Thyme In Our Kitchen

German Pancakes

2013-05-20T19:13:00.000-05:00

This is one of the first recipes that I ever made consistently as a kid. I remember I had the recipe written on a small note card and I would even take it with me when I stayed over at a friends house so that I could make it there. I'd be the star of the show even at 8 or 9 years old.

The ingredients are so simple but combine them and bake and an amazing transformation takes place. The batter rises up out of the pan at each corner creating gigantic crusty crests and then tender dense bread in the center of the pan. It's impressive as you pull it out of the oven but you've got to act fast, it quickly deflates in just a few minutes.

To mix them up we had an old hand held beater that had a gear mechanism that when turned would rotate the beaters in the bowl. It was an ancient thing even then and these German Pancakes were the only thing I ever used them for, it was just part of the process. I wish I had a picture of that old tool.

OXO has dramatically improved on that version of my ancient hand tool but seeing this new tool brought back all of those memories of creating German Pancakes as a kid. The newer version is much easier to use, the gears don't get jammed, so it actually spins consistently and the best part is that the beaters are easily removed to clean up afterwards.

The recipe is still one of our family's favorites and we make it probably at least weekly. Most of the time it's for dinner. For extra variety, throw some sliced apples in the pan as it heats up in the oven with the butter!

German Pancakes

Ingredients

6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter

Directions

Combine eggs and milk in a large bowl and beat or whisk together. Add flour and salt and beat to combine.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place the butter in a 9x13 baking dish and place in the oven as it heats up. Once butter is melted add the batter to the hot pan and return to oven. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

* Disclaimer: I was provided an assortment of OXO tools to try in my own kitchen. I received no other compensation and all opinions are my own.

Danish Yeast Rolls

2013-04-22T08:34:00.004-05:00

I think out of any type of bread other than your typical loaf of bread, I'm sure I've made cinnamon rolls the most. There's just nothing quite like a fresh from the oven cinnamon roll covered in sticky frosting. I've tried tons of different recipes and never really been disappointed with any. I certainly have my favorites and I love trying different variations of fillings and flavors.

I'm not quite sure what makes this specific recipe "Danish" but it's essentially a cinnamon roll but the filling is only sugar and coconut. I really like coconut and so I was surprised I had never tried this combination before. When I came across it at Red Star Yeast, I knew it was one I wanted to try.

This recipe uses a lot of butter compared to my regular rotation of bread recipes but it creates a beautifully soft dough and the finished bread and wonderfully light and fluffy while still richly flavored. For the filling it calls for sprinkling with sugar as well as the coconut. A few weeks ago I threw a vanilla bean pod in with a few cups of sugar and I opened it up today to smell it for the first time and I had to use this flavored sugar instead. It added a light vanilla flavor to the bread that I thought was a perfect compliment to the coconut.

Danish Yeast Rolls
Recipe by Red Star Yeast

Ingredients

1 cup milk
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup sugar
3 cups bread flour
3 egg yolks, room temperature
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Filling
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup coconut

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 teaspoons water

Directions

Combine yeast, 1 cup flour, and other dry ingredients. Heat milk to 120°-130°F.

Combine dry mixture, milk and butter in mixing bowl with paddle or beaters for 4 minutes on medium speed. Add egg yolks; beat 1 minute. Gradually add remaining flour and knead with dough hook(s) 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and turn to grease top. Cover; let rise until dough tests ripe.

Divide dough into 2 parts. Refrigerate half of dough until ready to use. On lightly floured surface, roll half into a 12 x 9-inch rectangle. Brush with 1 TBSP melted butter. Sprinkle with 2 TBSP sugar and 1/4 cup coconut.

Starting with longer side, roll up tightly. Pinch edge to seal. Cut into 12 slices. Place on greased cookie sheet. Repeat directions with remaining half of dough. Cover; let rise until indentation remains after touching. Bake in preheated 350°F oven 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets. Drizzle with Powdered Sugar Glaze; serve warm.

Rosemary-Pine Nut Cookies

2013-04-07T18:26:00.001-05:00

I had the opportunity to attend the latest Macy's Culinary Council demonstration here in Minneapolis last week with Chef Nancy Silverton. I love attending these events and getting a chance to see some of these great Chefs up close and personal.

This time I also got to sit down with Nancy before the demonstration and ask her a few questions about some of her inspiration and things that she's been working on recently.

She's very passionate about what she does and it was fun to hear her talk about her focus on the traditional aspects of cooking. She has a great respect for food and is encouraged by seeing more and more new young cooks who show that same respect. She mentioned multiple times her general avoidance of anything that plugs in and you can see in the way that she prepares food, that her sense of touch and feel guide her in each dish that she makes. While I certainly have my appliances that I love to use, I also recognize the importance of being able to touch your food and understand how it reacts in different stages, especially in baking.

As I sat and watched her throughout the demonstration, I really felt her love of the food and although I'm sure these aren't always her favorite things to do, her passion really came through. She talked about her love of spending evenings preparing food in front of customers at the Mozzarella bar in her restaurant and how much more she loves that than being hidden back in the kitchen all night. I would love a chance to get out to LA and be able to try some of her restaurants first hand.

The last dish she shared in her demonstration were these Rosemary-Pine Nut Cookies. I wish I could have had more there and I knew that's what I wanted to make first. The combination may cause you to do a double take at first but it's one you're going to love. This is the perfect dessert for those that don't love things overly sweet but the problem is that you just keep eating them. The best part though is the smell as they're baking. You get the richness of the butter cookie and then the rosemary as it bakes releases it's deep scent that fills your kitchen.

Rosemary-Pine Nut Cookies
Recipe from The Mozza Cookbook

Nougatine
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 whole vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour, sifted
1 fresh rosemary sprig

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread the pine nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, or until the nuts are light golden brown and fragrant. Watch the pine nuts closely, as they burn easily. Pour onto a plate and let cool.

In a heavy saucepan, combine the cream, honey, sugar and butter. With the tip of a knife, scrape the seeds from the split vanilla bean into the pan. Place over high heat and cook, stirring only once to ensure even cooking, until the mixture registers 230 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and whisk in the flour.

Turn the mixture into a bowl and fold in the pine nuts and rosemary sprig. Let infuse and cool for 15 minutes. Remove and discard the rosemary sprig.

Cookie Dough
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 cup medium-grind polenta
1 sprig rosemary

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and confectioner's sugar and beat on high speed for about 5 minutes, or until creamy and smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and salt and beat until combined. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour and polenta, and mix until fully incorporated. The dough will be soft.

Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disk. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling out.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. On a well-floured work surface, roll out the dough1/4 inch thick, dusting with additional flour as needed to prevent sticking. using a 1 1/4 or 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter, cut out as many circles as possible. Arrange them on the prepared pan, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Gather up the scraps and return them to the refrigerator to chill slightly before rolling them out and cutting out more cookies.

Pinch off a small piece of the room-temperature nougatine and work it between your fingers to create a thin disk about the size of a dime or quarter for the larger cookies. Place the nougatine disk on the dough circle. Repeat to top all of the dough circles with a nougatine disk. Remove the leaves from the rosemary sprig, and put about 3 leaves on top of each cookie.

Bake the cookies, rotating the pan 180 degrees at the midpoint for about 10-12 minutes, or until they are golden brown and the nougatine has changed color to a light hazelnut brown. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.

