Rosie Discovers

Cookina Barbecue - Awesome 2013 NRA Show Product

2013-05-19T14:11:00.000-05:00

I was lucky enough to attend the #NRAShow this year. While there I met a brand called Cookina, who was kind enough to give me this awesome Cookina Barbecue reusable cooking sheet. Now I love to grill in the summer, but I hate how dirty my grill gets.

Cookina Barbecue is absolutely perfect for this. It's a thin teflon sheet that you place on top of your grill grates to keep food from sticking to your grill. The awesomeness of Cookina is that it not only keeps your grill clean, it also still makes those distinctive grill lines on your food. You don't need to use any oils or fats when you cook with Cookina either. That's absolutely amazing!

I'll definitely be writing about Cookina more when I finally use it, but I wanted to share about one of the awesome things I got at the #NRAShow.

*Cookina gave me this product at the 2013 NRA Show. All opinions are my own.*

Boulevard Brewing Company Nutcracker Ale Bread

2013-05-17T13:15:00.002-05:00

By now y'all know that we're kinda digging this whole beer bread thing we've got going on at Rosie Discovers. So far we've enjoyed hitting up breweries in the Chicago area, even if we started out knowing next to nothing about beer. :) This next recipe isn't from a Chicago brewery beer, but a single bottle we picked up as part of an assortment during our practice phase.

Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas City, Missouri puts out this awesome holiday brew called Nutcracker Ale. It just had this nutty quality that called for a loaf made with nutmeg. Someone in this house absolutely adores nutmeg! The bread turned out to be a moist, flavorful loaf that was awesome toasted or in a sandwich.

Boulevard Brewing Co. Nutcracker Ale Bread

1 (12 oz) Boulevard Brewing Co. Nutcracker Ale
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup spent grains
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup bread flour
1 cup oatmeal flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
14 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup raw sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

Traditional Method: In a saucepan; combine beer, butter and spent grains. Heat on low until mixture reaches 115-120 degrees.

In a mixer add: flours, zest, yeast, salt and sugar; mix well. Add heated beer mixture. Mix on low until dough comes together. Change to a dough hook and knead for 8-10 minutes. Dough will be extremely wet. Don't worry. :)

Form dough into a ball and place in a well oiled container or bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise till double in size.

Bread Machine Method: In a saucepan; combine beer, butter and spent grains. Heat on low until mixture reaches 115-120 degrees. Add ingredients in order preferred by your bread machine. I add mine like this: egg yolk, salt, heated beer mixture, zest, flours, sugar and yeast. Set bread machine to dough cycle and start mixing. *Note: I've yet to have to add any moisture to this as its a very wet dough, but I always make sure the ingredients are fully incorporated before I leave the bread machine to do its thing.*

Finishing Directions for Both Methods: Punch down dough and shape into a loaf to fit in a greased 9 x 5 inch pan. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until loaf reaches 180 degrees. Remove from oven, remove from pan and allow to cool on rack.

*A trick I've recently learned, if your dough seems to wet and sticky after its first rise is to fold all four sides in, cover the bread with a bowl and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Do this twice in a row. The dough should then have more structure and be easier to form into a loaf.*

Quick and Easy Crust-less Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Gnocchi

2013-05-15T11:09:00.000-05:00

I love, love, love chicken pot pie! But I hate that it always has a ton of calories and a ton of work involved. When all my brothers and sisters used to live at home, the recipe I used to make actually used a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. That's a seriously huge chicken pot pie! It took quite a while to put together too. Too much time for the boys to practically eat the entire thing in one sitting. :(

I'm always trying to find a quicker, easier, low-cal version. I'm pretty sure this is it. We're talking chicken pot pie goodness in about 30 minutes. Quicker if you cheat and use already cooked chicken. That's pretty darn fast. You won't miss the crust either! The gnocchi totally make up for that. I just wish the gravy didn't detract from their gorgeous purple color.

*Update* Susie requested this for dinner again last night. This time I added half a pound of green beans and a small head of broccoli. It was just as yummy and I loved the added veggies. So feel free to experiment with whatever veggies you have on hand.

Crust-less Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Gnocchi

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 small onion, diced
3 medium carrots, coin sliced
1 cup frozen peas
2 cans (14.5 oz) low sodium chicken broth, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 pound gnocchi

Cut chicken breasts into small cubes. In a large skillet on medium-high heat, melt butter. When melted, add cubed chicken and cook until browned. When almost browned, add onion and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Add carrots and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly pour in 1 1/2 cans of chicken broth, stir in thyme, rosemary, sage and poultry seasoning. When broth comes to a boil, drop in gnocchi. Turn down to a simmer, cover and cook without stirring for 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch to remaining chicken broth and whisk to incorporate. When gnocchi are cooked through, add peas and slowly stir in cornstarch mixture. Continue cooking until sauce thickens and peas are heated. Dish into bowls and serve.