Rainy Day Grilled Cheese Surprise

Today has been a dark very rainy cool day in New York City. Lunch was very late lunch today I'm having a super busy start to 2017!  Sometimes you just need a change of pace for lunch.  This was one of those, "wonder how it would be if I add...." moments in the kitchen.  This will be definitely a make again lunch and a favorite.  If I can I will lay out the Swiss cheese and ham for a bit till they get closer to room temperature to aid the melting of the cheese.   If not and the cheese isn't runny enough I will often cover the pan till it's gooey.  Enjoy!!

Rainy Day Grilled Cheese Surprise

Zesty pickled jalapeños, oozy gooey Swiss cheese, and very thinly sliced ham!   Other versions of this sandwich could be prepared and very tasty with thinly sliced turkey or chicken for sure!

Rainy Day Grilled Cheese Surprise

Serves 1

2 slices of Swiss Cheese (about the size of the bread slice)

2 ounces thinly sliced ham

pickled jalapeño slices 

2 slices of whole wheat bread

1 Tablespoon softened butter

griddle, heavy fry pan or panini press

Method

Warm the frying pan on medium heat.

   

Add 1 buttered slice of bread butter side down in the pan.  Top with 2 slices of Swiss cheese, layer the pickled jalapeños to cover cheese, top with the thinly sliced ham and cover with the other buttered on 1 side slice of bread, butter side up.

Cook till the bottom slice of bread is browned to your preference, then flip carefully to toast the other slice of bread.  When the bread is toasted to your taste remove and eat.   

Paprikás Csirke 🍴 Authentic Hungarian Chicken Paprika

Chicken paprikash is my daughter's favorite dish which she will always ask for when she visits. (How did she get old enough to live on her own?) Here's a tip:  Do not mistake the tins of HOT and SWEET paprika in your spice rack. Once when she visited I did that!  The dish was spicy but it was still fine to eat.  She doesn't like spicy foods.

This is truly one of the easiest meals to cook ahead!  I love a mix of Hot and Sweet Hungarian paprika in this. The small amount of Hot just gives it a bit more kick.  Mom only used the sweet paprika in hers and I love it that way also. Mom would also occasionally use some tomato sauce rather than the sour cream to finish (my brother and I always preferred sour cream!)

This dish is even better the day after you make since if there is excess fat that cooks out of the chicken you can very easily take a spoon and scoop off that layer.  I prefer making this ahead and removing the fat layer. Another way to remove the fat the same day is to use a fat separator measuring cup where the fat will float to the surface and the meat juices pour from underneath the fatty layer.

  Paprikás Csirke 🍴 Authentic Hungarian Chicken Paprika 

Authentic Hungarian Chicken Paprikash

6 servings

Ingredients

3 pounds chicken thighs
2 medium onions
3 Tablespoons flavorless oil
1 Tablespoon Sweet paprika
1 Tablespoon Hot paprika  (don't like spice...use all Sweet paprika)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sour cream

1 pound wide egg noodles cooked per package directions

Directions

Make sure the chicken is free of pin-feathers and trim the excess fat and set aside.  Be sure to wash hands thoroughly to avoid cross-contamination in the kitchen before doing anything further.

Prep the onions

Peel and chop the onions.

Add onions to the pot

Over medium heat add oil to the pot and cook the onions until lightly browned.

Sweet and Hot Paprika

Onions are just starting to brown

Add the chicken, salt and paprika to the pot. Add some water but don't add enough to cover the chicken.  At about 30 minutes into cooking either move the pieces around to make sure they all get covered in the onion and paprika sauce, or just baste with the juices.  

The chicken will exude juices as it cooks but the water will help get the simmering off to a nice start and if you love the gravy part you'll want plenty of it.

Cover and simmer on low heat for about 1 hour or until fork tender. The cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken parts used. Adjust salt in case you need more near the end of cooking.  Easier to add salt than remove salt.

If you like a thicker gravy use 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch whisked into the juices and cook a minute to thicken. Add the sour cream and heat to a simmer for few minutes just before serving.  Make sure all piece of chicken are thoroughly coated with this wonderful sauce.Serve over the wide egg noodles or nokedli (Hungarian dumplings or spaetzle).

  Paprikás Csirke 🍴 Authentic Hungarian Chicken Paprika 

The Uncanny Smooth Style Jellied Cranberry Jelly

This is nicer than the usual canned cranberry jelly styled sauce from the can.  Will you miss the ridges from the can?  I know we don't!   It's really about flavor, flavor, flavor for my family!  This is so simple to make! It really is just my basic Very Berry Basic Whole Cranberry Compote that is strained to remove the pulp.