*Disclosure: I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere provided me with compensation for this post about Macy's Culinary Council. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Hummus Stuffed Chicken Breast

2013-04-03T09:21:00.000-05:00

I'll admit, before a week or so ago, I had only had hummus once in my life. It was almost embarrassing when Sabra contacted me to say that they've never seen me write about hummus before. I really even didn't know much about it. So they sent me some samples and I can now say that I am much more educated and we are definitely in love! My wife wouldn't even wait for me to get home on the day the box came. She had it opened and already had a favorite before I even walked in the door from work.

So if I called you, could you tell me anything about Hummus? Sabra has a great Hummus 101 page on their site where I gained most of my knowledge. For those of you less familiar with it, it's primarily ground chickpeas and ground sesame seeds. Sounds simple enough? And really it is. They add in various other flavors but even the original goes well with so many different things. It's certainly more healthy than my usual snack options too, with no cholesterol or trans fat. It's a great source of protein too!

We've primarily used it for snacking so far, using pita chips and other various vegetables to dip and enjoy. My favorite is the Tuscan garden, which mixes in tomatoes, peppers, spinach, carrots and herbs. My wife loves the Supremely Spicy. I did want to make a recipe with the hummus as well and I came across this stuffed chicken breast on their recipe page.

I loved how simple this chicken is and was really quick to put together. I actually prepared most of it the night before, wrapped up the stuffed chicken and then just had to bread it and cook it before dinner the next day. It finishes in the oven and then is sliced up showing off the great hummus filling. Experiment with different hummus flavors and it would completely change the flavor of the chicken!

Hummus Stuffed Chicken Breast

Pound out a 6 large chicken breasts to about 1/4 inch thick. Season with salt and pepper and then spread with about 2 tablespoons of hummus. Roll up the chicken breast and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

Dip each chicken breast in flour, egg whites and panko bread crumbs.

Saute the breaded chicken breast in olive oil for two minutes on each sire or until lightly browned. Finish in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until chicken reaches internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Check out Sabra for the entire recipe!

Finnish Easter Bread

2013-03-27T08:41:00.000-05:00

For our kids, sleeping in is if they make it to 6:30 in the morning. None of our kids have ever slept in and I'm not sure they ever will until they become teenagers and we no longer need them too. We have taught them to get up quietly at least and so they aren't typically running around screaming. At least until 7:00.

I'm always looking for a good bread that can be made for those holiday mornings where you get up early and want to have something freshly made to enjoy for breakfast. Easter is coming up and if you've got kids, it's not likely you're going to be sleeping in any way, so wake up early and get this bread going.

I'm not sure exactly what makes this bread Finnish but I loved the combination of citrus zest and raisins baked right into the bread. The almonds add a bit of texture as well and it really does make a good dessert too. Of course, any bread like this would also make fantastic french toast too. We ate a few slices fresh from the oven and then turned the rest into french toast the next night. So good.

Hope you all enjoy your beautiful Easter weekend!

Finnish Easter Bread
Recipe by Red Star Yeast

Ingredients
2 1/2-3 cups bread flour
4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
3 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1/4 cup sugar

8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups powdered sugar

Directions
In large mixer bowl, combine 1cup flour, yeast, 2 TBSP sugar and salt; mix well. Add water (120-130°F), butter and egg yolks. Blend at low speed until moistened; beat 3 minutes at medium speed. By hand, stir in rind, raisins and almonds. In small mixer bowl, beat egg whites until stiff; gradually add 1/4 cup sugar. Fold into flour mixture. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and turn to grease top. Cover; let rise until dough tests ripe.

Punch down dough. On lightly floured surface, roll or pat to a 14x7-inch rectangle. Starting with shorter side, roll up tightly, pressing dough into roll with each turn. Pinch edge and ends to seal. Place in greased 9x5-inch bread pan. With very sharp knife, make a lengthwise slash, 1/4 inch deep, down center of loaf. Cover; let rise in warm place until indentation remains after lightly touching. Bake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown. Remove from pan. Serve warm or cold.

Prepare Cream Cheese Topping: In small mixer bowl, blend cream cheese, milk, vanilla and salt; beat until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar; beat until fluffy.

Bruegger's Bagels

2013-03-24T19:55:00.000-05:00

Flour, salt, barley malt, yeast and water. That's all that goes into the base dough for Bruegger's bagels that are made fresh every day throughout the country. Simple ingredients that transform into so many amazing flavors and result in a perfectly chewy New York style bagel.

I was recently invited to go behind the scenes of a local Bruegger's Bagel shop here in Minneapolis as the company celebrates its 30th year. It was so much fun seeing how the bagels come together in their beautiful bakeries, and of course we got to eat bagels, and even help to make some!

Chef Philip Smith walked us through how the bagels were made and then took us behind the scenes to see exactly how it was done. Each bagel is formed and then allowed to rest in a cooler for up to two days before it's boiled and baked. This allows the flavors in the dough to develop as well as for the outside crust of the dough to harden up somewhat. This is different than how I normally make them so I was excited to test this out at home afterwards.

After their resting period, the bagels and boiled in small batches in a large vat of just simmering water. After bobbing around in the water for a few minutes they're removed and placed on these canvas wrapped trays.

Toppings are added here and then they're placed in the large stone hearth oven to finish baking. They start out upside down and are flipped off the trays onto the hearth partially through baking. The result is a perfectly shaped bagel, that's lightly browned with that crispy shell and chewy center. This process goes on all day, resulting in always fresh bagels no matter when you stop by.

I've made bagels a few times before and my wife has been asking for them again lately so I was excited to try some of these new techniques at home. Remember those canvas wrapped boards? I was asking Chef Smith so much about them, he broke down and just handed me one and told me to take it home. Awesome. So of course I had to integrate that into my process as well as letting them sit in the fridge at least over night. Here's my original egg bagel recipe you can try it with. Even without the board, use a pizza stone in a very hot oven and you'll get similar results. To form the bagels this time, I made them into individual balls and then poked my finger through the center and then expanded it to the size I wanted.

Here are some photos from my newest bagel home experiment:

Chicken Pot Pie with Bacon and Butternut Squash

2013-03-14T09:06:00.002-05:00

It's Pi day and what better way to celebrate than with a whole assortment of pies!

I remember every year in high school there was always a Pi day celebration and one of the events was to see who could memorize Pi the farthest. I never participated but I was always amazed at how far some people got.

Are you surprised that I'm posting a savory pie today? I kind of am. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to make and I just couldn't think of a sweet pie that I was really craving. Which is also odd. I have been craving chicken pot pie for awhile now though so it kept coming back to me. I had a recipe that I loved that I made a whole bunch a year or so ago but I haven't been able to find it lately. I gave up on finding it so I went exploring the internet for something new. I found this one on Bon Appetit and I thought it would serve as a good base and I liked how it was a bit different than usual.

Of course I had to add bacon though. And then cook the chicken thighs in the fat. Anything that starts with that can only get better right?

I loved the addition of butternut squash and kale instead of the traditional carrots and celery. The kids actually loved it too. It's the perfect dinner as winter is winding down here and we're looking forward to the days when those veggies are coming from our own backyard garden.

Because you probably wanted some sweet pies too, here are some of my favorites from the past few years:

Banana Cream Pie with Salted Caramel
Peach Pie
Lime and Blackberry Italian Meringue

The whole Virtual Potluck team is celebrating Pi(e) day too! Check out our Facebook page to see a whole collection of Pie's to help you celebrate.

Now, since this is a Virtual Potluck, we don't want you to go home empty handed! One reader will go home with over $300 worth of prizes, thanks to our sponsors at Beanilla, My Spice Sage, Wholesome Sweeteners, Zak, Oh Nuts and Good Cook. Be sure to head on over to the other Virtual Potluck bloggers and see what they brought to the party! (Don't worry, you only have to enter on one of the blogs since the entries will be pooled together to pick a winner!) Enter at the bottom of the post!

Savory Tomato Pie by 30AEATS

Crustless Crab & Asparagus Quiche by Diabetic Foodie

CatBoy Plum Jam Crostata by Cookistry

Mini-Lemon Pies by Miss in the Kitchen

Goat Cheese Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust by Farmgirl Gourmet

Carrot Jalapeño Cheese Pie by Cooking with Books

Lemon Cheese Danish Pie by Food Hunter's Guide

Pi Day Virtual Potluck Giveaway

Chicken Pot Pie with Bacon and Butternut Squash
Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients
4 slices bacon
4 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
1 cup frozen white pearl onions, thawed
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 small bunch kale, center ribs and stems removed, leaves chopped
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg

Directions

Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 425°. Cook bacon in an 8-inch cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the bacon from the grease and set aside. Cook the chicken thighs in the grease, turning once until cooked through and the skin is crispy. Remove and set aside. Once cooled, remove the skin and shred the chicken. Set aside for later. Add onions to the pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add garlic and sage to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic begins to brown, about 2 minutes.

Add kale and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing often, until wilted, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle flour over. Cook, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes.

Stir in broth, 1/2-cupful at a time, then add squash. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until squash is just softened and broth is thickened, 8-10 minutes. Add chicken to skillet, stir, and season with salt and pepper.

Divide the filling evenly between individual ramekins or a large pie pan. Unfold pastry and smooth any creases; place over each dish or pie pan, allowing corners to hang over sides.

Whisk egg and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Brush pastry with egg wash; cut four 1-inch slits in top to vent.

Bake pot pie until pastry is beginning to brown, 15-20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375° and bake until pastry is deep golden brown and crisp, 15-20 minutes longer. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Cinnamon Crisps

2013-03-10T20:36:00.003-05:00

I love experimenting with new recipes, especially bread ones. It's amazing how many different things you can make from a few simple ingredients.

Take this recipe from Red Star Yeast for example. All they've done is add some chocolate to the dough and then it's all in how you form the dough in the end. Yet it's completely different than anything I've made before. Almost like a flattened cinnamon roll but the chocolate brings it a whole new direction. The kids loved these, so it's a good thing I doubled the recipe to start with.

These make the perfect snack along side a glass of ice cold milk or a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

The process is fairly simple. After letting the bread rise the first time, you roll it into a 12x12 square.

Spread with melted butter and then roll up tightly and pinch to seal.

Cut the log into 1 inch slices.

Place each slice onto a greased cookie sheet and press it into a 4 inch square. Cover and let rise for about 15 minutes. Flatten the roll again and then spread with melted butter and cinnamon sugar mixture. Press the mixture into the dough. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15-18 minutes.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cinnamon Crisps
Recipe by Red Star Yeast

Ingredients
1 cup water
1 egg
1/4 cup shortening
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup non-fat dry milk
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions

Oven 400ºF

In large mixer bowl, combine 1+1/2 cups flour, yeast, dry milk, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt; mix well. In saucepan heat water, shortening, and chocolate pieces until very warm (120°-130º F; shortening and chocolate do not need to melt). Add to flour mixture. Add egg. Blend at low speed until moistened; beat 3 minutes at medium speed. By hand, gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on floured surface 3 to 5 minutes. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and turn to grease top. Cover; let rise until dough tests ripe, about 1 to 1½ hours.

PREPARE FILLING: Combine 1/3 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; set aside.

Punch down dough. On lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 12-inch square. Brush dough with melted butter. Sprinkle filling over dough. Roll up tightly. Pinch edge to seal. Cut into 12 slices. Place on greased cookie sheets 3 to 4 inches apart. Flatten each slice to a 4-inch diameter. Cover; let rise in warm place until almost double, about 15 minutes.

PREPARE TOPPING: Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; set aside.

Cover rolls with wax paper. With rolling pin, flatten to 1/8-inch thickness. Brush rolls with melted butter. Sprinkle topping over rolls. Cover with wax paper again. With rolling pin, roll topping into rolls. Bake at 400º F for 15 to 18 minutes until crisp around edges. Remove from cookie sheets; cool.

*You can substitute Instant (fast-rising) yeast in place of Active Dry Yeast. When using Instant Yeast, expect your dough to rise faster. Always let your dough rise until ripe. Traditional methods: use equal amounts; Bread Machine: use 1/2 tsp Instant Yeast OR 3/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast per cup of flour in your recipe.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

2013-02-11T18:26:00.002-06:00

I realize that this recipe is coming out a little too late if anyone was looking to make it for Mardi Gras this year, but it's worth having in your arsenal and it's something you could make any day of the year and be happy with.

When we lived in New Orleans we were introduced to many new foods. Many of them were traditional southern style dishes and I fell in love with the deep richness that so often accompanied the meals we tried. Gumbo was one of my favorites because the ingredients were fairly simple but there was so much depth to it.

I love the process of making a roux. Whisking together oil and flour and then watching it turn from a light brown into a deep chocolate color. The smell changes too as it slowly cooks; an almost nutty scent to start and then changing to a scent I can't even describe well, but it's aroma fills the kitchen and is completely unique to this process. The process takes time too. You whisk constantly, ensuring that it doesn't burn and questioning every minute if you've gone far enough. It might take a few trials to get it right too, but eventually you'll just know when it's right.

For this version of gumbo I used some smoked turkey stock that I had canned earlier this year. I was worried that it might be too overpowering but it ended up being a perfect combination with the other flavors and it's something no one else can replicate without creating their own smoked stock. Chicken stock would be the next best thing but if you're ever around, we'll make this one day and then you'll know what I'm talking about.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
adapted form myrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
4 skin on, bone-in chicken thighs
Canola oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 celery ribs, sliced
2 quarts chicken stock
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Filé powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot sauce
4 green onions, sliced

Directions
Cook sausage in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until browned. Drain on paper towels, reserving drippings in Dutch oven. Set sausage aside.

Cook chicken in reserved drippings in Dutch oven over medium heat 5 minutes or until browned. Remove to paper towels, reserving drippings in Dutch oven. Set chicken aside.

Add enough oil to drippings in Dutch oven to measure 1/2 cup. Add flour, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 20 to 25 minutes, or until roux is chocolate colored.

Stir in onion, bell pepper, and celery; cook, stirring often, 8 minutes or until tender. Gradually add 2 quarts stock, and bring mixture to a boil; add chicken, garlic, and next 6 ingredients. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 hour. Remove chicken; let cool.

Add sausage to gumbo; cook 30 minutes. Stir in green onions; cook for 30 more minutes.

Bone chicken, and shred meat into small pieces; return chicken to gumbo, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves.

Remove gumbo from heat. Sprinkle with filé powder, if desired. Serve over hot cooked rice. Garnish, if desired.

Sweetheart Coffeecake

2013-02-06T09:14:00.001-06:00

I think I said this last year too, but we're not really big Valentines Day celebrators around here. We'll maybe go out or do something fun but not really into the gifts or anything extravagant like that. More often than not we'll stay in make something fun for dinner together.

I know though that others out there love to celebrate and love to find anything and everything Valentines. If you want to do something a little different this year, I've got this great bread from Red Star Yeast that you can make for breakfast the day of, or make it the weekend before for a special pre-Valentines day kickoff. It's a heart. I mean what else could you ask for if you want something to scream Valentines day.

This bread is a lot of fun to make and it creates a beautiful shape that's sure to score you a few extra points with that someone special. The filling is fun and a bit different than usual with cherries and coconut but you could also always do a cinnamon and sugar filling too.

Forming it is easy and I've got a step by step to help walk you through it:

Once you've got the dough through the first rise, roll it out into a 15 x 10 rectangle. Spread with 1 tablespoon of butter.

Spread the filling evenly over the top. Starting from the long side, roll up tightly and seal the edges together. Place on a pan seam side up.

Fold over half of the log over on top of the other half. Seal the ends by pinching the dough together.

Starting at the folded edge, cut the log in half down the center to about 1 inch or so from the end.

Fold the cut edges so that they are flat on the pan forming a heart shape.

Spread with topping and follow baking directions

Sweetheart Coffeecake
Recipe by Red Star Yeast

Ingredients
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
3 cups bread flour, divided
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg

Filling
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1 tablespoon sugar

Topping
1 tablespoon slivered almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Directions
In medium mixing bowl, combine yeast, 1 cup flour, 3 tablespoons sugar and salt. Heat milk, water and 3 tablespoons butter to 120° to 130°F; butter does not need to melt. Add to flour mixture. Beat 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed. Add room temperature egg; beat one minute. By hand, gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on floured surface 5 to 8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Use additional flour, if necessary. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and turn to grease top. Cover; let rise until dough tests ripe, about 45 minutes.

Prepare Filling by combining coconut, cherries, almonds, and sugar; set aside. Prepare Topping by combining almonds and sugar.

Punch down dough. On lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle. Spread with 1 TBSP softened butter. Sprinkle with Filling. Starting with longer side, roll up tightly. Pinch edge to seal. Place seam side up on greased baking sheet. Fold half of the roll over on top of other half, sealing ends. Starting at folded end, cut with scissors down center of roll to within 1-inch of other end. Turn cut halves out, cut side up, to form a heart. Sprinkle Topping over dough. Cover; let rise until indentation remains after lightly touching. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet; cool. If desired, combine 3 TBSP powdered sugar with 1 TBSP water and 1/4 tsp almond extract; drizzle over coffeecake.

Borscht

2013-01-22T19:37:00.001-06:00

What's the most powerful memory that you have that's tied to a specific smell? I think many of my memories are tied to remembering a specific smell, whether it be the wet streets as it starts to rain in Seattle or the blast of aroma of freshly baked bread as you walk in the door.

One of my favorite parts of cooking is the smells. You start out using a spice like freshly ground nutmeg or crushed garlic. Wonderful smells individually start to come together with other ingredients as you cook or mix them together. Then as something simmers away on the stove top or starts to bake, the aromas fill your home, tempting you with what's to come. I love the anticipation of it, the not being able to fully experience the food yet, but with some smells that are powerful enough, you almost can.

Borscht is probably one of my favorite things to make, almost more for the smell than the actual soup itself. The onions and garlic start off the journey and are soon joined by potatoes, cabbage and beets. The white vinegar provides an immediate tang to the air but soon melds with the others to create something that I've never quite experienced from any other soup. It's a deep earthy aroma but the beets provide an almost sweet overtone that makes it almost irresistible. It simmers on the stove for hours, filling the entire house with the flavor. Of course the soup is better the next day but after smelling it cook for hours I always have to have at least one bowl before I let it cool.

Even if the flavor and aroma of this soup weren't enough, it's visually stunning too. As it simmers, the beets turn everything in the pot into a deep blood red color. It's vibrant, and when topped with a spoonful of stark white sour cream, the contrast is perfect.

I can't vouch for the authenticity of this Borscht, as it's the only recipe I've ever used and the only one I've tasted as well. It came from a friend that had lived in Russia though so I would hope that it's somewhat authentic. Even if it's not, it's worth making. And because it makes a very large pot, there's plenty for meals all week or freeze it for later.

Borscht

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lbs stew meat
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup butter
3 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
4 beets, peeled and coarsely grated
1 medium head cabbage, chopped
16 cups chicken stock
7 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 tablespoons Salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoon chopped dill
2 teaspoons parsley flakes
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 bay leaves

Directions
In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat and then add the stew meat. Cook until the meat is lightly browned, 3-5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook with the meat for 2 minutes. Add the butter and then the carrots, beets and cabbage and cook until softened 3-5 minutes. Add the stock and the potatoes as well as the remaining ingredients.

Bring the soup to a low boil and then reduce to simmer. Simmer for the soup for approximately 90 minutes. Serve immediately or for best flavor, let cool and then refrigerate over night and serve the next day.

Serve with sour cream and chopped dill.

Pineapple Chipotle Mango Guacamole

2013-01-14T10:15:00.002-06:00

It's the 14th of January and this is my first post of the year. Two weeks into the year and I feel like it's already been months.

We're launching a new business, completely un-food related, and it's made it a bit more difficult to be in the kitchen. We've been pulling many more of the "breakfast for dinner" or other quick classics to keep us moving along. I'm still planning to keep posting though so don't give up on me quite yet. Spending time in the kitchen is still a great release, I just have to plan that time a little more strategically now.
This last Saturday was one of the first in a long long time that we didn't have the entire day planned out, which meant some time in the kitchen for me. I had a huge pot of borscht simmering away on the stove for a few hours and then needed some lunch. Ripe Pineapple, Mango and Avocados came together to create an amazingly fresh guacamole that went perfectly with the Pumpkin seed tortilla chips I had picked up from Costco.

We eat a lot of avocados around here, so there are usually some on the counter. I have to admit though, they typically don't make it much further than just being eaten fresh with some salt on them. I do love a good guacamole though. This one was a bit different though than your traditional, especially with the addition of the chipotle peppers. I had never had these, the ones packed in adobo sauce, before but I loved the flavor and the heat that they added. The addition of the pineapple and mango added some sweetness and just made for an over all fresh tasting dip.

To get the year of to a great start, the whole Virtual Potluck team is also sharing some of their favorite Guacamole recipes today too!

Cookistry: Guacamole
Cooking With Books: Winter Citrus Guacamole
Diabetic Foodie: Mango Guacamole
Miss In The Kitchen: Bacon-Ranch Guacamole
Food Hunters Guide: Roasted Fennel and Green Apple Guacamole
Farmgirl Gourmet: Simple Guacamole
30A Eats: Super Fresh Guacamole

Pineapple Chipotle Mango Guacamole
adapted from California Avocado

Ingredients
4 ripe, Avocados, seeded and peeled
1/2 medium sweet onion, minced
4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely minced
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 medium ripe mango, seeded, peeled and diced
3/4 cup crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved

Directions
In a large bowl, mash the avocado until there are coarse chucks. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Serve immediately.

