Chicken Showdown: Panko vs. Tortilla Chips

As every month comes to an end, so does our food budget here at the Herr household. Usually, that just means I have a bunch of ingredients that I don't have any plans for, and Nick and I throw something together on a whim. Last night, we had a few chicken breasts and a taste for one of our favorites: Panko-Crusted Chicken Bites (Nick prefers "nuggets"). This is the only recipe I've made more than once since we've moved to Dayton, so clearly, we're fans of it.

But as I was gathering ingredients, trouble arose. Not enough panko. I wasn't about to quit on the recipe, so I came up with an alternative: tortilla chips. Nick crushed them up with some good old fashioned elbow grease and we were good to go. The idea seemed pretty genius, and we were excited to find out if we'd like the new version as much as the old one.

Above are the classic panko-crusted bites. They have a great texture: a defined coating of panko, but not too crispy. Great with barbecue sauce (Nick) or ketchup (me).

Pictured here are the tortilla chip bites. These came out with the nice salty flavor of the chip, but were a little too crunchy for our tastes. It's a great concept, but next time, I think I'll try them on a full-sized chicken breast. There seemed to be too much chip and not enough chicken - a good tip might be to put them in the food processor instead of crushing by hand. I think they'd be great with some fresh salsa (Nick) or guacamole (me).

So in the end, the originals won out, but that's partly because we need to perfect the new version. When it blossoms into a new recipe, I'll be sure to post.

*Find the recipe here.

Daring Bakers: Regrets

I can't tell you how much I wanted to make the Buche de Noel for the December Daring Bakers challenge. I was so looking forward to it.

But things got busy. And I got sick. And the recipe took multiple days. By the time December 30 arrived, I had run out of time.

My regrets, DB friends! Check out all of the other Daring Bakers' blogs here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: (Not so) Tall and Creamy Cheesecake

This week's TWD pick was Tall and Creamy Cheesecake, chosen by the lovely Anne at Anne Strawberry. Two reasons I didn't actually make a full-sized cheesecake:

1. Nick bought me a set of very cute mini springform pans for Christmas and I wanted to try them out.
2. We do not need a full-sized cheesecake sitting around the house. The holidays have not been kind to my waistline!


The recipe was pretty straightforward. I made 1/2 of the recipe, which turned out three mini-cheesecakes. I shortened the baking time from 90 minutes to about 45, and then left them in the oven to cool for about 30 minutes. I went the all sour cream route (instead of adding heavy cream) and used lower fat ingredients (light sour cream, light cream cheese, light butter for the crust, etc).

Nick and I just had a little taste, and they live up to the name- the creamy part, at least! And it doesn't even taste low-fat. Please comment if you want my specific ingredient changes!

*Find the recipe here.

**Tuesdays with Dorie is a group of bloggers baking through Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Christmas Morning Treats: Ebelskivers

Christmas morning comes with lots of treats. Many of them are gifts, but some of them are edible. This year, I turned one of my gifts into a tasty breakfast treat!

(image from williams-sonoma.com)

One of the gifts I received from my husband this year was an Ebelskiver pan. Before this year, I had heard of ebelskivers, but didn't know much about them. After beginning work at Williams Sonoma, I found that they are very popular (they've been selling out all season!). If you're not familiar, ebelskivers are little filled pancakes - check out the pan here!

The great thing about ebelskivers is that you can fill them with anything. We went a little crazy, trying just about everything that was in my mom's fridge/pantry. Here are some suggestions:

-Jelly (with and without peanut butter)
-Chocolate Chips
-Pie Filling
-Sweetened cream cheese with dried fruit/nuts
-Fruit (apples, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, etc.)
-Nutella

Filled Pancakes
(from the Williams Sonoma Kitchen)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar
4 eggs, separated
2 cups milk
4 tbs unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking
fillings (see above)

1. In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In another small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in the milk and the melted butter. Whisk the yolk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined. The batter will be lumpy.

2. In another bowl, using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high until stiff but not dry peaks form, about 2-3 minutes. Using a spatula, gently stir whites into the batter in two additions.

