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, stock, and half of the tarragon. Pour the sauce into a roasting pan at least 4 inches deep and large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer. Arrange the chicken on the sauce.

3. Bake the chicken until opaque throughout when pierced with a knife, 35-40 minutes. Raise the heat to 400 degrees F. and continue baking until the edges of the skin are crisp, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a deep platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.

4. Spoon off any fat from the sauce. Place the pan over high heat, bring the sauce to a boil, and cook, stirring, until reduced by about half, 7-8 minutes. Stir in the cream and taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and with lemon juice, if using. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with the chives, chervil, and remaining tarragon. Serve at once.

Source: Williams-Sonoma: Paris Cookbook

GrannyRene's Chicken & Dumplings / Steamed Cabbage

***My sweet grandmother, GrannyRene, recently came to stay with us, and we had so much fun! We got into the kitchen and cooked up a storm...Chicken & Dumplings, Steamed Cabbage, Collard Greens w/Ham...just to name a few of her specialties. Growing up, she made Chicken & Dumplings often. It has always been a favorite of mine...just the smell of it cooking brings back so many wonderful memories. I've made her Chicken & Dumplings before, but I really wanted GrannyRene to teach me how first-hand. She has several tricks that make them really special! She even wrote down all the recipes for me. I've included a scan of those too. In my opinion, you can't beat a hand-written recipe lovingly written by the cook!

There are so many ways that you can make Chicken & Dumplings (with herbs, onions, etc.), however, GrannyRene's simple recipe is packed with flavor and will always be my favorite! The flavor in this dish will surprise you, considering the short ingredient list. It's perfect on a cool fall evening, and it is the ultimate comfort food!***

Chicken & Dumplings

- GrannyRene's Original Recipe

Ingredients:

1 (2 lb.) whole, boiler chicken
1 can cream of mushroom soup (you can also use cream of chicken soup instead)

2 Qts. water

1/2 cup flour

1 (12 oz) package of frozen dumplings

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut chicken up into desired pieces. Wash and remove excess fat and skin.

Put chicken in a heavy pot and cook in 2 quarts of water until fully cooked and tender. Remove from broth and let cool. Remove meat from bone, tearing into bite-sized pieces.

Add cream of mushroom soup to chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Let broth come to a boil.

Take the dumplings and break into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle dumplings with all-purpose flour until they are covered well (see above photo). Add dumplings to the chicken broth. Turn heat down to medium-low and cook until dumplings are done (The flour on the dumplings will help to thicken the broth). Add the bite-sized chicken pieces to make your meal complete!

Steamed Cabbage

- GrannyRene's Recipe

Ingredients:

1 medium cabbage

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup water

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

To prepare cabbage for cooking, remove first 2-3 outer leaves of cabbage. Cut into four quarters. Remove the center stem of each quarter (see photo below). Wash and drain on paper towels.

Take outer half of each quarter of cabbage and cut into small strips (see photo below).

Place 1 cup water in a large pot and heat over medium-high heat. Put cabbage strips in pot; add olive oil and cook about 20 minutes.

Cut up the remaining cabbage and add to the pot (see below). Cook about 10 minutes longer. By cooking some of the cabbage longer than the rest, you will end up with a nice mixture of soft and crunchy cabbage.

THE BEST Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

The other night, I had a craving for a chocolate chip cookie. I didn't have the ingredients I needed to make my usual stand-by cookies, but then I remembered seeing Katie's "Undisputed Best Chocolate Chip Cookies" recipe on her blog, Good Things Catered. I mean, what recipe isn't amazing with a title like that?!? Plus, these cookies are right out of the ATK test kitchens, so you know they'll be great!

After deciding on a recipe, I threw on my apron, got my mixer ready (a.k.a. Black Betsy) and went to work. And let me just tell you...these cookies ARE amazing! They are think, chewy, chocolately, and down-right fabulous. They are the best right out of the oven...but watch out...they don't last long! ;) My craving for a chocolate chip cookie turned into a craving for several!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled until warm

1 c brown sugar, packed

1/2 c granulated sugar

1 large egg plus

1 yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

-Adjust oven racks to upper & lower-middle positions & heat oven to 325. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

-Whisk dry ingredients together; set aside.

-With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter & sugars until thoroughly combined.

-Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until combined.

-Add dry ingredients & beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in chips.

-Roll scant 1/2 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball.

-Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft & puffy (about 17-20 minutes)

-Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking and place on wire rack to cool.

