Don't really need a recipe for these--Chicken Quesadillas

Chicken Quesadillas
The Griddler A Guide To Perfect Meals

4 8-inch flour tortillas I used multi-grain tortillas
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted I used spray oil
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
2 ounces reduced fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup sliced black olives
¼ cup finely sliced green onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño pepper
Salsa

Lightly brush one side of each tortilla with ½ teaspoon melted butter. Place on the work surface, buttered side down. Preheat Griddler on Low-Medium. Place chicken, olives, green onion and jalapeño pepper in medium bowl and stir to blend. Divide mixture equally among 4 tortillas, placing to one side of the tortilla. Fold each tortilla in half.

When Griddler has preheated place 2 tortillas on the bottom griddle and close. Bake quesadillas for 5-6 minutes – until chicken is hot, cheese is melted, and tortillas are lightly golden brown and crispy. Place on a rack in a low oven to keep warm. Repeat cooking for remaining two quesadillas.

Cut quesadillas into wedges and serve with salsa.
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I usually free-style quesadillas but that doesn't give me anything to blog about. So, I tried this recipe from my Griddler recipe booklet. They were very fresh tasting and satisfying. The only think I would change is that I actually prefer to mix the salsa with the filling ingredients so that you get a nice tomato-y cheesey, filling.

My new Griddler seems to be working alright but I'm still not convinced that it's worth what it costs for this appliance. After the replacement came, I realized that the piece that you wrap the cord around had cracked and broken off. Well, I'm not sending back another one but I'm not pleased at all.

I picked up my groceries last night and I didn't do too bad but I had a few extra expenses that even though they were outside of my regular grocery shopping (they were drugstore items), it still bugged me to see the higher total. I will say I got a lot for my money last night. My cart was overflowing.

Blast From The Past: Spicy Vegetable Quesadillas from September 2006. I keep forgetting to make those again but they were delicious.

Question of the Day: Do you buy many non-food items (health and beauty products, paper products, etc) in the grocery store?

It was okay--Creole Macaroni and Cheese

Creole Macaroni and Cheese
Passport To Flavor Copyright 1993

½ cup butter or margarine
1 package (12 ounces) elbow macaroni I used Smart Taste
1 can (14 ½ ounces) Cajun stewed recipe tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 can (12 fluid ounces) evaporated milk I used evaporated 2% milk
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese I used Cabot's 50%

In large skillet, melt butter. Add macaroni, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add 1½ cups water; bring to boil. Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender. Sprinkle in flour; blend well. Stir in evaporated milk and cheese. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cheese is completely melted. Serve immediately.

4 to 6 servings
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This is from a Del Monte pamplet cookbook. I couldn't find the Cajun tomatoes so I used tomatoes with zesty mild green chiles and added some 'Cajun spice'. I goofed up a little since I thought this called for a pound of pasta. I had a 14.5 ounce box so I added some pasta rings to make it a pound. Then when I added the water, I thought, this is not enough water and then I realized my mistake so I added more water. I thought the pasta was sort of gummy. It was okay but I wouldn't make it again. Not with 1/2 cup of butter or margarine - I didn't notice that until it was too late. Oh well, we just had this and salad and I used 'healthy' pasta and low-fat mik and cheese.

Of course, I have a head cold so maybe you shouldn't trust my judgement.

I'm supposed to go grocery shopping tonight but I have nothing planned for next week. Last night I sat there in a room with hundreds of cookbooks and came up with nothing. I might concentrate on sides this week and repeat some entrees.

Blast From The Past: Baked Pork Chops from September 2007. Those will be on the menu next week.

Question of the Day: Do you have any ideas or suggestions for recipes I might try next week?

Great glaze--Quick Maple-Glazed Pork Chops

Quick Maple-Glazed Pork Chops
The Best 30-Minute Recipe Copyright 2006

4 boneless pork loin chops, 1 inch thick I used more
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 shallot, minced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary I used dried, about 1/2 tsp
¼ teaspoon cayenne Oops! Forgot to add this
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Pat chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chops well on one side, about 4 minutes. Transfer chops to plate and set aside.
2. Add shallot and ¼ teaspoon salt to fat left in the skillet, return to medium high heat, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, maple syrup, vinegar, rosemary, and cayenne, scraping up any browned bits.
3. Return chops to skillet, browned side up. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and continue to cook until center of chop registers 140 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Transfer chops to clean plate, tent with foil, and let rest until center of chop reaches 150 degrees, 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, return glaze to simmer and cook, uncovered, until darkly colored and thickened, about 7 minutes.
5. Add accumulated pork juices and mustard to glaze. Reduce heat to low and whisk in butter, on piece at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour glaze over chops and serve.
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I went to Ollie's with a 15% off coupon last week, thinking how exciting it was going to be to pick out some new cookbooks after not buying any for two months. I almost walked out empty handed. Their stock hadn't turned over much from two months ago. Just as I was about to walk away I spotted this book. I'm not sure that I'll have even 30 minutes to prepare dinner after the baby is born and I head back to work but I can dream.

