Mediterranean Chicken Pizza

This pizza came out of laziness and a need to clean out some odds and ends from the refrigerator. The result was quite delicious, if I do say so myself!

Pizza Crust
3 1/2 C white whole wheat flour
1 C warm water
2 Tbsp yeast (use less if you don't like a strong yeast flavor)
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 C olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Toppings
Pizza sauce of your choosing
1 1/2 C shredded chicken
1 C low fat feta crumbles
1/4 large red onion sliced thinly
Sliced black olives, to your liking
1 C baby spinach leaves
1 1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

To make crust: Pour warm water into the bowl of a mixer. Add the honey and salt and mix on low until well blended. Add the yeast and mix. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes, then add 1 cup of flour and the olive oil and mix until well blended. Add the rest of the flour and mix well (you could add oregano or basil at this time, too). The dough should turn into a ball. If the dough does not ball up because it's too dry, add water one tablespoon at a time until it does. If the dough is too sticky, more like batter, add flour one tablespoon at a time.

Once the dough is balled up, place the ball on a floured surface and knead for about 1 minute. Place the dough in a covered bowl and store in a warm, dry area to rise.

After about 45 minutes the dough should have almost doubled in size; punch it down. Let it rise for another hour to an hour and a half. The dough is then ready to be rolled out (or frozen for later use, but bring it to room temperature before rolling it out). Roll the dough to fit the size of your pan, round or square. If you prefer thin crust, halve the dough ball and roll out two crusts. Once dough is rolled out, puncture it in a few places with a fork. This keeps it from bubbling up while cooking.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the crust briefly, for about 5 minutes.

To top pizza: Remove crust from oven and top with your favorite pizza sauce. Disperse chicken, feta, onion, and black olives around crust. Tear spinach into small pieces and disperse around pizza. Top with mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles and browns.

Spring Greens

Spring has sprung and I couldn't be more excited to welcome it! The lawn mower is tuned and the vegetable garden has been planted. My allergies are terrible, but that hasn't stopped me from getting out and enjoying the warm weather. Morning walks and afternoon runs have motivated me to get out of my winter (read: heavy) eating rut. So, I took my larger-than-I'd-like-it-to-be fanny to the farmer's market, Trader Joe's, and my local grocer to stock up on fresh fruits and veggies and started experimenting in the kitchen. Well, that is, if you believe salads count as experimentation.

Spinach, Beets, & Wheat Berry Salad

2 1/2 C chicken broth

1 C wheat berries

2 C baby spinach

4 small beets, sliced

1/4 C walnut pieces

2 stalks celery, diced

1/4 C blue cheese crumbles

Vinaigrette dressing to taste

Bring chicken broth to a boil and add wheat berries, simmer for 50 minutes. Drain wheat berries and put in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients to wheat berries. Toss with vinaigrette.

Vinaigrette

1/4 C white wine vinegar

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp minced shallot

1/3 C EVOO
Lemon juice from 1/4 of a small lemon

Fresh ground salt and pepper

And the winner is....

Congratulations D_vs_D has won the Rachel Ray Bubble and Brown Covered Casserole! You have 48 hours to claim your prize, or another winner will be selected.

Thank you to everyone who participated.

Stay tuned to The Simple Gourmand for more tasty recipes and new give away opportunities.

It’s that time of year when the weather is getting warmer, the ice cream truck is circling the block, and the smell of charcoal barbeques is in the air. What could make a girl happier?! How about a special giveaway? Well, I’ve got just that! The generous folks from the family of CSN stores have offered a special treat for my readers – the Rachel Ray Bubble and Brown 4.25 qt. Oval Covered Casserole. This dish is perfect for roasting your spring veggies, making a quick one-dish meal after spending a summer afternoon at the beach, or baking your favorite casserole on a cold winter’s night – it’s totally versatile!

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How to enter:
First entry, visit CSN Stores and tell me one product you found that you would love to have. This is mandatory before other entries will be counted.

For extra entries:
Become a follower of my blog
Add me to your blog roll
Follow me publicly in google
Post this giveaway link on your Facebook page (1 per day)

Be sure to leave a comment for each entry and a valid email address. Open to U.S. and Canada only. Winner will be chosen by random integer selection. The winner will have 48 hours to claim the prize or a new winner will be chosen. Contest will close on April 15, 2009 at 12:00 AM EST. Good Luck!!!

Product Features:

Excite your dinner guests by bringing these vibrant, fun oval casserole to the table. Whether it be a baked chicken or cheesy pasta, food has never looked and tasted so fabulous.

