Here we go again Atlanta - snowmageddon - part 2! Never fear - the Davis family is prepared to wait out this latest winter storm. I made my trip to the grocery store on Monday afternoon --- along with every other person that lives in my town. (Crazy long checkout lines - longer than they were at Christmas!) I wasn't looking for bread and milk though - this family prefers to weather winter storms with chicken soup and cookies. I made a great big batch of creamy chicken soup on Monday night to get us through this nasty ice storm. I used a recipe from www.thecookierookie.com as my inspiration for my yummy homemade soup. Don't be fooled by the "creamy" word though, I made this soup with 2% milk - no milk involved. Creamy soup without the cream - oh baby. Creamy Chicken Soup Roux 4 T flour 2 T olive oil 2 T butter – unsalted 2 T butter – unsalted 4 stalks carrots, peeled and chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 1 sweet yellow onion – diced 4 cups chicken stock or broth (or a combo) – low salt or unsalted 3½ cups 2 % milk 2 T chicken base granules 1 t fresh cracked pepper 1 T dried parsley 3 bay leaves 1½ t Herbs of Provence (provincial herbs) ¼ t garlic powder 3 cups rotisserie chicken – cubed or shredded and cooked shredded Parmesan cheese To make the roux
Take off the heat and set aside while combining other ingredients. Melt remaining butter in pot. Add vegetables and cook until tender.
Simmer until thickened and creamy. Ladle into bowls. Top with parmesan cheese. This soup was soooooo good --- and easy. As for the winter weather - not so good. We still have power this morning so that's a plus but we did wake up to LOTS of ice. The ice and sleet are expected to last all day today. I will be sure to document the storm in pictures as soon as I can get outside. This should be interesting - maybe I should have the kids videotape me trying to take pictures of the storm.
Ciao!
0 Comments
Anyone else feeling like they need a little warmth and sunshine this month? With the threat of another winter storm looming in the forecast, I'm ready for winter to be over and ready to move into spring. I'm ready for my tulips and daffodils to start blooming, ready for baseball season to start and certainly ready to feel the warmth from the sun. If you're feeling like you need a little ray of sunshine like me, you can brighten up your dinner with this super delicious chicken dinner from Cooking Light. I changed the recipe slightly but the concept is the same, fresh herbs and winter citrus fruits combined to make a delicious compliment to this roasted chicken.
Place chicken, breast side down on a cutting board. Cut backbone with scissors. Turn chicken breast side up and press down with the heel of hand until breastbone cracks. Tuck wings under chicken. Place chicken on a baking sheet and cover with rind mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Bake chicken in a 350 degree oven until breast temperature registers 165. (Mine took about 45 minutes.) Serve with chicken. I'm not normally a fan of fruit salsa but this one was a delicious surprise. It was just the burst of flavor that I was looking for on a cold day. I would definitely recommend this recipe to any of you looking to add some "zest" to your next meal. We're bracing for the next round of snow that's expected to hit Atlanta tonight but my I can't seem to keep from daydreaming about warmer days ahead. Stay warm friends.
Ciao! I don't normally write gender specific posts but today is an exception - this post is for all of my male readers. Take my very unsubtle hint : YOUR VALENTINE WOULD LOVE CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES ON FRIDAY! Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes --- What more do I need to say? There isn't a girl out there who wouldn't love these cupcakes for Valentine's Day.
I have to give credit for the inspiration for these cupcakes to pineapplesandcoconut.com for the brilliant idea. I put my own little spin on her idea but she was definitely the genius behind the cupcake. OK men - don't be intimidated by these cupcakes. I took a ridiculous number of pictures to walk you through the process. You CAN do this. Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes Cupcakes 1 cup flour 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar 1/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons cocoa 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter. melted 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 Tablespoons instant coffee 1/2 cup hot coffee
Add instant espresso to hot coffee.
Still with me? Now onto the chocolate strawberry ganache center. Ganache 2 ounces dark chocolate 2 ounces heavy cream 2 Tablespoons strawberry jam 1/4 cup fresh strawberries Pour over chopped chocolate and stir until melted.
Cool on a wire rack. So far so good, right? Easy as pie. (Uh, make that cupcake.) Moving onto the frosting. Not just any frosting - strawberry meringue!! Strawberry Meringue 4 egg whites, room temperature 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar pinch of salt 1/4 cup strawberry jam pink food coloring
Scoop the frosting into a pastry bag (or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off) fitted with a round tip. Pipe frosting onto each cupcake. Put these cupcakes into the freezer for at least 30 minutes. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. You're almost finished - one last step and you will have the most amazing cupcake ever. Chocolate Coating 6 ounces of dark chocolate 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil Remove cupcakes from freezer and dip into melted chocolate. Let sit at room temperature for a few minutes to let chocolate dry. By the way, if you put these in the sun to take pictures - the chocolate will melt again. (haha) Never fear, a quick trip to the frig will make help it to reharden. Go ahead and slice one of these cupcakes in half to reveal all of its delicious elements. Oh baby, these are good cupcakes. Happy Valentine's Day from your favorite food blogger. Love you.
Ciao! Today marks the start of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Anyone else excited about this? Athletes living out their dreams, achieving their goals and pushing themselves to reach their fullest potential. It's the stuff sappy laundry detergent commercials are made of. In all seriousness though - watching these men and women compete inspires me. Their determination, their commitment to their sport and their "all in" attitudes - that's what motivates me to refocus my life on what is really important. These athletes have figured out exactly what they are passionate about and they're willing to sacrifice to achieve their goals. As for me, focusing on a single task for more than fifteen minutes seems like an unreachable goal most days. Most days I take on more roles of a coach than an athlete. My duties as a mom and a wife and a cook involve more overseeing and strategizing instead of spending a great deal of time perfecting one particular skill. Even though it sounds ideal to concentrate all my efforts into a single task, it wouldn't take long before I would miss all of my other duties. I admire the perseverance and commitment of these athletes but for me, I'm happy with my multitasking job. I may not be a professional athlete (or even and amateur athlete for that matter) but that doesn't stop me from eating like one. This recipe for baked fish from Cook's Country is a great way to fuel an active body for competition or just to tackle the grocery store. Baked Cod 3 Tablespoons butter 1/2 onion, diced 1 garlic clove 1 teaspoon fresh thyme 3/4 cup panko 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise 1 egg yolk 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest 4 cod filets
Whisk together mayonnaise, egg yolk, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
I will be watching the Olympics tonight - any one else?
Ciao! Feeling like winters got you down? I've got just the recipe to cure you of the winter blahs. A bright burst of citrus, fresh spicy anise and some flaky salmon are perfect ingredients for a delightful winter meal. I found this recipe in my January issue of Bon Appetit magazine. It is super easy and really delicious. And it is (almost) guaranteed to brighten up any cold winter day. Slow Roasted Salmon with Fennel, Citrus and Jalapeno 1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced 1 navel orange, thinly sliced 1 Meyer lemon, thinly sliced 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced 4 sprigs fresh dill 2 pounds salmon filet olive oil
So there you have it, a light, healthy winter meal that just might make a cold winter's night - a little bit warmer. Hope you like it.
Ciao! |
Like my page on facebook.
Follow me on Instagram
Categories
All
Archives
April 2024
|