Are you ready for some football?

beef chili...yummm!! (added double the spice, of course.)

Cornbread

INGREDIENTS:

• 2/3 cup (1.5 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups milk
• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to cream butter and sugar. Combine the eggs and milk in a separate medium bowl. In another bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture and egg mixture alternately to the creamed mixture. 
3. Thoroughly grease your mini-muffin tins with Pam Baking Spray. Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes. **Note: I was nervous about rotating the pans during baking because I did not want to to interrupt the rising of the bread. This recipe makes about 20 mini-corn muffins. For a loaf of cornbread, grease a 13" x 9" baking pan and bake for 23-27 minutes.

-Alyssa & Derek

Braised Short Ribs with Macaroni & Cheese

Alton Brown's Baked Macaroni & Cheese

The Pioneer Woman's Braised Short Ribs

-Derek

Osso Buco with Mushroom Risotto

Delicious!!! from The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier

Osso Buco
Recipe by Ree Drummond

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 veal shanks
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 (12 oz.) bottles dark beer
• 1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 1 thyme sprig
• kosher salt and black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Season the veal shanks with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the butter and oil in a heavy pot over high heat, then add the veal shanks.
4. Sear both sides of the veal until golden brown.  Remove them from the pot and set aside.
5. Throw the garlic cloves into the pot, and pour in the beer.  Allow to bubble up and cook for about 5 minutes.
6. Return the veal shanks to the pot. 
7. Crush the tomatoes with your hands, and then pour them into the pot.
8. Throw in the rosemary and thyme.  Cover the pot and cook in the oven for 3-4 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender and the sauce is thick.  Keep the lid on until you're ready to serve.

Mushroom Risotto
Also from Ree Drummond


INGREDIENTS:

• 16 oz. baby portobello mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 12 oz. baby spinach
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 4 cups chicken broth, heated
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• crusty bread, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Drizzle the mushrooms with some olive oil.  
2. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through.  The mushrooms will be a deep golden brown.  (You may prepare the mushrooms ahead of time if oven space is an issue...Just keep them in the fridge until you need them.)
3. To wilt the spinach, heat the skillet over medium-high heat.  Drizzle in some olive oil and cook the spinach for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.  Remove it form the heat and set aside.
4. In a heavy saucepan or pot, coo the onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat until soft, about 2 minutes.  
5. Add the rice and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
6. Add 1 cup of the warm broth, stirring and cooking until the broth is absorbed.  Continue this process until all the broth is gone and risotto is tender.  Lastly, add the mushrooms and Parmesan and stir to combine.  
7. To serve add risotto to a plate and top with the wilted spinach. 
8. Add 1 or 2 veal shanks on top of the spinach and spoon sauce on the top.  Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and serve immediately.  

new cookware for the bday boy

-Derek

Breakfast for One

last weekend-- 1 egg, sausage, spinach, yellow pepper, and onion scramble

this weekend-- from Ree Drummond's Huevo in the Hole recipe

it's a heffalump kind of morning

-Alyssa

My First Fried Rice!

Last night, I was just CRAVING fried rice...and I never crave fried rice.  In an Asian household, fried rice is like a frozen dinner you eat when you don't feel like cooking.  So after a quick pep talk with my mom on the phone, I honed the Asian in me and made my first fried rice!  I used ingredients we already had in the fridge...Next time I definitely have to buy some Chinese sausage because it's just not the same without it.  Nonetheless, this fried rice turned out pretty well!  The wok does most of the work for you.  Hooray! :)

Fried Rice

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups cooked white rice
• 2 scallions, white and light green parts chopped
• 1 1/2 cup chopped baby bok choy 
• 2/3 cup cooked sausage, diced
• 4 tablespoons white onion, finely diced
• 2 eggs
• kosher salt 
• freshly ground pepper
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, add the eggs and stir in 2 tablespoons of tap water.  
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the wok over medium-high heat.  Add the egg mixture and cook the eggs until they are almost cooked through (scrambled eggs).  Set aside in a small bowl for later.
3. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Add the scallions, sausage, onions, and rice.  Continue mixing and stirring the ingredients for 3-4 minutes.  Add the bok choy and 2 more tablespoons olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper each time you add the ingredients.  Cook the ingredients for 2 minutes, and then add the scrambled eggs.  Stir together for another minutes.  Serve immediately.

*You may also sub in frozen peas for the baby bok choy.  Just heat them in the microwave until they are cooked and add them to the wok when you would have added the bok choy.

-Alyssa 

Cowboy Cookies

Cowboy Cookies
Original recipe by Martha Stewart

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup pecans 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats (not instant or quick-cooking)
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.  Toast in oven, tossing occasionally, until darkened and fragrant, 2-3 minutes.  Let cool, then coarsely chop.  Into a bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and both sugars until pale and fluffy.  Reduce speed to medium.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla.
3. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated.  Beat in oats, chocolate, pecans, and coconut until just combined.  (Dough can be covered with plastic and refrigerated up to 3 days.)
4. Line baking sheets with parchment, and spray parchment.  Using a 1 1/2-inch ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto prepared sheets, about 3 inches apart.
5. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges of cookies begin to brown, 16 to 18 minutes (less time for smaller cookies, 10-12 minutes).  Transfer sheets to wire racks to cool 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.  Cookies can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers. 

-Alyssa

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas and Spanish RIce

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas


INGREDIENTS:

• 4 flour tortillas (2 oz each)
• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup Frank's hot sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
• vegetable oil
• blue cheese dip

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Pat chicken dry and place in a glass baking dish.  Coat with 1/2 cup Frank's hot sauce and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  When done, cover the dish with foil and allow chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes.  
3. Cut the chicken into 1/2 inch cubes, and add chicken and 1/4 cup Frank's hot sauce to a small bowl.  Stir together.
4. In a skillet over medium heat, heat a tablespoon of oil.  Add 1 flour tortilla and place 1/4 of the chicken on 1 half of the tortilla.  Place 1/4 cup Monterey and 1/4 cup white cheddar to the other half of the tortilla.  After 2-3 minutes, fold the cheese side over the chicken side.  Cook for another 2 minutes.  Carefully flip the chicken side over so that the cheese side is bottom-down.  Heat for another 1-2 minutes.  Place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.  
5. Repeat step 4 with remaining tortillas.  Cut tortillas into thirds before serving.  Serve with diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sour cream, blue cheese dip, salsa, etc.

Spanish Rice
Original recipe found here
makes 4-6 servings


INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups medium or long-grained rice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 white onion, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste 
• pinch of oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock*

*Check the instructions on the rice package for the proportions of liquid to rice. They can range from 1:1 to 2:1. If your rice calls for 2 cups of water for every cup of rice, then for this recipe, use 4 cups of stock for 2 cups of rice.

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large skillet, brown rice in olive oil at medium/high heat.  Add onion and garlic.  Cook onion rice mixture, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes, or until onions are softened.
2. In a separate sauce pan, bring stock to a simmer.  Add tomato sauce, oregano, and salt. Add rice to broth. Bring to a simmer.  Cover.  Lower heat and cook 15-25 minutes, depending on the type of rice and the instructions on the rice package.  Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes.  Keep warm in an oven-safe dish at 225 degrees F.

-Alyssa