3. Put 1/4 tsp butter into each well of the Ebelskiver pan. Set over medium heat and heat until butter begins to bubble. Pour 1 tbs batter into each well. Pout 1 tsp of filling into the center of each pancake and top with 1 tbs batter. Cook until the bottoms are golden brownn and crisp, 3-4 minutes.

4. Using 2 wooden skewers, flip the pancakes over and cook until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate, repeat with the remaining batter and serve.

*Click here for more ebelskiver recipes from Williams Sonoma.

Birthday Excuses

There has been/will be a lack of posting for the next few days.

The holidays are crazy enough on their own, but today also brings with it my 22nd birthday. Rather than spending the day online, coming up with some clever post about birthday cake or something, I am going to enjoy it with the people I love. That goes for the rest of the holidays, too - I'll give a full recap after the dust settles.

Merry Christmas to all my lovely readers!

Winter Flavors: Apple Juice Pork with Squash and Golden Raisins

For the last few months, I've been hearing about a small chain of grocery stores in Dayton called Dorothy Lane Markets. A week or two ago, I headed over to check it out. My friends had praised DLM for their great cuts of meat, so it sounded like a perfect place to get the pork for this recipe. The verdict?

The pork was great, but the prices were not. DLM is similar in feel to Whole Foods, but also carries some of the basic, processed American brands we all love. Best of both worlds, right? You'd think.. but with today's food prices rising every day, I couldn't justify doing a two-week shopping trip at DLM when I could get a lot of the same products elsewhere. I think it's a lovely place to get food for a special occasion, maybe a dinner for two.. but I won't be a regular.

As for this recipe, it was a hit in the Herr house. Nick loves the combination of fruit and meat (who doesn't?) and I was intrigued by the squash component. It's an almost one-pot dish (you have to removed the pork after searing and finish it in the oven) where the flavors of apple, butternut squash, onion and golden raisins get to meld together. The sauce was sweet and tart, creating a nice balanced flavor.

Find the recipe here.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Buttery Jam Cookies

This week's TWD recipe, Buttery Jam Cookies, was chosen by Heather of Randomosity and the Girl. On her blog post today, she said she picked the recipe because it was quick, easy and had some of her favorite ingredients. Thanks, Heather, for picking something that we could all enjoy during the holidays without too much trouble! I took these to a holiday party last night to share with a few friends. (I'm sure the party pictures will be up soon over at AWMB!)

A lot of TWDers said that the cookies didn't spread, but mine spread quite nicely. I liked the buttery taste of the cookies and the biscuit-like consistency. I omitted the ginger in the recipe, simply because I didn't have any. I also used the apricot jam that Dorie suggested, and did minimal mixing- I think that helped them to spread out.

Out of the three December TWD cookie recipes, this is my second favorite. I liked the sugar cookies best, and the linzers were a hit, but not my personal favorite. These fall somewhere in between. I'm sure there will be plenty more holiday treats to come!

*Find the recipe here.

**Tuesdays with Dorie is a group of bloggers baking through Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours.

The Sunday Soup Pot: Chicken and White Bean Soup

We all know how much I love soup. And Martha. I found a Martha recipe for 15-Minute White Bean Soup, and planned on making it today. Then I decided to switch it up, and create my own version of the soup. Nick and I loved the flavor- a real step up from basic chicken noodle!

Chicken and White Bean Soup
(adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe for 15-Minute White Bean Soup)

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1 box chicken broth
2 chicken breast halves
1 can white beans (great northern beans), rinsed and drained
1 bunch/bag of spinach leaves
a squeeze of lemon juice
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese and crusty bread, for serving

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil. Add onion, garlic and oregano and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Add 2 cups water, broth, chicken breast and beans to the pot. Cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until chicken breast is cooked through. Remove chicken and let cool; shred with a fork and return to the pot. For a thicker consistency, mash beans lightly in the pot. Add spinach and squeeze of lemon. Stir until spinach is just wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into bowls and top with parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty bread.

Appetizers Galore: The Joey Eric Holiday Party

Yesterday, I provided the food for a holiday party at Joey Eric, a ladies' clothing boutique in Dayton. I work part-time at Joey Eric, so my boss and I decided on a menu together. Though the turnout was a lot smaller than expected, the food was enjoyed and it was a good experience for me. All of the tasty treats and their recipes can be found below!