Features:
• Multiple use stoneware
• Contemporary design
• Playful shape in a vibrant and fun color
• Use directly from oven to table
• Extra wide handle holes allow you to get a good grip from any angle
• Can be used for serving salads and slaws
• Glazed interior is nonporous

Specifications:
• Material: Stoneware
• Capacity: 4.25 Qt.
• Color: Green
• Freezer, microwave, and oven safe to 500°F
• Overall dimensions: 8" H x 13" W x 13" D

**I did not receive any compensation or products in exchange for this post**

Shrimp n' Grits

I've been trying new recipes again, and I don't just mean new variations on old recipes, but rather things I've never made before. This was prompted in part by boredom with my recipe repertoire and in part by my attempt to be better about using ingredients I have on hand. I had a few less than stellar results, but I also had some great successes.

This recipe for Shrimp n' Grits was one of the more successful dishes I tried. It is adapted from a recipe in the current issue of Real Simple (Smoky Shrimp and Grits, pg. 267). I had some shrimp in the freezer, as well as the grits, cheese, and scallions that the original recipe called for. I also had pancetta, andouille sausage, and roasted red peppers, which I thought would add some extra zing to the dish - I was right! In fact, I suspect the dish would have been a little bland without the sausage. See what you think and feel free to add suggestions and other comments. Happy eating!

Shrimp n' Grits
1 lb. raw peeled, deveined medium or large shrimp
1 C grits
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 C grated cheddar cheese
1/3 C diced pancetta
1 large roasted red pepper, diced
3 scallions, sliced

Cook grits according to package directions. Once water is absorbed, stir in the garlic salt and cheddar cheese.

While the grits are cooking, brown the pancetta in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until it begins to brown. Add the shrimp and diced red peppers. Cook until the shrimp are opaque, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Stir in scallions.

Serve the shrimp mixture over the warm cheese grits.

Goat Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Goat Cheese and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2 skinless chicken breasts
4 oz. goat cheese
1 cup spinach (thawed frozen spinach is fine)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, quartered
5 sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 large roasted red pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp French white wine vinegar
1/2 C chicken broth

Preheat oven 400 degrees.

Butterfly chicken. Combine cheese with chopped spinach and divide the mixture between the 2 chicken breasts. Season with salt/pepper. Fold each breast tight and secure with toothpicks.

Heat olive oil in a skillet and brown breasts evenly for 5 mins on each side. Add the artichokes, red pepper, sun dried tomatoes, and vinegar; cook for 2 mins. Add the chicken broth. Transfer the chicken mixture to a glass baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 12 minutes.

Thai Chicken Stir-Fry Salad

This has been a week of sampling from various cookbooks. The recipe below is adapted from the Marshall Field's cookbook. I had to make some changes based on the ingredients I had on-hand, but the outcome was just as good as the original. This salad is good served either warm or cold.

Thai Sauce
1/2 C sugar
3 tsp sesame seeds
1 C reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame seed oil
3 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp Thai garlic chili sauce
1 C thinly sliced green onion

Combine sugar, sesame seeds, soy, sesame oil, garlic, and chili sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and immediately stir in green onion. Can refridgerate for up to 5 days.

Thai Peanut Dressing
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp peanut butter
1/4 C rice wine vinegar
1/4 C vegetable oil

Combine 1/4 C of the sauce cilantro, peanut butter, and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk until combined. Whisking constantly, add oil. Slowly make an emulsion.

Stir Fry
3/4 C broccoli florets
1/4 C vegetable oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 inch strips
3/4 C asparagus, cut into 2 inch lengths
3/4 C julienned carrots
1/2 C julienned red bell pepper (I used yellow)
3 C cooked brown rice
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring small saucepan of water to a boil. Submerge the broccoli in the boiling water for 1 minute, until it turns bright green. Drain the broccoli and place in ice water.

Heat wok and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, until almost done. Add the broccoli, asparagus, carrots, and bell pepper, and cook 3-4 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add the rice and 1/2 cup of the Thai sauce and stir until thoroughly heated. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with dressing drizzled over the top and garnish with green onion.

Farfalle with Meat Ragu

This recipe is is adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook, The Essential Recipe Collection for Today's Home Cook. The original version calls for 1/2 pound of ground beef and 1/2 pound pork or veal. Although I am sure that version is quite tasty, I wanted to lower the fat content. The result was delish!