Lavash Crackers w/Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

***This month's Daring Bakers Challenge was a great one. I was happy to see that we had a savory dish for a change...you won't find any buttercream, ganache, or cake in this post! This month's hosts were Natalie from Gluten a Go Go and Shelly from Musings From the Fishbowl. Thanks ladies for a wonderful challenge!

This month, we had to come up with a vegetarian spread/dip to go along with the lavash crackers. We were given complete creative liberty when it came to the spread, as long as it was vegan.

When given the option, there are 3 ingredients that I love incorporating into recipes: Chocolate, Coffee, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes! So naturally, I thought fresh basil and sun-dried tomatoes would make an awesome combination here.

I added chopped fresh basil to the cracker dough after the 90 minute rise...I simply kneaded it into the dough. Once I had the crackers ready to go into the oven, I brushed the tops with sun-dried tomato infused olive oil from the jar, and topped them off with a little coarse sea salt. Yum!

The recipe for the spread is at the bottom of this post, along with a link to a helpful video. It was delicious! The fresh garlic really added a nice flavor, and I always love sun-dried tomatoes. Enjoy!***

Lavash Crackers

Makes 1 sheet pan of crackers

* 1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz) unbleached bread flour or gluten free flour blend (If you use a blend without xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum to the recipe)

* 1/2 tsp (.13 oz) salt* 1/2 tsp (.055 oz) instant yeast

* 1 Tb (.75 oz) agave syrup or sugar

* 1 Tb (.5 oz) vegetable oil

* 1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb (3 to 4 oz) water, at room temperature

* Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.

2. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should pass the windowpane test (see http://www.wikihow.com/Determine-if-Bread-Dough-Has-Been-Mixed-Long-Enough for a discription of this) and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

or

2. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), and slightly tacky. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).

4. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.

or

4. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Lay out two sheets of parchment paper. Divide the cracker dough in half and then sandwich the dough between the two sheets of parchment. Roll out the dough until it is a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. Slowly peel away the top layer of parchment paper. Then set the bottom layer of parchment paper with the cracker dough on it onto a baking sheet.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.) Be careful with spices and salt - a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.

6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).

7. When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.

Sun-dried Tomato Spread

Ingredients:
2 cans tomato paste
2 tablespoons fresh basil
1 clove crushed garlic
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt

Directions:

Wash and dry some basil. Use about 4 to 6 leaves to make two tablespoons. Put the basil in the mixer. Next add 1 clove of crushed garlic.

Take your sun dried tomatoes of their container and drain out some of the oil. Measure 3/4 of a cup of tomatoes and add them into the mixer. Add a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt.

Put on your lid and turn on the mixer. You want to aim for a medium consistency that looks like it will be easy to spread with a knife. You may need to stop mixing and use your scraper to take food off of the sides. If the spread seems thick, slowly add 1/2 a cup of olive oil.

Scoop your spread out of the mixer and place into a service dish or storage container. Be sure to refrigerate it if you are not serving it right away. This is a lovely spread to bring to a party or to have at a picnic.

Source: About.com: Vegetarian Food

Red Berry Macarons & Europe!

***So, I just had to give the macarons another shot. After all, practice makes perfect, right? These came out really pretty...I plan to continue my quest for the perfect macaron, though. My macaron skills still need improvement! I found a yummy-looking recipe over on Tartelette for Red Berry Macarons. You can find the recipe HERE. The cream cheese buttercream and berry jam combination is simply divine!

You may have noticed that I've made several posts lately that include French cuisine. That's because Brad and I will *hopefully* be going to Europe at the beginning of the year. I am SO stinkin' excited, that I can hardly stand it!!! We'll be taking 2 weeks to travel throughout several different countries...France, Germany, and Italy.

Brad's aunt & uncle are living in Germany right now...his uncle is in the military and is stationed at Ramstein Air Force Base. They are so sweet and have invited us to stay with them for a few days while we're over there. I'd love to go see some of the castles in Germany.

So far, my international travel has been limited to Mexico and the Bahamas....never to Europe! If everything works out, we'd love to visit Paris, Germany, Venice, and Rome. We don't have an itinerary set in stone yet...we have an awesome travel agent (visit Travel Planners before your next vacation!) and just really started researching things. Paris is a must, though...we will definitely be going there. As a result, expect to see some yummy Parisian recipes coming up...most likely from the Williams-Sonoma: Paris cookbook mentioned in the post below.

I'd love to hear from you if you've been to Europe (or live there!). I need all the tips and advice that I can get!

Au Revoir!...that reminds me, I need to brush up on my French, German and Italian...oh my!!***

Before going into the oven...