*FYI: some of the recipes were slightly adapted, so if you want info on one recipe specifically, please comment and I'll give you all the details!

Puff Pastry Cheese Straws

Caprese Bites

Cucumber Cups with Smoked Salmon

Turkey Sandwich Spirals

Peppermint Bark

Mini Vanilla Cupcakes (Magnolia's recipe, of course)

The experience was fun, though very tiring when mixed in with two part-time jobs. I love the planning and the cooking part, but not the frantic and hectic part. Next time, I'll allow for more time and more sleep during the process.

Dorie Rewind: Linzer Sables

After all of the Dorie skipping I did last month, I was not about to slack on these tiny little beauties. Yes, I am posting eight days late, but yesterday was a Double Dorie Tuesday, and I wanted to share these with you!

For the dough, I opted for walnuts. I wasn't sure if I would like the taste, since I prefer almond cookies, but they were actually quite tasty. I filled them with chocolate ganache- mostly because I had the bittersweet chocolate on hand, but also because I was too indecisive about what type of jam to put inside.

I meant to take these to a cooking swap with my Cooking Club, but Nick and I ended up going to our small group for church instead. Before we left, I dusted them with a little powdered sugar, and all but six were gobbled up by then end of the night! I'll take that as a success.

*Find the recipe here.

*Tuesdays with Dorie is a group of bloggers baking through Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Grandma's All-Occasion Sugar Cookies

This week's host at Kuchenlatein chose Dorie's Grandma's All-Occasion Sugar Cookies for Tuesdays with Dorie. I made these little rounds for my book club yesterday, and they were a hit!

Instead of using cookie cutters, I took Dorie's "playing around" advice and used slice and bake cookies. Before slicing, I rolled them in sugar for a little extra sweetness. They came out well- tasting much like shortbread, only sweeter.

*Tuesdays with Dorie is a group of bloggers baking through Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Photo Flashback

I'm feeling nostalgic for some photographs with natural light.. these winter photos have been miserable. So enjoy these little beauties. Happy Sunday!

How to Organize My Recipes

I've been thinking about a way to organize all of my recipes. I'd like to create some kind of recipe database that I can search through and organize by category. I found this review of some recipe software. Has anyone used this? Big Oven? Living Cookbook? Do they work?

Update: My New Obsession

So, I think I want to be a caterer.

Recently, I was asked to unofficially cater two events for my boutique, Joey Eric. That same day, I offered to take care of all the food preparations for my soon-to-be sister-in-law's bridal shower. At first, I was just excited at the prospect of coming up with the menus for these events. Then the wheels in my brain started turning, and I got to thinking about how much I would love to do small event catering, event designing/planning, and even working as a personal chef.

I want to use these first few events to get a feel for what's it's like to be a caterer, test it out, and see if it's something I really want to do. Right now, all I can think about is how fun it could be. What do you think? Could I cut it in the catering world?

Pizza in a Bowl: Pasta with Turkey Meatballs and Bocconcini

I love these turkey meatballs. Frankly, they're the only meatballs I'll make. Unless you ask me nicely, then obviously I would make you real meatballs. The point is: I love these. You can use them in so many different ways! I used to make them back in Philly, and they're still my standby. We had some in the freezer on Monday night (you can make a big batch ahead and freeze them uncooked) and I made this little pasta recipe from Martha.


With the mozzarella, tomatoes and juices from the meatballs, this meal tasted so reminiscent of pizza! I loved it. Orecchiette (also called little ears or little hats) is also my favorite kind of pasta (I used to order Garlic Chicken with orecchiette at Olive Garden and fell in love with it- Christina, you can confirm, I'm sure). Definitely give this one a try- Nick and I were obsessed.

You Want Pies With That?: Blue Christmas Blueberry Tarts

Is it just me, or does it seem like I've joined a lot of baking groups?

I don't think it's just me.