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 lb ground turkey sausage*
1/2 C full-bodied red wine
1 can fire roasted tomatoes, with juice
1/2 C tomato puree
1/2 C 2% milk**
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 lg basil leaves cut into slivers
1 package farfalle pasta
1/2 C freshly grate Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

In a large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat, heat the oil. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and bay leaves, and cook for 1 minute. Add the turkey sausage and cook, stirring to break up any chunks, until the turkey is no longer pink. Add the wine, raise the heat to high, and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, puree, and cream and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded and the suace is thickened and slightly reduced, 1/2 to 1 hour*, or more. Stir in 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook 10 minutes longer. Discard bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning, if desired, then stir in basil. To make the ragu ahead, let the sauce cool, then store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

About 10 minutes before sauce is ready, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the boiling water, add the pasta, and cook until tender.

Pour 2 cups of the sauce into a warmed large, shallow bowl. Drain the pasta and add it to the bowl. Toss to coat the pasta evenly and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Spoon more sauce on top and serve with additional cheese, if desired.

*If using the beef and pork version, cooking time may vary.
**Original version calls for 3/4 C heavy (double) cream

Jalapeno Burgers with Cilantro Mayonnaise

As you might have guessed from the recent batch of posts that include heat laden dishes, I LOVE spicy food, and lately I've been craving it. The Jambalaya and the Chicken Curry were hot, but not quite spicy enough to satisfy my need for heat. Thus, I decided to add some jalapenos to the mix, in the form of a burger. They turned out pretty darn well, if I do say so myself!

Jalapeno Burgers

Ingredients:
1 lb Laura's lean ground beef
3 Tbsp pickled jalapeno peppers, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 Tbsp worcestershire
4 slices sharp cheddar cheese
4 toasted buns
Cilantro mayonnaise (recipe below)

In a medium bowl combine ground beef, jalapenos, garlic, cajun seasoning, and worcestershire. Form mixture into 4 patties.

Cook 4 to 5 minutes each side on a grill or in a grill pan over medium heat.

Serve on toasted buns with cilantro mayonnaise.

Cilantro Mayonnaise

Ingredients:
1/4 C mayonnaise
3 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp lime juice
1 small clove chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine mayonnaise, next 4 ingredients, and, if desired, cayenne pepper in a small bowl.

Indian Chicken Curry

From

The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook: The Essential Recipe Collection For Today's Home Cook
Ingredients:
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground tumeric
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 C unsalted cashews
1 lg yellow onion
2 small tomatoes
2 Tbsp clarified butter or canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp seeded and minced green jalapeno chile
2 bay leaves
2 star anise
1/2 C coconut milk
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Toast and grind the coriander and cumin seeds. In a bowl, stir together the toasted seeds, turmeric, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, the cayenne pepper, and oil until well mixed.

Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Add to the bowl with the spice paste and stir to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Toast the cashews and then chop coarsley. Set aside.

Thinly slice the onion. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and remove the seeds, then chop the flesh. In a saute pan over high heat, heat the clarified butter or canola oil. Add the onion and saute until it begins to soften, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chile, bay leaves, and star anise and continue to saute until the onion is light golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Add the chicken and saute just until the meat turns opaque, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the coconut milk and 1/2 tsp salt and bring to gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes longer.

Transfer to a warmed bowl, garnish with the cashews and cilantro, and serve at once.

Serving tip: Offer basmati rice to accompany the chicken and its curry sauce.

Who Dat Game Day Feast

Unlike other celebrations that involve food, game day doesn't place many restrictions on the types of food to be served. Of course there are some old standbys like chili, chicken wings, 7 layer dip, etc, but there aren't really any expectations that those items be on the menu, at least not in my family. Since none of my guests seemed to particularly side with one team or the other this year, I decided to make dishes that favored the underdog. And in my un-football-educated opinion, the New Orleans Saints seemed to be that team. Thus, our menu consisted of Creamy Crab Dip, Jambalaya, and Black-Bottom Cupcakes, among other items.

Creamy Crab Dip

11 oz cream cheese, softened
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 16 oz can Phillip's crabmeat, drained and flaked
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning, plus extra for dusting the top of the dip
1/2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 C shredded parmesan cheese
1 (1 pound) loaf Italian bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, onion, mayonnaise, crabmeat, garlic powder, Old Bay, and lemon juice. Fold in parmesan cheese. Spread mixture into a 1 quart baking dish. Sprinkle Old Bay over top of dip.

Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. While the dip is baking, slice bread and toast. Serve dip while still hot.

Note: *I used light cream cheese and mayonnaise, measurements may need to be adjusted if using full fat versions of these ingredients.

** Consider adding Dry Cooking Sherry and Worcestershire Sauce for extra flavor.

Jambalaya

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped or 4 green onions, chopped
1 each medium green and orange bell pepper, chopped
1/2 C diced celery, greens included
2 small garlic cloves, chopped
1 can (14 1/2 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3/4 cup rice
3 cups chicken stock
1 package (12 ounces) andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts) cubed, seasoned (see below)

Directions:

Season Chicken:

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Mix above ingredients together in a bowl and combine with chicken. Work in seasoning well.

Jambalaya Directions:

In a large deep cast iron skillet heat oil over high heat. Add onion, pepper and celery, cook 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauce.

Stir in rice and slowly add broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. When rice is just tender add chicken mixture and sausage. Cook until meat is done, about 10 minutes more. Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional chicken seasoning.

Black-Bottom Cupcakes

Black-Bottom Cupcakes
The Great Book of Chocolate, David Lebovitz

For the Filling:

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 C granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

For the Cupcakes:

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 C firmly packed light brown sugar
5 Tbsp natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C water
/3 C vegetable oil
1 Tbsp white or cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

To Make the Filling:

Beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the chopped chocolate pieces. Set aside.

To Make the Cupcakes:

Position the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

Butter a 12-cup muffin tin, or line the tin with paper muffin cups.

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, stirring until just smooth. Stir any longer and you will over mix the batter.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Spoon a few tablespoons* of the filling into the center of each cupcake, dividing the filling evenly. This will fill the cups almost completely.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown and the cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed.

Yield: 12 full-size cupcakes. The cupcake will keep nicely unrefrigerated for 2 to 3 days if stored in an airtight container.

* I only used 1 heaping Tbsp of the filling for each cupcake.

French Onion Soup

I really do eat more than soup in the winter, I swear! The funny thing is, if you asked me if I liked soup I would probably say, "It's ok, but I don't love it." I guess I didn't realize just how much I like it, in it's many varities, until I started blogging. I suppose my hidden love of soup has something to do with how warming it can be on a cold winter's day, and we have had plenty of those this year. In fact, we just got 8-9 inches of snow over the past weekend - something this area hasn't seen in over a decade! So, with being snowed in over the weekend and school cancelled the last two days, what's a girl to do but make some more soup! I started the weekend with a pot of my Black Bean with Andouille Sausage Soup and today I made the French Onion Soup recipe posted below. Both of which proved perfect when I needed to warm up after playing in the snow.

French Onion Soup
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)*
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups beef broth
1/4 C dry white wine or vermouth
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
4 slices French bread, toasted & rubbed with garlic clove
1/2 C shredded cheese (1/4 C Parmesan & 1/4 C Asiago)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepot over medium heat. Add the onions. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Uncover the saucepot, return heat to medium, and cook for another 30 minutes or until the onions turn light golden brown.

Stir the flour in the saucepot and cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the broth, wine (or Vermouth), thyme, pepper, and bay leaf. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes.

Ladle soup into individual crocks. Top with a slice of the french bread toast and parmesan cheese. Place in oven under broiler until cheese melts.

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

After being stuck in the house for a few days due to an unprecedented snow storm, I was craving some sweets. So, I surveyed my pantry and took a spin around some baking websites and decided this chocolate cake might satisfy my sweet tooth - it didn't disappoint!

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

2 C sugar
1-3/4 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C Hershey's Cocoa
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 C milk
1/2 C vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 C boiling water

"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe follows)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour bundt pan.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.

VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

TWO-9 INCH ROUND BAKING PANS: Grease and flour baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.


"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/2 C (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 C HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 C powdered sugar
1/3 C milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.*

* I did not have enough powdered sugar to make a full recipe, and I don't like to overdo it on chocolate (yes, in my case that is possible), so I made a drizzle instead of icing the full cake.

Scrumptious Pumpkin Pancakes

I still had some pumpkin puree in the freezer that was leftover from the holidays and was thinking it was about time to either use it or lose it. Since the gingerbread pancakes turned out so well last fall, I decided to try my hand at making pumpkin pancakes. As usual, I consulted a few recipes and then combined what I liked from each and left what I didn't. This resulted in thick, dense cakes with a subtle spice and pumpkin flavor that was enhanced by the maple syrup.

