Saturday, March 13, 2010

Buttermilk Biscuits with Chocolate Gravy

Southern Livings
Best Buttermilk Biscuits

1/2 cup cold butter (1 stick real butter)
2 1/4 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
additional Self-rising flour
(for counter surface to knead dough)
2 tablespoons melted butter

Cut butter with a sharp knife or pastry blender into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Sprinkle butter slices over flour in a large bowl. Toss butter with flour. Cut butter into flour with a pastry blender until crumbly and mixture resembles small peas. (I used my hands) Cover and chill 10 minutes. Add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3 or 4 times, gradually adding additional flour as needed. With floured hands, press or pat dough into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches). Sprinkle top of dough with additional flour. Fold dough over onto itself in 3 sections, starting with 1 short end. (Fold dough rectangle as if folding a letter-size piece of paper.) Repeat entire process 2 more times, beginning with pressing into a 3/4-inch-thick dough rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches). Press or pat dough to 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; cut with a 2-inch round cutter, and place, side by side, on a parchment paper-lined or lightly greased jelly-roll pan. (Dough rounds should touch.) Bake at 450° for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; brush with 2 Tbsp. melted butter.


Prep: 20 min., Chill: 10 min., Bake: 13 - 15 min.

Southern Chocolate Gravy
(pour over homemade biscuits)

3/4 cup white sugar
2 heaping tablespoons flour
1 heaping tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Add all the dry ingredients to a medium sized pot. Add the milk, using a whisk combine the dry ingredients with the milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and stir constantly to prevent the mixture from scorching. The mixture will start thicken up. When it thickens remove from heat and add the butter and the vanilla extract. Pour over biscuits, I tear my biscuit up in a bowl first and then pour the gravy all over it.

* If by chance your gravy is not at the consistency that you want. You can mix a bit of flour and milk together and add it to the boiling chocolate to thicken it as much as you like. Some people like their chocolate gravy a bit thin and some a bit thicker.

Avery was in chocolate heaven. The biscuits weren't the best I've ever had but they were good. This was my first time making homemade biscuits so that could have had something to do with it as well. The chocolate gravy was yummy though!

Monday, February 8, 2010

Three Cheese Tortellini Casserole

1 lb. Hamburger
1 jar alfredo sauce
1 (8 oz)can tomato sauce
1 pkg dry spaghetti seasoning mix
1 pkg family size three cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)
1 C. grated Parmesan Cheese (fresh)

Brown hamburger, drain grease. Mix alfredo sauce, tomato sauce, and spaghetti seasoning together. Boil tortellini for about 6 minutes if using fresh, or about 3 minutes less than package directions for frozen. Mix tortellini, meat and sauces together. Pour ino greased pan and top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Easiest Homemade Salsa

1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
6 green onions, chopped
1 bunch of cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt

Place all ingredients into a food processor, or blender, and process until desired consistency is reached. Refrigerate a few hours before serving to blend flavors.

Tortilla Pinwheels

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. sour cream
1 c. grated cheese
1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
1/2 C. chopped olives
1/2 c. chopped green onions
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
8-10 flour tortillas

Mix first 8 ingredients until well combined. Spread over tortillas and roll up. Place all rolls in refrigerator overnight for best flavor. When ready to serve cut into about one inch pieces. (I usually cut the ends of and save them for a snack, they don't look as nice as the center pieces). Serve with salsa.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Corn and Crab Bisque

We tried this Emeril Lagasse recipe and really liked it. We had to make a few changes because we couldn't find fish stock or Zatarain's Concentrated Crab and Shrimp Boil and because we accidentally bought minced crab meat instead of lump crab meat (oops!), but it turned out good. I've never had a soup like it before so it was fun to try. As follows makes 4 to 6 servings (we doubled it when we made it).

3 T. vegetable oil
3 T. bleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup corn kernels
2 T. minced shallots
2 T. minced celery
1 T. minced garlic
1 t. salt
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
1 cup chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 t. Cajun seasoning (I use Louisiana Fish Fry, Inc's seasoning)
1/2 pound minced crab meat
1/4 cup minced green onion (green part only)

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the flour a tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until blended. Continue stirring to make a light brown roux, 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the onions, corn, shallots, celery, garlic, salt and cayenne and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, about 4 minutes. Slowly stir in the stock. Add the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Add the milk, cream, and the Cajun seasoning. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Stir in the crab meat and green onions and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves.

Serve hot ladled into bowls.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

This is of request of my brother Derek:

Filling Ingredients:
1 c. butter or margarine
2 2/3 c. peanut butter
2 2/3 c. powdered sugar (may need a little more)
2 tsp. vanilla


1 package of dipping chocolate melted

You just mix this all together then in either a pan or your peanut butter cup molds spray a little Pam. Then you add just a thin layer of the melted chocolate and let it sit in the freezer or fridge for 2-3 min (or just until settled.) Then depending on whether you have done it in a pan or in the molds you add the filling mixture on top however thick you want. If in the molds roll the peanut butter mixture so it makes a ball the size of a penny or so. then you add the rest of the chocolate on top and let it set. Then you enjoy!

Friday, January 1, 2010

Meatball Subs

I tried out a new no recipe recipe yesterday and it was delicious so I thought I would share. Matt's favorite sandwich at Subway is the meatball, so we were anxious to see how this compared.

Meatball Subs
In a crockpot put 1/2 package (about 40 meatballs) of frozen, traditional store bought meatballs. Add 1 can Spaghetti sauce. Cover and let cook in crock pot on high about 3 hours.

When ready to eat serve on a hard crusty roll or hoagie bun. Top with cheese, olives, banana peppers, jalapenos, tomatoes, lettuce, cucmbers, and red onion. (all optional of course) It was super yummy and passed the Matt test!! Serves 10.