The Uncanny Smooth  Style Jellied Cranberry Jelly strained and decorated for giving

The Uncanny Smooth  Style Jellied Cranberry Jelly 

6 servings +

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
14 oz fresh whole cranberries

Whole Cranberries

Preparation

Bring water and sugar to a boil in a saucepan . Add the cranberries and simmer till the berries start popping and the liquid thickens.  Before allowing to cool down, strain the sauce using a wire strainer set over a bowl. Work carefully because those hot sugary syrups really can give quite a nasty burn. Once most of the liquid is strained out, then use a sturdy spoon to mash down the berries and get the remaining juices.

wire mesh strainer

Don't forget to scrape the outside of the strainer to get all the fine pulp into the liquid in the bowl. The liquid will thicken more while cooling. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator until you need to serve.

The Very Berry Basic Whole Berry Cranberry Compote

This is the basic recipe for whole berry homemade cranberry sauce or compote.  From this one recipe many variations can be made.   Check more of my recipes for cranberry compotes.

 The Very Berry Basic Whole Berry Cranberry Compote

The Very Berry Basic Whole Berry Cranberry Compote

6 servings +

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
14 oz fresh whole cranberries (or whole frozen berries not defrosted)

Preparation

Into a saucepan bring water and sugar to a boil. Add the cranberries and simmer till the berries start popping and liquid thickens. The liquid will thicken even more while cooling. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator until you need to serve.

Super Simple Modern Style Homemade Chicken Soup

One of my favorites things on a rainy day is a nice big steaming comforting bowl of homemade chicken soup. The aroma of chicken soup simmering takes me back to childhood.  Mom made the best soups! There is always so much more flavor in soups you make at home!  

Soup is an easy food to prepare. This super simple modern style chicken soup doesn't start out with a whole chicken.  Yes, I can break a whole chicken down to make it, but it's not my favorite thing to do.  I love using chicken thighs with the bone in and skin on because there is a lot more flavor in those parts. Thigh meat doesn't dry out as easily as white meat.  

Chicken soup should have some of the chicken fat in it since fat is flavor.  Small amounts of healthy fat will keep the hunger pangs away longer and brains do need some fat to work well also. The best and easiest way to remove the excess fat is to chill the soup overnight. Fat congeals to a layer on top of the broth and which can easily be lifted off.  When the soup is done it's easy to pull the chicken pieces out to remove the skin and bones and cut into spoon-size pieces. This too can be done the next day or before serving. Controlling the sodium and flavor profile is better in scratch-made food. Once you prepare homemade soup your palate will tell you there is no going backed to canned soups. 

Easy Modern Style Homemade Chicken Soup

Easy Modern Style Homemade Chicken Soup

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 large white onion

4 large carrots

3 large celery stalks

1 bunch of fresh parsley  

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dry tarragon 

1 teaspoon dry dill 

1/2 teaspoon dry thyme 

1 teaspoon Kosher salt (to start)

1/2 teaspoon finely ground white (or black) pepper

2 quarts of water or chicken stock

2 teaspoon flavorless cooking oil

2 pounds average sized chickens thighs (preferably with bone and skin on)*

1/2 cup uncooked Israeli couscous

6-quart size Dutch oven or stock pot

Fresh carrots with tops

Preparation

Clean and peel carrots, chop into smaller dice.  Imagine the pieces on your spoon eating to judge size you prefer.  Scrub and chop dice celery. Set carrots and celery aside.   Peel and dice the onion into a medium to small dice.   Chop the parsley fine including the stems.  If you don't like chopping the stems, then take the stems into a bunch and tie with cotton kitchen twine for easy removal.  The parsley stems add a lot of heartiness to add to the finished soup.

White Onions

Into the stock pot or Dutch oven add the flavorless oil and on medium heat sweat the onion, carrots, and celery for a minute or two.  Next add the dried tarragon, dill, stir to bring those herbs back to life. Add the 2 bay leaves (I happen to use dried bay) and the water.

I prefer to use the chicken thighs with the skin and bone in. *If you use boneless and skinless thigh, then you can cut those into bite-sized pieces before adding to the soup base. Add the chicken to the pot and over a very low flame heat to a simmer for 60 minutes minimum.  

Check for flavor.  This is where you can adjust the salt and pepper.  If you've used the bone in chicken thighs, remove them from the pot and cut or shred the meat to small pieces.   

 If you want a heartier broth, let is simmer lid off a bit at this point to reduce the volume.

Sweating the carrots, celery, onions and herbs

Finishing

I can be lazy or in a hurry cook some days so I often just add the uncooked Israeli couscous to the stock pot and cook for about 10 minutes.  I find that adding the couscous works fine because the larger Israeli type stays round and firm and doesn't cloud the broth.   Any other soup noodle or rice should be cooked separately and just added to the bowl before ladling in the soup.