Note: Due to the density of the cakes I had to play with my stovetop settings (and sacrifice a few cakes in the process) to ensure that the insides were cooked through without burning the outsides. Using a cast iron skillet, I ended up keeping my burner at a setting of 3.

2 C all-purpose flour
4 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 C milk
1 C pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a medium sized bowl. In a separate larger bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Laddle the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Cinnamon Espresso Bars

I was looking for something easy and light to make for a work gathering and came across this recipe on the Eat Better America website. The bars turned out great, but didn't have enough coffee flavor for my taste. I made a few alterations and posted the new recipe below.

Bars
1 C packed brown sugar
1/3 C butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp instant espresso coffee (dry)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 C water

Cinnamon Espresso Glaze
1 C powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
4 to 5 tsp cold espresso coffee or strong coffee

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or spray with cooking spray; coat with flour. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, butter and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until blended, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining bar ingredients. Spread in pan.

Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until top springs back when touched in center.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix all glaze ingredients with spoon until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over bars while warm. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

We've had a cold snap recently, like most of the country, so I have been in the mood for some comfort food. I've never made chicken and rice soup, but it sounded like it would hit the spot. I consulted a few recipes, took what I liked from each, left what I didn't, and came up with the recipe below. I was very pleased with the results (see the notes below if you prefer a thinner soup). Serve with Mom's Beer Bread - delish!

Ingredients:

4 C chicken broth (I used turkey stock I made & kept in the freezer after Thanksgiving)
1 C water
3 boneless chicken breast halves
1 (4.5 oz) pkg Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice Original with seasoning packet
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 C all-purpose flour
5 Tbsp butter
2 C 2% milk


In a large pot over medium heat, bring broth to a boil. Add chicken and reduce to a simmer. Cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken from broth, reserve broth, and shred the chicken into bite sized pieces.

Return the chicken to the broth and add water. Bring just to boiling, then stir in rice, reserving seasoning packet. Cover and remove from heat.

In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and flour.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in contents of seasoning packet and veggies until mixture is bubbly. Reduce heat to low, then stir in flour mixture by tablespoons, to form a roux. Whisk in milk, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes.

Stir milk mixture into broth and rice. Cook over medium heat until heated through, 10to 15 minutes.

*The soup was very thick, almost like porridge. If you like a thinner soup add more water or stock. You could also substitute lower fat milk to make it lighter and to create a thinner base.

Mom's Beer Bread

My mom used to make beer bread to serve with stew on cold winter nights. It's a hearty bread that has hints of bitter and sweet flavors. Since it only takes an hour to make it's the perfect accompaniment to your favorite soup or stew.

Ingredients:
3 C self-rising flour
3 Tbsp sugar
1 (12 oz) can or bottle light beer
1 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 375. Combine all ingredients until fully incorporated. Turn into a nonstick bread pan, and bake for 50 minutes. Melt butter and brush over the top of the bread. Turn the oven off and return bread to the oven for another 10 minutes.

Wheat Berries with Roasted Veggies

I've been itching to use wheat berries again, but have had trouble finding anything enticing on the web or in my cookbooks. I came across some yummy looking salads, but since it's so cold outside I was hoping for something warm. I had the most delicious vegetarian yorkshire pudding with wheat berries, artichoke and mushrooms last spring while visiting Chicago and wanted to recreate it. Sadly, I didn't have the ingredients on hand and was not willing to venture out in the cold to the grocery. Instead, I used the items I had on hand and came up with the following. You can take or leave the gravy, I made it thin and thought it added a little something to the veggie/grain mixture. Let me know what you think!

1 C wheat berries
2 1/2 C broth (I used the turkey broth I made after Thanksgiving)
2 medium sweet potatoes, sliced in wedges
1 crown broccoli, cut into individual clusters
1/2 medium onion sliced in wedges
1/4 lb green beans, snapped in half
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place broth in a pot with a lid and bring to a boil. Once the broth is boiling, add the wheat berries. Cover and simmer for 50 minutes.

In the meantime, place sweet potatoes and onion in a shallow baking dish or roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with 1/2 of the olive oil. Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes. Add broccoli and stir. Roast for another 15-20 minutes. Add green beans and stir. Roast for another 10 minutes.

Strain wheat berries saving broth for gravy. Stir wheat berries into veggies. Serve over gravy.

Gravy
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 C stock left after wheat berries finish cooking
Salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, then add flour to make a roux. Cook roux, stirring for about 2 - 3 minutes. Add stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper.