The Cooked Noodle

Spinach and Cheese Strata

2010-05-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen and it was really great, I made it for mothers day breakfast, and just the warm bread with the cheese and spinach in it was really great!
Spinach and Cheese Strata
1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed, squeeze of all excess liquid, and chopped
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 cups cubed French or Italian bread in 1-inch cubes (1/2 lb)
6 ounces coarsely grated Gruyère (2 cups)
2 ounces finely grated parmesan (1 cup)
2 3/4 cups milk
9 large eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Sauté onion in butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and nutmeg and continue cooking for one minute. Stir in spinach, remove from heat and set aside.

Spread one third of the bread cubes in a well-buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other ceramic baking dish. Top with one-third of bread cubes,one-third of spinach mixture and one-third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice with remaining bread, spinach and cheese.

Whisk eggs, milk, mustard and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata. Cover with plastic wrap and chill strata for eat least 8 hours or up to a day.

The next day, let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 350°F. Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken Gumbo

2010-02-16T20:02:00.000-08:00

Since today was Fat Tuesday also known as Mardi Gras I made Chicken Gumbo and cornbread. It was a beautiful California day reaching 65 degrees it felt like summer. We had the windows open so we could hear the birds chirping it was a pleasant day. This gumbo has spice to it because of the sausage but it's gumbo so that's expected. For lent I'm giving up a few websites for lent that I'm addicted to but I will still be posting on baking monster and here.
Serves 4

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 package (10 ounces) frozen cut okra
8 ounces smoked (precooked) andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1 inch thick
1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds), skin and bones removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
Store-bought or homemade cornbread, for serving (optional)
Directions
In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium. Add flour, and cook, whisking constantly, until pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in bell peppers, onion, garlic, and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
Add 4 cups water; stir in okra and sausage. Bring to a boil. Stir in shredded chicken, and warm through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; if desired, serve with cornbread.

Mushrooms Stuffed with Brie

2010-02-02T15:54:00.000-08:00

I made these tasty little guys for every Christmas party I had and every party I attended. They are addicting, their classic and classy. I found them on The Pioneer Woman
Mushrooms Stuffed with Brie
Ingredients
1 package White Button Mushrooms, Washed And Stems Removed
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
4 whole (to 5) Green Onions, Sliced (up To Middle Of Dark Green Part)
Splash Of White Wine (optional)
1 slice (wedge) Of Brie Cheese
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Melt butter in large saucepan. Add mushroom caps and toss to coat in butter. Sprinkle lightly with salt and cook for 1 minute. Remove mushrooms from pan and place upside down in a baking dish.
In the same saucepan (without cleaning it) throw in garlic, parsley, and green onions. Sprinkle very lightly with salt and splash in wine, if using. Stir around until wine evaporates, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Cut rind off of brie wedge, then cut pieces of brie to fit each mushroom cap. Place inside, lightly pressing to anchor each piece of brie.
Top mushrooms with parsley/garlic mixture.
Place into the oven for 15 minutes, or until brie is melted.
Note: mushrooms are best when they’ve been allowed to cool slightly. Delicious

Pork Loin with Cranberry Sauce

2009-12-14T22:03:00.000-08:00

I have always loved the Pioneer woman but now that I have picked up this weird urge to cook, I love her even more. I don't know if I have spent to much time with my chef friends lately or if it's the cold thats making me want to have a good meal on the table. More though now then ever are my parents trying to figure out a way for me to live at home forever so I can cook for them, I liked my dads idea of building a gourmet kitchen just for me. Anyways enough with the dreaming I made this Prok Loin with Cranberry Sacue by the Pioneer Woman and it was sooo good and perfect because we still had cranberrys left from thanksgiving.
Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 6

Ingredients
1 whole Pork Tenderloin, Trimmed Of Fat
Salt And Pepper (to Taste)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil, Divided
3 Tablespoons Butter, Divided
½ whole Medium Onion
½ cups Red Wine (optional)
¾ cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
½ cups (generous) Cranberry Sauce (homemade Or Canned Is Fine!)
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Generously season pork tenderloin with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy, oven-proof skillet over high heat. Sear tenderloin on all sides, using tongs to move it around. Remove pan from heat and place in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until thermometer inserted registers 155 to 160 degrees. Set pork on a cutting board to rest.
In a separate skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook for a minute, then pour in wine (if using) and chicken broth. Add rosemary. Stir together, then add cranberry sauce. Heat mixture over medium heat and cook for two or three minutes. Add more chicken broth to achieve desired consistency.
Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if needed.
Slice pork loin and place on a platter. Spoon cranberry sauce over the top.
Serve with mashed potatoes.
Cranberry Sauce(mine not the Pioneer Womans)
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
12-oz bag fresh or frozen cranberries (3 cups)
Bring water and sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries and simmer, stirring occasionally, until berries just pop, 10 to 12 minutes. Let Cool.

Gnocchi Soup

2009-12-11T21:38:00.000-08:00

I personally love all things doughy like pasta and bread I could live off well actually I propably do. My mother on the other hand is against this, so for my night to make dinner I went with something we could both enjoy Gnocchi soup or stew.It said to add hot sauce but trust me it doesn't need it. It's rockin and I made it vegatarian but the original recipe asks for chicken so I will put that on the ingredient list and you may do what you wish with it.
Chicken Stew with Potato Dumplings
Ingredients
3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch coins
2 ribs celery, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 medium-size parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch coins
1 large sweet potato (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 scallions, trimmed and chopped
1 quart chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 package (1.1 pounds) shelf-stable fully cooked gnocchi (dumplings)
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cool water
Hot sauce, to taste

Directions
1. Place chicken in a 6-quart slow cooker. Top with carrots, celery, parsnips, sweet potato and scallions. Cover with chicken broth and 1 cup water; season with sage, salt and pepper.

2. Cover slow cooker. Cook on HIGH heat for 4 hours or on LOW heat for 6 hours.

3. After cooking, uncover pot and remove chicken to a cutting board. If necessary, raise temperature to high. Add gnocchi, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, let chicken cool slightly, then shred meat from bones, discarding bones.

4. Once gnocchi have cooked, return chicken to pot. Stir cornstarch-water mixture, and add to pot. Cover and cook 10 to 20 minutes, until thickened slightly. Add hot sauce to taste before serving.

Chicken Parmesan

2009-12-11T21:36:00.000-08:00

So today I got to help out in Advance Culinary because they were getting ready for the teacher cafe. They were making chicken Parmesan or eggplant Parmesan for the teachers, they also had fresh foccacia they made,a spinach salad and oatmeal cookies which after owning chickens specially baby chickens I will never eat those cookies(it would ruin the cookies for you too if I told you). So anyways the chicken Parmesan smelled so good I had to make it for dinner tonight and its very quick and easy.Before I start let me say this isn't from a recipe and it can be one chicken breast to six or as many as your heart desires.I did four.
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1 egg yolk
1 cup of bread crumbs
2 tablespoons of olive oil
8 oz cube of mozzarella
4 oz cube of Parmesan
2 cups of tomato sauce

1. Turn oven onto 350 degrees F. Grease a glass casserole dish. In a medium sized pan put olive oil on medium heat. Dunk both sides of chicken into egg yolk then cover with bread crumbs. Then put in pan and cook for 5-10 minuets on one side then flip and repeat. Then when chicken is done put it in casserole dish. Then place a large spoonful of tomato sauce on each chicken breast. Slice the mozzarella into thin slices and put one slice on each chicken breast. Then grate the Parmesan and sprinkle it on each piece. Then place in oven for 20 minutes. Then take out and pig out.

I went to the market down the street and got some warm french bread to go with it and just chopped up some lettuce and tomato's very easy dinner but it's impressive,my dad loves it. Enjoy!

Chicken Scallopine

2009-12-11T21:34:00.000-08:00

Okay so I love The Pioneer Women! She is amazing and this is her recipe which is also amazing. It made me feel like such a pro. It's really tasty and the presentation is awesome! I also made Sweet Potato Biscuit to go with it because I felt like it.
PW’s Chicken Scallopine
1 pound linguine
6 boneless, skinless, trimmed chicken breasts
Flour
Salt & Pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
12 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin
1 cup dry white wine
Chicken broth (optional)
1 lemon
1/2 cup heavy cream (can use half & half)
1 heaping tablespoon capers
chopped fresh Italian parsley
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Flatten chicken breasts to uniform thickness. Salt and pepper both sides, then dredge in flour.
Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken breasts until golden brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Throw mushrooms into the pan and stir. Immediately pour in wine, then squeeze juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon. Stir to deglaze the pan, then cook vigorously for 1 minute, until sauce reduces.
Pour in cream and stir, then add capers and parsley and stir. Turn off heat. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Don’t under salt!
Place pasta and chicken on a platter and top with every last drop of sauce. Generously sprinkle Parmesan Cheese over the top.

Potato Salad

2009-12-11T21:33:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't been posting baking posts lately and I do realize this is a baking blog but my mum has been sick for awhile now so I have been making dinners every night and I just want to post them up because they are delicious and cooking is related to baking.
Well summer's right around the corner so Potato salad and burgers is the perfect dinner. Out in California we have been having beautiful weather,it's not hot but it's nice so I decided to go for it.

Potato Salad
1 cup of mayonnaise
2 tbsp. vinegar
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 ground black black pepper
5 to 6 medium sized potatoes(cooked,peeled,and cubed)
1 cup of thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup of chopped onion
2 hard-boiled eggs(sliced)

1.In large bowl blend first 5 ingredients.
2.stir in remaining ingredients.
3.place slices of eggs on top decoratively.
4.cover;chill.

This is a really quick and easy recipe but allow time for the potatoes to boil.

There's the ending product with a delicious sauteed mushroom burger, with my hamburger bun recipe.

Empanadas

2009-12-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

These are the tastiest things ever. Empanada's are meat pies, they can be filled with beef,chicken or pork. They remind me of pizza pocket but way better.I made them for a appetizer for dinner one night and my dad just ate the Empanadas and not dinner. It has a nice flaky dough and it's really easy!
Dough
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg
1/3 cup ice water
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Preparation:Sift flour with salt into a large bowl and blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal with some (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.

Beat together egg, water, and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork. Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork until just incorporated. (Mixture will look shaggy.)

Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and gather together, then knead gently with heel of your hand once or twice, just enough to bring dough together. Form dough into a flat rectangle and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour.

Take dough out of the fridge and roll out into 1/4-1/2 inch thickness on a floured work surface. Using a round cookie cutter(any size you would like)cut the dough and put on a cookie sheet with parchment paper on it or a slipmat.

Filling
4 thawed chicken breasts
1/2 cup of chopped onions
1 tsp of minced garlic
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp of chili pepper
2 tbsp of olive oil
shredded Mexican cheese(however much your heart desires)

In a large pan over a medium heat pour olive oil in. Then add chicken and put lid on for about 5 minutes. Remove lid flip chicken over and put lid back on and allow it to be almost fully cooked. Then remove chicken and cut into small pieces. Put the chicken back into the pan and turn heat back on. Then put all other ingredients in except for cheese and stir then allow to simmer for another 5 minutes. Take it off the heat. With a spoon scoop chicken filling onto empanada dough circles right in the center.Sprinkle cheese on top. Fold one side over the other and seal. Then put the empanadas in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Let cool and ta-da!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

2009-12-11T21:31:00.000-08:00

Today I figured out that double majoring, being a full time student and working a job all at the same time is something in my future like next year and this idea has been a bit overwhelming and I figured that when I'm stressed its always good to make something comforting such as good old homemade macaroni and its just what I did.
1 pound of macaroni
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
2 cups of milk
1 pound of sliced Cheddar
2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and boil for 7 to 10 minutes. pour macaroni into a colander and drain.
Melt butter in same saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly until mixture starts to bubble. Add 1/2 cup of milk and stir until smooth. Add remaining milk and stir for another 10 to 15 minutes or until it boils. Remove pan from heat and add the Cheddar and stir until melted. Add macaroni and stir until combined. Place in a large baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake a 350 for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly.

This is my all time favorite dish.

Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

2009-12-11T21:30:00.000-08:00

So I got back from camp last night and it was the most amazing experience ever in all there was about 600 high school kids all christians' it was pretty amazing. I got toe experience the blob and the drop zone swing and much more and made the best friends ever! but I'm back to baking and cooking and so heres some pasta salad I made before I left. Its very tasty!
Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad
1 7-oz jar sundried tomatoes, drained
4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
Salad
16 ounces corkscrew pasta
1 jar Kalamata or assorted olives
1 pint rip cherry tomatoes, halved
Several (10 to 15) basil leaves, chopped or julienne
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Prepare dressing by blending sundried tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and vinegar until tomatoes are chopped. Blend while drizzling in olive oil; continue blending until mixed together.
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water until no longer hot. Pour 2/3 of the dressing over the pasta, add olives, and toss together. Add remaining ingredients, tossing together and adding more dressing until the salad is coated to your liking. Serve on a big platter with an extra sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Empanada's with Sweet Salsa

2009-12-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

I am aware that I have made empanada's before and posted them on here, but these aren't as traditional. These use a puff pastry for the dough. I didn't have time to make puff pastry from scratch so I bought the frozen kind. Either way this is a great appetizer. I made these for my English class because we were reading Like water for chocolate which is a Mexican love story but with food involved it was really good and these empanada are really good too. Then I also made a sweet salsa to go with it but it def not required for these flaky bits to be good.
Ingredients
For the filling:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 1/2 cups finely shredded cooked chicken
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 package prepared puff pastry
Flour, for rolling out pastry
About 1/4 cup vegetable oil, for brushing
Tomato and Pineapple Salsa Fresca, recipe follows
Directions
Filling:
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Saute onions and garlic until onions are soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add spices, stir to mix fully, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add black beans and chicken and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until black beans are heated through, about 5 minutes, then remove from heat and let mixture cool fully. Add cilantro and stir well.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Lay out a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Flour the top of the dough and roll out the puff pastry until it is about 1/16-inch thick and about 12 inches by 16 inches.
Trim edges to size, if necessary. Cut 4-inch strips crosswise and lengthwise making 12 (4 by 4-inch) squares. Make sure the squares are well floured and stack them in a little pile.
To form empanadas:
Fill a little dish with some room temperature water. Imagine each square you work with is separated in half by a diagonal. Place a couple tablespoons of filling in the top half. Dip a finger into the water and moisten the edges of the top half with water. Fold the bottom half to meet the edges of the top half. Use a fork to pinch and seal the edges. Lightly brush the tops with vegetable oil. Place finished pockets on a nonstick baking sheet and bake about 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown and puffy.

Tomato and Pineapple Salsa Fresca:
1 pound ripe tomatoes (about 3 medium), roughly chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can pineapple pieces, juice strained
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely minced
3 scallions, finely sliced into 1/8-inch rounds
1 lime, juiced
2 pinches superfine sugar
Kosher salt
In a medium bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, pineapple, garlic, jalapeno and scallions. Mix well. Add lime juice, sugar, and salt, to taste. Toss well. Serve with the Chicken Empanadas.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

2009-12-11T21:27:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I made this for my family. It was one of the last days my eldest sister would be at home. She's a vegetarian so I thought I would make a good hearty meal for her before she moved to San Francisco. This is really good, it's east and is impressive. I used orange,yellow,green,and red so we each got our own bell pepper.
Ingredients:
4 large bell peppers
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1/2 cup diced yellow squash (the store I went to sold a assortment of local grown squash so I picked up a few different kinds, so whatever catches your fancy.)
1/2 cup peeled and diced eggplant
1/3 cup raisins
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup marinara sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with canola oil. Place whole peppers on baking sheet pan and roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until skin is brown. Transfer from oven and quickly dip in ice cold water. Peel skins, careful not to remove stem. Using a sharp knife, make a slit, starting at the base of the stem, lengthwise down one side. Carefully scoop out seeds and the membrane. Set aside.
2. In a large saute pan, saute onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add zucchini,squash, and eggplant. Add raisins,salt, and pepper. Transfer to food prosscer and chop slightly. Stuff each pepper with 1/2 cup mixture. Lightly spray with olive oil and roll on Parmesan. Place on baking sheet pan.

3. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake stuffed peppers for 15 minutes turning every 5 minutes, until golden brown. Serve with 1/4 cup of marinara sauce.
I also served fruit bowls and dinner rolls. I hope you enjoy this.

Back to Basics: How to Julienne and Brunoise a carrot

2009-12-11T21:25:00.000-08:00

I bet everyone in the foodie world has seen Julie and Julia by now and if so you will remember the scene of Julia child cutting hundreds of onions in her kitchen so she could be as quick and perfect as her classmates in culinary school. Well for the last few weeks I have been doing the same except with carrots. I have to take knife skills to complete my baking and pastry certificate so I am with a bunch of culinary students whose passion is chopping, I on the other hand would rather be baking some bread. For 5 hours a day for 2 days a week for 7 weeks I have been chopping fruits and vegetables, luckily we haven’t done that many onions. On this post I will show you some of the basic cuts for carrots so you can practice too.

First peel a carrot and chop off the ends.

Above are some suggestions for items to help you cut better but I had to buy them for my class. You will want to get a good chef knife which cuts almost everything. Then that’s a knife model but a ruler works just fine.

Then cut the carrot into 2 inch segments then stand each piece upright and cut ¼ inch planks off such as the one above.

Then cut the planks into ¼ inch cuts which is julienne.

Then after you julienne the carrot you could just use that or then chop it into Brunoise which is a ¼ inch square that you just chop off the julienne carrots. Warning: Your finger nails will be orange after this and your family will probably want all the vegetables cut this way.
I have a lot more baking coming soon for the season coming up.