Warm Hearty Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal Bowls

Two of my favorite things about fall....the brilliant leaves against sunny gray skies....and the classic fall flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon, the new fresh crop of apples, and cranberries.  Just makes me think cozy fires and hanging around with friends and family.

It fun for me just seeing what's in the kitchen and experimenting with new flavor profiles.  This is one of those recipes with things always in the pantry but a new combo to please the palate.  Super simple, easy and quick...all things you love for a weekday morning recipe.

One of my prerequisites creating a new recipe is nutritional value.  If we fill with food lacking what our body needs, we will wind up eating more later because our body isn't satisfied and that promotes overweight.  The addition of the pumpkin in this recipe boosted our daily intake of Vitamin A, C, iron, B6. and magnesium. Just one cup of pumpkin is 197% of the Vitamin A which we require daily but only 30 calories.   That's a win-win food: tasty and healthy!

Warm Hearty Pumpkin Cranberry Oatmeal Bowls

4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup old fashioned organic rolled oats

4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3 teaspoons cinnamon (or more to taste)

3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix

2 Tablespoons organic butter

1/2 cup Real maple syrup (or brown sugar)

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup dried cranberries*

Preparation

Pour water into a saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Add oats, spices, and maple syrup.  As the oatmeal is starting to thicken add the dried cranberries.

Cook for 3-5 minutes to desired thickness. 

Serve

In individual bowls with a few dried cranberries on top.   If you want a sweeter oatmeal drizzle a bit more of the real maple syrup on top.  Shown here I drizzled a bit of milk on top.

Busy Morning Corn Muffins

There really is nothing like fresh muffins right out of the oven, but who has the time?   You do!   

Here's how I save time in the morning. If I'm already pulling out all the ingredients, measuring spoons and cups I also pull out a 2nd bowl or more and here's why:   

• You can make at least 1 extra dry mix and store individual recipe portions in air tight containers. 
• Please remember to label them as muffin mix so there's no confusion later.  
• Label the container with the liquids you need to add and baking times also.  
• This is like making your own box mix muffins without the chemicals and with out over paying!
• Do this the night before, days ahead or even weeks ahead.
• This is also a nice gift mix to bring with you too  (dress up the packing and attach instructions for finishing and baking)

I often use those quart size deli containers since I have so many I've saved with Chinese takeout over the years.  Love those containers for portioning and storing soup stocks, marina and other sauces also.

These muffins are perfect on their own or slathered in butter and a bit of jam.  For variety why not add 1/2 cup of dried cranberries, dried blueberries, or even some thawed and drained frozen corn for texture and flavor.   I've also occasionally added some chopped jalapeno peppers (be careful of the amount use less than 1/2 cup), some cheddar cheese or even crumbled bacon.   Yum!!  Experiment!!

You'll enjoy the linger heavenly aromas to start your day from the kitchen.   These are also good later in the day with a side of a nice home made chili too.  Additionally, you can always freeze some too. 

Treat yourself well, your body with thank you for it!

Just out of the oven and waiting for you!

 Busy Morning Corn Muffins 

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 cup milk (regular, buttermilk or even almond milk)

¼ melted unsalted butter or flavorless oil

2 eggs

Equipment you’ll need ready:

2 bowls  (1 for dry, 1 for wet)

liquid and dry measure cups

measuring spoons

muffin tins to make 12 regular sized muffins (not the huge muffin tins)

cooling rack

whisk (if you have one)

wooden spoon

rubber spatula

cupcake papers  (or grease the muffin tin very well)

Pre-Heat oven to 500 degrees

Bowl 1 - Dry:

Mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder whisking till all ingredient are completely mixed so ingredients are evenly dispersed.  I love using the whisk for this.

Bowl 2 –Wet:

Thoroughly blend eggs, milk and oil together.

You can add wet to dry bowl just mix well enough so nothing is dry sticking to the sides of the bowl but don’t beat.  Use a scraper of wooden spoon to mix thoroughly  - over mixing (no electric beaters please) will make for tough muffins!

Evenly fill the muffin tins.  Using a scoop* helps with aim into the cup part or even a dry measure ½ cup size would be beneficial so they are all the same size which makes for nicer presentation and more even baking.  Note: I find it easier to wipe batter that didn’t make it into the cups before baking is easier than scrubbing it off later.

Evenly fill muffin cups

Pop the tin into the oven and as soon as you close the door LOWER the oven temperature to 400º bake 18-20 minutes.  This super hot then lower method will allow the muffins get that nice domed look. 

You’ll smell their beautiful fragrance as they are approaching done. When muffins are done, take muffins out of tin and cool down to just warm before eating.

*Note: My kitchen stainless tableware set came with a small ladle I love to use for making muffins and also for pancakes.