Peppermint Eggnog

2012-12-20T09:17:00.000-06:00

We have a tradition in our house that we have to buy eggnog the first time that we see it in stores every year. It usually ends up coming out around Thanksgiving now and it's a fun way to kick off the holiday season.
I'm a pretty much straight up eggnog drinker while my wife typically has to thin it out with some extra milk. I kind of like the thick texture and smooth vanilla after taste. We honestly probably only buy it once or twice after that initial time and I'm not sure why I never thought of trying to make it myself before either.

Since I'm apparently on a peppermint kick this month and after how wildly popular my peppermint bark cookies were, I thought I'd give this a little holiday kick too. I put just enough peppermint extract to give it the fresh invigorating feel of peppermint without being overwhelming. he candy coated rim of the mug though makes sure you know it's peppermint and the crunch of the candy is the perfect way to make eggnog even better.

If you have to be a traditionalist, go ahead and leave the peppermint extract out but I know you'll still want the candy around the mug though right?

Peppermint Eggnog

Ingredients

4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pint whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 egg whites

Directions

In a mixer, beat the egg yolks until they become light yellow and fluffy. Slowly add the 1/3 cup of sugar and continue beating until smooth and the sugar is dissolved.

In a medium pan, heat the milk, cream, vanilla, peppermint and nutmeg until it just starts to simmer.

Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly to keep it from cooking the eggs. Pour the egg mixture through a sieve back into the pan and cook over medium heat until it is 160 degrees. Chill the mixture completely.

In a mixture beat the egg whites until they have soft peaks. Add the tablespoon of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Whisk the egg whites into the chilled egg mixture.

Dip a mug into a small amount of white chocolate and then sprinkle with crushed candy cane pieces. Chill the mug for 5 minutes. Fill with eggnog and serve.

Peppermint Bark Cookies

2012-12-06T09:39:00.001-06:00

I had a craving for peppermint bark earlier this week and I went searching for a good recipe for it. While searching I came across this recipe for chocolate peppermint cookies from Martha Stewart and they sounded even better than just plain old peppermint bark so I went for it. That was Monday night, which was also the first night home after spending a week in China. I was exhausted but I decided to bake something instead of going to sleep. Probably because it was the first time I'd had the opportunity to be in a kitchen in over a week. I had also learned from my time in China that almost no one there has an oven. So I baked in honor of all those people who will never get to enjoy it.

I don't think there was anyone that didn't love these cookies. And how could you not? They're perfect for Christmas and I guarantee if you make these for any kind of cookie exchange, you'll be the winner. I've never done a cookie exchange so I don't think there's actually a winner, but you know everyone picks a favorite so someone really does win, right? And you want to be that winner.

These cookies are made by baking these small chocolate wafers first and then dipping them in white chocolate and then finishing them by sprinkling with crushed peppermint candy. They take a bit longer than other cookies since you have to dip them but it's not overly difficult. Use a good white chocolate (not the chips that are usually not real chocolate) and it should be thin enough to dip without having to add anything else. The dough is very, very sticky so use lots of flour when rolling them out.

Peppermint Bark Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
8 large candy canes, crushed
2 pounds white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg, followed by the egg yolk, beating well between each one. Beat in the peppermint extract and then mix in the flour mixture just until combined.

Divide dough in half and wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

Roll out each disk to about 1/8 inch thick and using a 2 inch circle cutter, cut out the shapes from the dough. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and then freeze for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cook the cookies for 12 minutes and remove from oven and let cool.

Melt the white chocolate over a double boiler until smooth. Using a fork, dip each cookie in the chocolate, flipping to cover. Let the cookie drip and then scrape the bottom along the edge of the pan. Place the cookie back on the parchment paper and sprinkle with peppermint candy pieces. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Curried Peanut Butter Turkey Soup

2012-11-23T09:18:00.000-06:00

It's the day after Thanksgiving and hopefully you still have plenty of leftovers to carry you through the next few days!

There's no reason to keep on reheating and eating the same thing though. Take the same ingredients that you have in your kitchen and create something totally different, like this Curried Peanut Butter Turkey Soup. I use some shredded leftover turkey, sweet potatoes, carrots and mushrooms combined with curry to take these leftovers in a completely new direction. I think you'll enjoy it.

I've partnered with Peanut Butter & Co. to create some fun new recipes using their products and this one came out just in time for your Thanksgiving leftovers. It was so fun working with their products and coming up with some new recipes. I'll keep sharing them with you as they come out.

Go check out the All-Star Recipe Blog for the complete recipe!

Sweet Potato Casserole

2012-11-14T08:01:00.001-06:00

Can anyone tell me how Pumpkin Pie sits at the dessert table while sweet potato casserole sits with the rest of the food at the table as a side dish? It's like someone thought it would be funny one year to slip a dessert onto the table among all the other dishes and the whole world caught on. I'm certainly not complaining, I just laugh every time I serve it with dinner.

I was honored to find out that my How To Spatchcock a Turkey post was featured in OXO's newsletter that went out to all their customers yesterday! If you're not already a subscriber, get on it! I think this method is going to be the trend this year. I see people talking about it all over the place.

So I'm still planning out my Thanksgiving menu and playing with all the tools from OXO. I wanted to do something with sweet potatoes, I had some pecans in the freezer and a casserole sounded like a good idea. The best part about this dish is that it can be made ahead of time. Bake it completely and then let it cool. Just put it back in the oven 10-15 minutes before serving so it warms back up.

You've got a few more days to get in on the OXO giveaway I've got going on right now so go check it out!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup butter

Directions
Combine the brown sugar, flour, pecans and butter together in a small bowl and using your fingers, mix until combined. Set the mixture aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, salt, vanilla, sweet potatoes, egg and butter and stir un til well combined.

Pour the sweet potato mixture into a greased baking dish. Sprinkle the nut mixture evenly over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 20-30 minutes before serving or cool completely and then reheat for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

OXO Giveaway

2012-11-09T07:37:00.002-06:00

OXO has partnered with the Virtual Potluck team to provide you with an array of tools you need to pull off some amazing meals this holiday season!

With the right tools in hand, any cooking job becomes so much easier. If you haven't already checked out my post on how to Spatchcock a Turkey, do it now! I use a whole array of OXO tools and it's a fun new technique you can use this year.
I'm going to walk through each of the tools I received and then let you know how you can win all of them!

Poultry Shears

These babies are sharp. And perfect for cutting that back bone out so that you can flatten out that turkey. They have a serrated blade on one side that grips the skin so that it doesn't slip while you're cutting. The blades also separate so that you can easily clean up after the carnage.

Digital Leave-In Thermometer

This put my last leave-in thermometer to shame. Choose your meat, where you're placing the thermometer and even choose between USDA and Chef recommended temperatures. It sits beautifully outside the oven and even gives a 10 degree warning before your meat is done. If you've never used a leave-in before, it's a lifesaver. No opening and closing the oven door a hundred times to keep checking the temp, so it cooks evenly and quickly.

Turkey Baster

To baste or not to baste? There's lots of discussion on whether or not to do it but I can see reasons for both. If you're going to though, this is the tool to do it with. Large enough to not have to keep sucking up tiny amounts of juices and it even has measurements up the side and a handy brush to clean it with.