Anyways, this is another new one called You Want Pies With That?, inspired by Keri Russell's pie-making in the movie Waitress (which I adore, by the way). This month's challenge was to create a pie based on the title of a holiday song. Of course, I wanted to make little mini desserts for my party, so I decided to make this quick little treat. It's not rocket science, it's not advanced, but this girl had three challenges to pull off!

Blue Christmas Blueberry Tarts

1 recipe all-butter pie crust (I use this recipe)
1 can blueberry pie filling (or make your own)

Directions:
1. Prepare the pie crust and chill for an hour or two, or until ready to roll.
2. Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a mini cupcake pan with cooking spray.
2. Roll out the dough until very thin. Use a biscuit cutter to make circles. Place one circle in each cupcake mold, forming the circles into a miniature pie crust. Poke each little crust with a fork.
3. Partially bake the crusts for about 10 minutes. They should not yet be brown. Remove from the oven.
4. Fill each crust with a dollop of blueberry pie filling. Place back in the oven and bake until crust is golden brown, 5-7 more minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm or room temperature.

*I'm not sure exactly how much dough and how much filling you'll have- chances are you'll have extra. I was making other pies that day, so I can't say for sure how much of it I used for the tarts. If you try this, let me know!

Take-In: Moo Shu Pork

I had no idea moo shu pork was this good. This was the first time Nick and I have tried it, and it was super tasty! The flour tortillas (seems weird, I know) and Hoisin sauce are essential and delicious.
The egg part was simple- just make sure that you don't brown it too much.I used whatever mushrooms I had on hand- baby bellas, I think.

Make sure you use a large pan with enough room for all of the cabbage to wilt.

Like I said, the hoisin and tortillas are so good - if you think it's odd, take it up with Martha, but I swear. You've gotta try it!


*Find the recipe here. Love you, Martha!

TWD: I'm doubling up next week!

FYI to all my TWD friends: I have two holiday get-togethers next week, so I'll be making the next two recipes then!

The 2nd Annual Autumnal Extravaganza: The Full Run-Down

Thanksgiving vacation came and went in a flash! I spent all day Friday with my mom, Kath, and my best friend, Erin, preparing for the Autumnal Extravaganza. We hit the grocery store around 9am, and continued cooking all the way until 6pm! It was a long day of cooking, but so much fun! We didn't get to take pictures of everything, but we took as many as we could (Thanks to Erin for many of these pictures!).

The Menu
(click for recipes)

Hot Spiced Sangria
Mulled Apple Cider*
Sweet Onion Dip
Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Ham and Cheese Rugelach (click here for Dorie's dough recipe, put whatever you want inside!)
Panko-Crusted Chicken Bites
Turkey Meatballs in Homemade Barbecue Sauce (with some secret ingredients- comment if you want the details!)
Pumpkin Mousse**
Thanksgiving Twofer Mini Pies
Mini Caramel Cupcakes with Caramelized Butter Frosting
Mini Fruit Tarts (click here for the dough recipe)

The sweet onion dip, chicken bites, rugelach, barbecue sauce and caramel cakes were the hits of the party. I will be making the onion dip again and again, I'm sure! Check out the pictures below -I wish I had more!

The Sangria was super tasty and super easy!

*Quick steps to mulled cider: Pour the cider into a stockpot or crockpot. Add mulling spices, wrapped in cheesecloth (I recommend Williams Sonoma Mulling Spices, of course). Simmer for a few hours. Add applejack brandy to mugs (if desired) and pour cider on top.

I missed the rugelach challenge for TWD, but I thought savory rugelach would be a great idea. These were super popular and gone in minutes!

Mini fruit tarts! These pie shells were meant for the Twofer pie, but they were too tiny! My quick fix: fill them with pie filling and throw them back into the oven for a few minutes to set up.

A tasty mini Twofer pie. So cute, so fun! There might have been a little too much crust, but I'll work out the kinks for my next mini pies.

**Pumpkin Mousse Recipe (straight from the Williams Sonoma files!)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
8oz cream cheese, room temperature, softened
12oz cool whip
1 jar Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter (found at WS - on sale now!)

Mix milk and sugar until well blended. Add cream cheese and pecan pumpkin butter and mix well again. Fold in Cool Whip. Chill 20 minutes and serve.