Weeknight Supper

It's Monday. Blech. It's days like this when cooking ideas dry up. You've got veg in the fridge that you swore you would eat over the weekend (but didn't), and now you just want some pasta.

That's when I usually turn to this dish. I'd call it a hash, but there's no potatoes. I'd call it a pasta, but that's definitely not the main ingredient. It's just a bowl full of goodness.

Mr. S, bless his heart, loves this mad mix of dinner-ish food. He gets all excited when I tell him this is what he's in for. I think it's mostly cause of the bacon though. That man looooooves bacon.

Speaking of bacon, that's the first step. Chop up the bacon into small pieces. Cook in your largest skillet (it will be much too large for this job, but eventually, everybody's going in). I also had an orphaned Italian sausage in the fridge. I threw him in too. Not necessary, but delicious!

Once that's all cooked, remove the meat from the skillet. Leave the grease there, you'll be using it in a second. 

Is your pot of water on the stove yet? You'll need it to cook the pasta. It's better to put it on now and get it to boiling than forget and have to hold everything else while you wait for pasta to cook.....

Grab your chopped veg. I always use brussels sprouts, and then whatever else is in the fridge. This time it was asparagus. 

Toss the brussels sprouts in the skillet with the grease and let them roast until golden brown. This will take a little while. (Is the water boiling yet? Penne takes 10 minutes to cook...)

After the sprouts are all roasty toasty, toss in the other veg.

Sautee that up until the other vegetables are cooked. Then add the chickpeas. You just need to warm them through.

Once you're thoroughly warm, add in the cooked pasta and a 1/2 c. of the pasta water. Then mix in feta, salt and pepper, nutmeg, and lemon zest.

Last step? Toss in that bacon (and sausage). Hopefully there's some left after it's been sitting out where picky fingers can find it.

We like to add poached eggs to ours, but it's completely optional. Sometimes we just eat it straight from the skillet.

So, grab that spoon and make up your bowls. Top with the egg, if you want to. 

Not a bad meal for a weeknight!

Warm Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, Penne, and Chickpeas

Serves 4

Adapted from How Sweet It Is

3 pieces of bacon, chopped

1 Italian sausage (optional)

8-10 brussels sprouts, halved or quartered (depending on size)

1/2 bunch of asparagus (or whatever other veg you've got)

1 29 oz can garbanzo beans/chickpeas

2 c. cooked penne pasta (a little more or less isn't a huge deal. If you're feeding a lot, add more!)

1/2 c. pasta water

1/2 c feta cheese, crumbled

Zest of 1/2 a lemon

A few grates of nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

Poached eggs (optional)

In a medium saucepan, add water and set to boil for pasta. In a very large skillet, cook the bacon and sausage (if using). Remove the meat from the skillet, but retain grease. Add chopped brussels sprouts and roast until golden. 

When the water is boiling, add pasta and cook for time directed on box.

When brussels sprouts are roasted, add asparagus (or other veg). Cook until roasted. Add the drained chickpeas to the skillet and warm through. When chickpeas are warmed, add in cooked pasta and 1/2 c. of the pasta water. Mix in feta, lemon zest, salt and pepper, and the few grates of nutmeg (Mr. S isn't a big fan, so I don't add all that much). Add the meat in and mix.

Serve in bowls. Top with a poached egg if desired.

The Pudding Cup to Cupcake Experiment

For some strange reason, we had a lot of chocolate pudding cups in the pantry. We are not pudding cup people. Mr. S refuses to take them to work for lunches, and I have no intention of eating them as-is. If I'm going to eat pudding, it's gonna be made from a heritage recipe, with milk and butter, and come from a pot on the stove. I'm not wasting my time on something out of a plastic cup. *snob!*

But, there had to be something I could do with them. And I've been wondering about those "cupcakes for 2" recipes floating around.

Enter the lab, and we'll see what comes!

I attempted 6 different recipes, tweaking each with the amounts of egg, baking powder, and other odds and ends.

I did both chocolate and vanilla versions. They were differentiated by the cupcake liner color. I took serious notes on the process.

After letting them bake for what seemed like an eternity, this is what I got -

See how most of them sunk down? This was after a few minutes of cooling. They just kept sinking! Not a good sign, my friends. But do you see the dark brown ones in the back? We might have a winner. On to the taste test!

Vanilla comes first -

There's what appears to be an open-ish crumb on Cupcake #1v. At least there are some air holes visible. This has an egg white and 1/4 tsp of baking powder. And not much else beyond flour and sugar. Super basic. But kinda gummy. Not something I would eat willingly.

Cupcake #2v is, at best, likened to the Chinese dessert Glutinous Rice Cake. The texture was more gummy than I'd ever consider acceptable in a baked good. It was immediately dumped into the trash can.

The final attempt at a vanilla cupcake fared no better. Cupcake #3v was even gummier. And it had an overpowering vanilla taste. Ewwww. Straight into the trash we go!

Perhaps the chocolate will be better?

First up, the whole-egg-included Cupcake #1c. It was pretty gummy and didn't taste very chocolatey at all. I chewed my bite for awhile and spat it out. Thumbs down.

Cupcake #2c was even worse than the first. It has half an egg and less baking powder. It was so gummy and gross that I didn't even bother past one chew. It went right in the trash can.

I saved this one for last, since it had the most promise. Cupcake #3c didn't sink like all the others. It actually looked, gasp, normal! The crumb was good, and it's super moist. There was only a faint aftertaste of artificial-ness from the pudding cup. It looks like we've got a winner!

Next in the scientific method - repeating the experiment to prove results. 

Mr. S definitely didn't mind. Especially since it came with espresso frosting. 

And, we have a winner! You can make cupcakes with a pudding cup!!

You just need to add a lot of good stuff. 

Chocolate Pudding Cup Cupcakes For 2

Makes 2 cupcakes

1 chocolate pudding cup (I used Hunt's - it claims it's made with real milk)

1 egg white

1/4 c. (heaping) flour

1/3 tsp (heaping) baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp dark cocoa powder

2 1/2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a medium bowl, mix together the pudding cup and the egg white. Add in the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, sugar, and vanilla. Mix until fully incorporated. 

Put paper liners in two of the places in your cupcake pan. Fill the rest of the places half-way up with water. Divide the batter between the two paper-lined spots. Put the pan in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool, and then frost with your favorite frosting. Mine is listed below - 

Espresso Vanilla Buttercream

Makes enough for 6 cupcakes

3 tbsp butter, softened

2 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp hot water

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp espresso powder

Beat butter in a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer. In a small bowl, combine the water, vanilla, and espresso powder. Add to the butter and beat in. Add the powdered sugar, a half-cup at a time, until you get the consistency you want. 

If it gets too stiff, add milk or water by the teaspoon until you get it right. If too loose, add powdered sugar by the tablespoon.

A Home-cooked Birthday Dinner

Mr. S had a birthday yesterday. I surprised him with a framed print of one of the airplanes he loves. It's in one of those 2-sided frames 'cause there's cool stuff on the back too. And a plate of Boursan cheese with crackers. Yum.

For dinner he requested steak (in a cast iron skillet), roasted asparagus, and a spinach salad (I added the roasted tomatoes and walnuts, with blue cheese crumbles). There were also cheddar and chive biscuits, a compound herb butter, and a nice cab sauv.

The pièce de résistance was the Hershey's chocolate cake. It's always been his cake, since he was little. This year, as it's just the two of us, I made a half cake. And added espresso icing polka dots. He didn't seem to mind.

Quiche with Chicken - Two Ways

I love rotisserie chickens. The kind you find in those plastic containers in the grocery store. Their siren song calls to me as soon as I pull into the parking lot. I also love roasting my own chickens. Both are delicious, in their own special ways. 

But, once you've had your initial fill of wonderful roasted chicken goodness, what do you do with the rest of it? 

May I suggest quiche? Eggy, sumptuous quiche. The perfect breakfast/brunch/lunch dish. Quiche is quite adaptable. You can go many different directions. I suggest French ('cause that's where it came from) and Greek ('cause I happened to have feta cheese in the fridge).

In both cases, we start off with onions, garlic and butter.

Then the chicken. Chop it up in bite size pieces. 

Next up, some spinach. Let the spinach sit in the hot pan (the one that you sauteed those onions in) and wilt a little. 

 

Here's where the two diverge - 

For the French version, you need to brown up some bacon.

Then combine the bacon, chicken, and garlic/onions.

Add in a cup of grated swiss cheese, a tablespoon of Herbs De Provence, and some salt and pepper. 

Mix that up, and toss in the wilted spinach.

Dump it into your crust-lined deep dish pie plate. 