4 Cup Fat Separator

I have wanted one of these for years! I don't know why I never get one but every time I go to make gravy, I curse myself for not having one. It has a spout that starts at the bottom so that the grease and fat float to the top and you can pour the good stock out from the bottom. Everyone needs one of these.

3-in-1 Adjustable Potato Ricer

Admittedly, I do have a potato ricer already that I love. There's just something about perfectly smooth potatoes that makes all the difference. The one thing that my ricer doesn't have though is adjustable settings. The OXO one can be adjusted to three different setting depending on how fine you want something strained. So you can make chunky applesauce or perfectly smooth sweet potatoes. Now that's genius.

Large Silicone Basting Brush

I've had silicone brushes before but never one this large and never with the cool center bristles that have holes in them to hold extra liquid. This size is perfect for basting your turkey, especially if you're doing it on the grill this year.

Silicone Pot Holder

We desperately needed some new pot holders. I may or may not have left my last one on a hot burner. These babies can go up to 600 degrees and have a cool little pocket on the back for your hand to slip into.

Giveaway

Now that you've seen them all, how would you like to HAVE them all?

OXO is graciously giving one of my readers all of these tools to help them out in the kitchen this holiday season!

To enter:

Share the How to Spatchcock a Turkey post on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Tag Thyme in Our Kitchen in your post, tweet(@thymeinrkitchen), or pin.
Leave a comment below telling me how you shared the post and what tool you are most excited about receiving!

Extra Entries:

Like Thyme In Our Kitchen on Facebook or follow me on twitter and leave a separate comment below for each.
Check out and follow OXO on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. They love to share tips and techniques on how to make the most of your new tools! Leave a separate entry below. (Just one entry for this, not one for facebook, twitter and pinterest.)

Open to US Residents only. Entries open from November 9th to the 17th. Winner will be randomly drawn from all entries. Winner will be contacted (leave a contact method!) and must respond within 24 hours or a new winner will be chosen.

How to Spatchcock a Turkey

2012-11-09T07:34:00.001-06:00

I honestly feel like I was just writing my posts for last Thanksgiving a few weeks ago. And now it's already come around again. It's my favorite time of year though so I'm happy to have it around again so soon. As a family we're busier than ever but it's a good busy and I appreciate having this time of year to focus on the things that are most important to us.

We're doing another big Thanksgiving this year, inviting all the families we know around us that are in a similar situation of not having any relatives nearby and we'll all celebrate together. It makes for a chaotic day with our house filled to the brim but it's a great way to enjoy the day. Then I leave that weekend to go to China for a week, finalizing plans for a new business we're launching soon.
One of the things I've been thinking about for my blog is to find more unique cooking techniques to share with you. I love finding new ways to do things or methods to prepare some of my favorite foods. I've got one for you today that until about two weeks ago, I had never even heard of:

Spatchcocking a Turkey

Yeah, don't even try to spell check that one. It won't be there. Otherwise known as a "flat" turkey this is a method that can be used on both chickens and turkeys that flattens out the bird, resulting in a more even cooking process and produces white and dark meat that are both cooked to the correct temperature without drying out either one.

I have no idea how I had never even heard of this method before but it's ingenious! It makes it incredibly easy to season the entire turkey and the best part is that it significantly reduces the cooking time by up to one half!

I'm going to walk you through the process step by step so that you can do this for yourself too. If you have time before Thanksgiving, give it a try with a chicken and then you'll be a pro for the holiday.

The following process isn't pretty. There's some cutting and popping that may not be suitable for all audiences (although my kids loved watching me do it).

The Process

Step 1: Our first step is to remove the backbone. This is going to allow us to open up the turkey and flatten it out. Start by flipping the bird over so that the breast side is down. Using poultry shears, starting at the tail end, carefully cut along both sides of the back bone all the way through to the other side. Remove the back bone and set it aside.

Step 2: Flip the turkey over, breast side up. Pressing on the inside of the breast, push down firmly and you're going to break the breast bone. You'll feel it pop when it gives. This will allow you to flatten out the bird.

Step 3: Place the bird on a large sheet pan. Pull the thighs outward and tuck the wings under the bird.
You can now season the bird however you like. Use a good olive oil and brush the skin as well as pouring some underneath the skin, along the breast meat. Season with whatever herbs or spice blend you would like.

Step 4: Roast the bird at 450 degrees until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees. If it starts to brown too quickly, you can cover it with tinfoil.

Isn't it beautiful? I'm so glad that I was introduced to this new technique and I hope that you try it out on your own.

One of the things that really helped pull it off was having the right tools to do the job! OXO actually sent the whole Virtual Potluck team all the tools that we would need to pull off this technique and I can honestly say that I couldn't have done it without them. Yeah, I didn't even have kitchen shears. Cutting the turkey with my wife's sewing scissors probably would have gotten me in big trouble.

I did have an oven thermometer but when I saw the one OXO sent me, I realized how pathetic my previous one was. I loved being able to choose what I was cooking, where the thermometer was placed and even choose a USDA or Chef temperature. It worked like a charm, even giving me a 10 degree warning before the meat was done.

Want to learn more about the tools that I received from OXO and win them ALL for yourself? Well, I've got a whole post dedicated to just that so go check it out here!

OXO Giveaway

When you try this method out, be sure to come back and let me know how it went or post a photo to my Facebook page!

*Disclaimer: I received all the tools from OXO, however all opinions are my own.

Four Layer Gourmet Caramel Apples

2012-11-07T07:36:00.000-06:00

My wife would like 100% of the credit for this creation. And for something this amazing, she deserves it. This isn't exactly a recipe I'll be sharing with you but it's a fun treat that you can create with the kids help and it makes a great gift for the upcoming holidays!

Four layers you ask? Absolutely. Caramel, Butterfinger, Chocolate and Candied Peanuts. When she first described what she wanted to make, I thought she was a bit crazy, and I honestly didn't think it would be as good as she was imagining that it would be. Butterfinger layer is one thing but then adding peanuts on the outside? I thought it might just be too much. And maybe it is, but it was pretty amazing.

Start by melting down the caramel like you normally would for caramel apples. One bag of about 50 caramels with 2 tablespoons of water, heated on low until smooth.

Place sticks into the apple from the stem side and dip 5 clean and dry apples in the caramel and allow the extra to drip off. Roll them in crushed butterfinger bars, pressing in the candy to the caramel. Place them on some buttered parchment paper and freeze or refrigerate for about 45 minutes.

Melt 2-3 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips with 1-2 tablespoons of shortening until smooth. Dip the cooled apple in the melted chocolate and allow the excess to drip off. Sprinkle candied peanuts around the base of the apple and place them back on the parchment. Cool again until the chocolate has set.

These are easiest to enjoy if you cut the apples in quarters and remove the core with a sharp knife.

Loaded Baked Potato Bites

2012-11-02T11:01:00.000-05:00

I had the opportunity last week to sneak into the local Fox 9 station as John McLemore, the CEO of Masterbuilt and his wonderful wife Tonya were filming a segment promoting their new book "Dadgum That's Good, Too". As I walked into the main building early that morning, I could smell the turkey almost immediately. I asked the security guard where to go and he laughed as he said to just follow the smell. The smell led me to the studio kitchen where a prep crew and John were busily working around the kitchen and two of John's indoor turkey fryers were happily frying away on the counter top.