This is from Cook's Illustrated and while their recipes can be fussy, they rarely disappoint. I was needlessly worried about this recipe since maple syrup can be overpowering but the final result here was a great sauce that had a hint of maple syrup but it was definitely not overpowering. I loved it and I could have eaten the sauce with a spoon. Okay, I did eat some of the sauce with a spoon but there was plenty left for the chops too.

I'm still pretty healthy but one ear closed up last night and the other seems close behind. Hopefully it won't get worse than that. This is the same thing my son had and decogestant got him through it. Unfortunately I can't just fill myself up with drugs willy-nilly right now but if anything is going to make me break down and take something during this pregnancy, a middle-of-the-night earache will do it. There's nothing worse. Well, labor and childbirth but I'm trying not to think about that.

Blast From The Past: Chocolate Sheet Cake from July 2006. That was from the New Best Recipe and it was a very good chocolate cake.

Question of the Day: How much time did you spend preparing dinner last night?

Disappointing--Flemish Beef and Beer Stew

Flemish Beef and Beer Stew
Betty Crocker’s New International Cookbook Copyright 1989

1 ½ pound beef boneless chuck or round steak, 1 inch thick
¼ pound bacon I used turkey bacon
4 medium onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1 can (12 or 16 ounces) light or dark beer
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vinegar
Snipped parsley
Hot cooked noodles

Cut beef into ½-inch slices; cut slices into 2-inch strips. Cut bacon into ¼-inch pieces; fry in Dutch oven until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon; drain. Pour off fat and reserve. Cook and stir onions and garlic in 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat until onion is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove onions. Cook and stir beef in remaining bacon fat until brown, about 15 minutes.

Stir in flour to coat beef; gradually stir in water. Add onions, beer, bay leaf, brown sugar, salt, thyme and pepper. Add just enough water to cover beef if necessary. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer until beef is tender, 1 to 1 ½ hours. Remove bay leaf. Stir in vinegar; sprinkle with bacon and parsley. Serve with noodles.
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This was similar to my favorite beef stew according to the list of ingredients but the small differences really made a big difference. I was not that thrilled with this. I will say that I think my appetite was 'off' last night. I feel a cold coming on.

What went wrong? Why did this turn out so differently from that other recipe? Well, first of all, I thought the bacon might 'add something' but it didn't since I used turkey bacon. I had a stock of it in the freezer (from a BOGO free sale) which I tried once and I decided I didn't like. I was going to buy real bacon for this but I was trying to be healthy and decided to give the turkey bacon another shot. Blech.

This recipe uses water instead of beef stock and the meat:liquid ratio is different. The other recipe has about the same amount of liquid and twice as much meat.

The main difference? The other recipe is baked. Baked stews just taste better than those cooked on the stovetop. Live and learn.

I've been surrounded by all sorts of bugs and illnesses lately and I think I've finally been hit. Let's hope it's something mild. I've going to skip the Blast From The Past because I don't feel like looking at any more food right now.

Question of the Day: Have you been healthy so far this year?

Wow--Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes
Baking From My Home To Yours Copyright 2006

For the cupcakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 stick (8 tbs) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk I used soured milk (milk & vinegar)
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

For the glaze I didn't make the glaze.
3 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (Valrhona bittersweet 70%)
1 tbs confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tbs cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Fit the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan with paper muffin cups, or butter them, dust them with flour and tap out the excess.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until it is blended into the butter. Add the egg, then the yolk, beating 1 minute after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the vanilla, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear. Scrape down the bowl and add the buttermilk, mixing until incorporated, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate and mix it in with the rubber spatula. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin molds.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the tops of the cakes are dry and springy to the touch and a knife inserted into their centers comes out clean. Transfer the muffin pan to a rack and let the cakes cool for 5 minutes before unmolding. Cool to room temperature on the rack before glazing.

To make the Glaze
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Transfer the bowl to the counter and let stand for 5 minutes.

Using a small whisk or rubber spatula, stir the confectioners’ sugar into the chocolate, followed by the pieces of cold butter. The glaze may be very thin at this point or may be perfectly spreadable. If it is too thin to spread or use as a dip, stir it over ice water for a few seconds – really less than a minute. With a small metal icing spatula, give each cupcake a crown of shiny ganache, and let the glaze set at room temperature (or in the fridge if you are in a hurry). If the ganache loses its gloss and you miss it, give the tops of the cakes a puff of hot air from a hairdryer right before serving.
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I've not had good luck with chocolate cupcakes. For my son's birthday, the first batch was a messy disaster and the second batch was dry. I've skipped over this recipe in the past because Dorie describes them as 'adult' but oh my, am I ever glad I finally made these.

These really hit the spot for me. They weren't too sweet and they had a very nice texture that I can't quite describe. They weren't dry nor were they particularly moist but they seemed just right. The tops were a bit chewy like a brownie and I thought they were great plain. I made these to freeze for my son who often needs a cupcake on the fly due to his peanut allergy (he can't have bakery cake or cupcakes) but not many made it into the freezer. I ate five of these! Not at once but over the course of a couple of days.

Blast From The Past: Pineapple Oatmeal Muffins from September 2007. I haven't been making many muffins these days but I should get back into the habit.

Question of the Day: Have you made any of Dorie's recipes?