Mix up your eggs, milk, and cream, and gently pour over the mixture. Sprinkle a bit of swiss over the top.

It's ready for the oven!

Now, on to the Greek.

It begins the same, with a mix of chicken, onions, and garlic. But then you add feta.

Next, chop up some olives and roasted red peppers.

Mix those into the bowl with the chicken and onions. Add the spinach. Then toss in some oregano, dill, and smoked paprika. 

 

I've only got one deep dish pie plate, so I had to MacGyver up another. If you rip off strips of parchment paper and rim a regular sized pie plate with them, it gets taller. 

I had to use 3 strips to fit all the way around. But it held! Even after I dumped everything in and added some grape tomatoes!

After a trip to the oven, they both came out beautifully. 

I preferred the French one, and Mr. S liked the Greek. Of course. 

French Chicken Quiche

Makes 1 deep dish quiche

1/2 large onion, diced

1 large clove garlic, diced

1 tbsp butter

1 c. leftover rotisserie or roasted chicken, cubed

3 strips bacon, chopped

1 1/2 c. fresh baby spinach

1 c. grated swiss cheese, 2 tbsp reserved for sprinkling on top

1 tbsp Herbes De Provence

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pie crust (store-bought or homemade, I don't judge)

4 eggs

3/4 c. milk (I used 1%)

1/2 c. heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium skillet, sautee onion, garlic and butter over medium heat until the onion is translucent. In a large bowl, mix the chicken and onions. Using the same skillet, brown up the bacon. When the bacon is crispy, add to the bowl. Remove some of the bacon grease, and add the spinach to the pan. Allow the spinach to wilt slightly. Add it to the bowl along with the grated swiss, Herbes De Provence, and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

Place your pie crust into a deep dish pie plate. Dump in the chicken mixture and even it out.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and cream. Gently pour the egg mixture into the pie plate. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top. Put in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until browned on top and just set. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving. 

Greek Chicken Quiche

Makes 1 deep dish quiche

1/2 large onion, diced

1 large clove garlic, diced

1 tbsp butter

1 c. leftover rotisserie or roasted chicken, cubed'

1 c. feta cheese, crumbled

1 1/2 c. fresh baby spinach

3 tbsp roasted red pepper, chopped

6 kalamata olives, quartered

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp dill

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 pie crust (store-bought or homemade, I don't judge)

4 eggs

3/4 c. milk (I used 1%)

1/2 c. heavy cream

1/4 c. grape tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium skillet, sautee onion, garlic and butter over medium heat until the onion is translucent. In a large bowl, mix the chicken and onions. Add the feta to the bowl and mix. Place the spinach into the warm skillet. Allow the spinach to wilt slightly. Add it to the bowl along with the red peppers and olives. Add in the oregano, dill, and smoked paprika. Mix thoroughly.

Place your pie crust into a deep dish pie plate. Dump in the chicken mixture and even it out.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and cream. Gently pour the egg mixture into the pie plate. Place the grape tomatoes on the top, nicely spread out. Put the quiche in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until browned on top and just set. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Coconut & Dark Chocolate Skillet Blondies

Cast iron skillets are awesome. You can make pancakes in them. Fry bacon. Roast a chicken. 

You can also make dessert. 

I've tried cakes before, and they've turned out delicious. Then there's the chocolate chip cookie. That's good too. But I wanted something in between. Mmmmm. Blondies!

First, the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder

Then, melt the butter in the skillet.

Add in the brown sugar and stir till goopy. (It's a very scientific term, I know.)

Dump the butter/sugar mixture into the bowl with the flour, etc. Mix it up good.

Now, add your egg and the vanilla. Next, the coconut and chocolate. Mmmmm.

Into the skillet it goes. Top with a bit of sea salt flakes. Let it cook until golden and delicious!

Slice it up and serve to your adoring fans. And a little bit of ice cream on top never hurt anybody.

Coconut and Dark Chocolate Skillet Blondies

Makes 1 10-inch skillet

Adapted from The Kitchn

1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 c. butter
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 c. dark chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli's 60% cocoa)

1 c. sweetened flaked coconut
Sprinkling of flaked sea salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, melt the butter. When melted, whisk in brown sugar until well combined. 

Pour butter/sugar mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix. Add in egg and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Dump in chocolate and coconut and stir till just combined. 

Toss back into the skillet and sprinkle with sea salt, if desired. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Eat plain or serve with ice cream, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, whatever floats your boat.