That's right. On the counter top. Ever fried a turkey before? Usually it's on those huge outdoor propane blast cookers and a huge vat of hot oil. These fryers are pretty large (think big bread machine) but they can sit right on your counter, in doors, where it's warm, and cook that turkey in just over an hour. I was immediately impressed. And hungry. Turkey for breakfast? You bet.

I stood with Tonya as we watched John meticulously prepare the set and I shouted out questions as he worked. John's love for food and cooking is obvious in the way he talks about his experiences and the foods that he cooks. His life is centered around cooking food for his friends and family and creating great tools like fryers, smokers and grills to make it all even easier. His cookbook chronicles the story of his company through the eyes of many in their family and provides a unique look into the workings of this fun family.

As I read through the cookbook, I had to stop myself from turning down the corners as I found recipes I wanted to try right away, or else they all would have been turned down. I just recently got a smoker so it was great to read through all the recipes he has as well as the tips and tricks for improving how the recipes turn out. I'm definitely doing a smoked turkey for Thanksgiving this year.

The first recipe we tried though was a fried one. I had to give this fryer a go and these loaded baked potato bites were the perfect weekday treat. Simple to make and the kids loved them. You can also freeze a whole bunch of them for next time and make it even easier.

Giveaway
I've got a copy of the book to give away to one of my readers too! If you'd like a copy, let me know below which section you think you'd cook from first; smoked, fried or grilled! I'll choose a winner on Friday November 9th.

Loaded Baked Potato Bites

Ingredients
1 lb baking potatoes
1 gallon cooking oil
1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 T chopped fresh chives
1 t kosher salt
1 cup all purpose flour
1 t baking powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place potatoes directly on oven rack and bake for 1 hour or until tender. Let cool slightly and mash. You can leave the skin on or off - your preference. If you leave the skin on, make sure you mash into small pieces.

Fill deep fryer halfway with oil and heat to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, cheese, bacon, chives and salt, mixing well. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls.

In a large bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Stir in eggs and milk, mixing well. Dip potatoes in egg mixture and fry in batches for 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown. Use a metal slotted spoon to transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve immediately.

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of John's cookbook and an electric turkey fryer. All opinions are my own.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes

2012-10-28T15:57:00.002-05:00

Sometimes time just gets away from you. I've always been a busy person. Not necessarily hectic, run all around the place type busy, but busy. I like side projects and lots of things going on that I can be involved in, but the month of October just got away from me. Full time job, trying to launch a new business, wedding, travel, foster kids and a major professional certification exam.

Whew. It was kind of crazy. Which is why this is only the second post of the month. But it's a pancake recipe. And who doesn't love pancakes? I even threw in some pumpkin and chocolate chips to make it all "fall"ish. Yeah, I know. It's stretching it but they were really good. So go make them, and forgive me. I've got some great stuff planned to share with you for Thanksgiving and I think that will make up for it.

As you start thinking about Thanksgiving, what are the dishes that you rely on a family recipe for and which ones are you willing to try something new for? What kind of recipes would you like to see more of?

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes

1 c. flour
1 T sugar
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt

Mix together these ingredients in a small bowl.

In another bowl combine:

1 beaten egg
1 c buttermilk
2 T vegetable oil
1 cup pumpkin puree

Stir together with dry ingredients just until blended. Stir in additional buttermilk to get to desired consistency.

Preheat skillet to 375 degrees. Cook on buttered skillet flipping once when bubbles appear on the surface.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes

2012-10-10T19:27:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure why I even said yes. I'm not a professional by any means and I've never done anything near a wedding cake before. It was soon after my cake won a ribbon at the state fair though so I must have been at a weak moment when my brother asked if I'd make their wedding cake and I actually said yes. The only reason I even considered it though is because they said they wanted something less traditional and were thinking more of a cupcake tower.

So I was stuck when I came around to my senses and had to figure out what I wanted to do for them. They said they were open to ideas so we started a little Pinterest board and started collecting ideas. I knew they wanted simple but elegant but I have a tendency to go overboard so we had to restrain ourselves. Since of course I care more about what it tasted like than what it looked like, I started first though with creating the best cupcake recipe I could. I knew she wanted something chocolate and on the rich, fudgy side of chocolate. So of course, we had a tasting party.

For this party I created five variations of recipes that I had scoured and combined, imagining what I thought would be the best flavor. Secret ingredients included Dr. Pepper, sour cream, nutella, coconut oil and even red beets. A clear winner was identified and I knew that no matter what the cake looked like, at least it would taste good.

As for the decorations, I had high intentions of glazing it similarly to my ribbon cake and then using the same chocolate I use to make the ribbons on that cake to do some lace decorations. I just couldn't get it to work right and the night before the wedding I scrapped that idea and went simple. White fondant with some ribbon and topped with a beautiful flower arrangement. Again, my focus was more on the cupcakes but the cake still had to look good.

Photo by Sophie Weber

We made the towers for the cupcakes earlier in the week and wrapped them with coordinating ribbon. Two days before the wedding I made 215 cupcakes. 10 original batches. A huge mess. The morning of the wedding, I whipped up 10 batches of my roux frosting, half purple and half white. Packed it all up and was ready to go. We frosted all the cupcakes on site just to eliminate any chance of ruining them on the way. And we were done. Whew.

I have to admit, I thought it looked pretty good. I had tons of help from everyone there and was so thankful for my sister in laws family for letting me take over their kitchen!

Photo by Sophie Weber

And now you get my cupcake recipe. I haven't shared it with anyone yet but if you like rich, fudgy chocolate cake, I think you'll like this. It has nutella in the batter and then I also core out the center after cooking it and fill it with more nutella. Don't worry when you see how runny the batter is either. Trust me, it cooks perfectly and is so moist throughout.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes

Ingredients
1/2c unsweetened baking cocoa
1 1/3 c brown sugar
1c + 3TBS cake flour
1t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c butter, melted
1/2c buttermilk
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
2t pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup nutella
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup boiling water

Directions
Preheat to 350°
Line cupcake pans with liners and set aside.

Sift together the cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda and salt in large bowl.

In a stand mixer, mix the melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, nutella, sour cream and hot water until well combined.

Add dry mixture to wet, and mix until just combined--careful not to over mix.

Bake in lined cupcake pans for 18-20 minutes

Cool completely before frosting.

Squash Blossom and Quinoa Stir Fry

2012-09-19T09:17:00.000-05:00

Most years we plant a few zucchini plants in our garden but this year we chose to go with some new vegetables and didn't want the zucchini taking over. We figured we could always get it fresh from the farmers market or from friends whenever we needed it. Well, I was working in the yard a few weeks ago and I looked behind our shed and saw this:

The plants go around the entire shed. I certainly didn't plant them so they must have come back from something last year. The thing is, there still aren't any zucchini growing on it. Tons of blossoms but no fruit yet. Is that weird? Anyone out there have any idea how it happened?

Anyway, I figured if it was going to continue giving me all these blossoms, I'd make use of them! Last year I stuffed and fried them which was amazing but I was feeling a little on the healthier side at the moment and so I went with this stir-fry with quinoa. I used coconut oil to saute the onions and shallot and then cooked down the chopped blossoms. Add some spices and other veggies along with some cooked quinoa and you've got yourself a quick and healthy side dish.

You could really play around with what you add to it. I had some lemongrass paste in the fridge too so I put a bit of that in too but it's all up to you. It's late in the summer but you may be able to still pick up some blossoms at a local market, or just swing by our place. There were a whole bunch still out there.

The Virtual Potluck team is also working with Anolon this week and so I got to make this stir-fry in a beautiful new copper stainless steel pan. I've been wanting to try stainless steel cookware for awhile now so I was pretty excited to try it out. It's stainless steel but it has a beautiful copper bottom which helps it conduct heat and can even work with induction cook tops. I used the 9.5 inch "Everything Pan", and it really does work for everything! I've made eggs, sauces and sauteed meat in it as well as this stir-fry. One of my favorite parts of it is that it also has a lid that actually fits on it so well compared to my other pans. Love it. Check out Anolon for all their other pots and pans too.

Squash Blossoms and Quinoa Stir Fry

Ingredients

3 tablespoons coconut oil

2 shallots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

15-20 squash blossoms, cleaned and chopped

1 medium carrot, grated

1 tablespoon lemongrass paste (optional)

2 cups cooked quinoa

1/4 teaspoon cumin

Directions

Heat the coconut oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the shallots, garlic and squash blossoms and carrot and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the lemongrass paste, quinoa and cumin and continue to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*Disclosure. I received two pans from Anolon but was not otherwise compensated. All opinions are my own.

Cinnamon Swirl Brioche

2012-09-09T19:28:00.001-05:00

One of the things I love most about blogging is hearing back from friends, family and my readers about how they tried something in their own kitchens. Maybe even if it didn't turn out as well as they had hoped, I love that people are trying to cook more on their own and that they're challenging themselves to do something they might not usually try.

I realize that yeast bread falls into the category of one of those things that some people just won't try. Yeast can be scary and I think that some bakers even enjoy perpetuating the thought that you have to possess some amazing talent to be able to produce beautiful loaves of bread. I promise you it's not as scary as you might think.

I spent an evening a week or so ago with a group of girls from the ages of 12-18 at our church teaching them how to bake bread. I was honored that they asked me to come as I know there are many other able bakers in our church congregation. It was so much fun though, and I was so glad they invited me to join them. The girls were more than willing to jump in and get their hands dirty(literally) and although we didn't bake any of the bread that they mixed while we were there that night, I heard that they had some great results at home. I hope that they'll continue experimenting and carrying on a great tradition of making bread in their own homes.

It was especially exciting for me because when I got home earlier that day I had a package waiting for me. It was in a beautiful black box wrapped in silver ribbon. I had been expecting it and was hoping it would come in time for my demonstration that night. It was from Red Star Yeast and it was their brand new yeast product, Platinum. A special blend of yeast and dough improvers that makes it practically impossible to mess up. And not that those girls didn't try their hardest, but I'm pretty sure that yeast was put to the test that night.

In the days since then I've certainly put it to the test as well. I'm a proofer. Meaning that I always proof my yeast before mixing my bread dough. It's the process of mixing the yeast with some sugar and warm water and letting it get nice and puffy. Not that it really needs to be done with most yeasts today, I just like to. So, I made my regular bread dough, the one I make almost every week and I didn't proof it. I didn't even make the water warm that I added to the flour mixture. Just dumped all the ingredients into the mixing bowl and kneaded it. It rose just as well or even better and had a beautiful texture in the finished bread. I was sold but I kept trying it. In everything. Rolls, buns and bread. It all worked no matter how I tried to mess it up. Check out the page here to see exactly how it works.

The nice thing for all of you out there is that you can use this new yeast in any bread that you've ever made or want to make in the future. Add if you don't have to worry about messing around with the yeast, you can challenge yourself in other ways like with this amazing cinnamon swirl brioche.

Brioche is a beautiful rich, buttery egg bread that makes wonderful loaves, cinnamon rolls and even donuts. It's pretty sticky and wet so don't stress out over the dough. It hit the oven and rose to a perfect finish.

VIP Prize Package
Want to try this brioche for yourself? How about any other yeast bread? Red Star is going to give one of my readers the very same VIP package that I received. The winner from my blog will also be entered in to win a Platinum Kitchenaid mixer! This is open to anyone in the US or Canada. Winner will be notified and must reply within 24 hours or a new winner will be chosen.

Just leave a comment below before 9/16/12 telling me your greatest fear of baking with yeast, and the first thing you'll make with your new Red Star Platinum yeast.

For extra entries (leave a separate entry for each) you can:
Like Thyme In Our Kitchen on Facebook
Like Red Star Yeast on Facebook

Cinnamon Swirl Brioche

Ingredients

Brioche
8 large eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
5 teaspoons Red Star Platinum Yeast
1/4 cup warm water
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

Filling
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the yeast, water, flour and salt and mix with the dough hook on low speed until smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes. The dough will remain sticky but should come together slightly. Add the butter and continue kneading on medium speed until it is completely incorporated, about 5-7 minutes.

Place the dough into a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 6 hours or overnight.

Carefully remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Cut the dough into half. Press one of the halves of the dough using your fingers or a rolling pin into about a 9 by 12 rectangle.

Mix together the confectioners sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the rectangle. Starting from the short side carefully roll the dough into a log. Using a bench knife cut the log in half and turn the pieces so the cut side is facing up.

Carefully cross over the two pieces creating a braid and making sure the cut side stays facing up. It may not be pretty. (Look at the one on the left) but it will still look great when it bakes. Repeat with the other half

Place the braids into greased bread pans. Cover them and let them rise until the ye reach the top of the bread pan, 1 1/2-2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the loaves for 35-40 minutes. If the tops are browning too quickly you can cover them with tinfoil.

Remove from the oven, let cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

*Disclosure: I received a VIP package from Red Star Yeast as well as compensation for writing this post. All opinions are my own.

Bacon Wrapped, Sausage Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers

2012-09-05T20:17:00.001-05:00

The State Fair is over, school has started and it's already getting cooler. I'm going to reminisce though a bit with one of my favorite foods from the State Fair this year. I won't list everything I had this year, wait, sure I will: cheese curds, pina-colada, beef tongue taco, fried eggplant taco, chocolate chip cookies, puff pastry sausage, stuffed jalapenos, foot-long corn dog, mini donuts, poutine, red velvet funnel cake, fried green beans, strawberry smoothie and onion rings! Whew. Now, don't go thinking that was all in one visit. It was two. :)

One of my favorites was definitely the stuffed jalapeno from Sausage Sisters. It had great heat and how can you go wrong with adding cheese, sausage and bacon? Someone brought in some home grown jalapenos to work so I decided I'd try a re-creation of this fun treat.

The fair edition was filled with cheese and then had a piece of sausage stuffed in the end. I chose to mix the sausage with cheese and then fill the entire thing with it so it was more spread out. It was a pretty close comparison to the fair and my wife said she even liked our version better. Try it and let me know how you like it!

Stuffed Jalapeno

Ingredients
8-10 slices of bacon
8-10 jalapeno peppers
1/4 pound ground mild Italian sausage
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay the bacon on a sheet pan and cook for about 10 minutes until browned but not crispy. Remove from oven and drain on paper towels.

Slice the top off each jalapeno and carefully clean out the seeds. Set the peppers aside. In a medium saucepan, cook the sausage until just lightly browned. Add the cheeses and stir until melted. Stuff the sausage mixture into each pepper. Wrap each pepper with a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick. Cook the peppers for an additional 12-15 minutes or until the pepper is just cooked through.