Smells Like Home

DIY: Cinnamon Graham Crackers

smellslikehome — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:54:18 +0000

Oh those horrible teenage years with a mouth full of braces. Eating Oreos was devastatingly embarrassing. The time I got hit in the mouth with a softball trying to tag out a stealing runner at 3rd base was a pretty horrific event. And for me, it always seemed like the two days following the orthodontic visits where my braces were tightened were worse than dealing with teenage-PMS. Imagine when they occurred together?!

Yet, I had a solace aside from the inordinate amount of Advil I consumed during those years: mush. Broken up graham crackers soaked in a bowl of ice cold milk. To the unfamiliar “palate” it probably sounds horrible. But when your mouth hurts so much to even close your jaw, you’ll try almost anything. I hated Carnation. Smoothies were almost unheard of in my neck of the woods (bagel- and egg sandwich-centric Long Island) and yogurt wasn’t considered a full breakfast for an active teenager in my house. This mush is actually what my mom ate when she had braces and I fell in love with it.

But I won’t go on and on about the mush. It’s my general love for graham crackers that made me want to try a homemade version for so long. I don’t typically buy them any more unless I need to make a crust for a cheesecake so it’s been a true delight having a stack of fresh graham crackers at home…and that include a list of ingredients that I can pronounce. This version uses all dark brown sugar (that’s why they are so dark in the photos – I didn’t burn them) which really helps to develop a deep caramel-ish flavor in the grahams. After cooling, they crisp up perfectly and can be eaten as they are (I love a schmear of peanut butter on them), ground down into crumbs for crusts, broken up to mix into strawberry cheesecake ice cream, or used for homemade s’mores (more on that soon). I haven’t tried them soaked in milk yet, but maybe that’s in my future this weekend…you know, for old time’s sake.

Brown Sugar Graham Crackers
source: adapted from Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones by the owners of the Bi-Rite Creamery, Kris Hoogerhyde, Anne Walker, and Dabney Gough

Feel free to cut the graham cracker dough into any shape you want – this would be a crazy-fun project with kids using a variety of different cookie cutters. If you want to make large rectangular, authentic graham crackers, cut the dough out in your desired size and right before baking, gently score across the center of the dough horizontally with a knife or stainless dough scraper. The graham crackers will break easily and cleanly in half at the scored mark once cooled.

Ingredients:

7 oz all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
6 oz graham flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 cup (16 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions:

To make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and honey on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the dough comes together, about 30 seconds. At this point, the dough will look crumbly but when squeezed between your fingers, it will form together. Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap, form it into a 7×7-inch square, wrap it tightly, and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours. This can be done up to 5 days in advance. Before proceeding, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before attempting to roll.
To make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thick and using a pizza cutter or cookie cutter, cut out the dough into 3×3-inch squares (or your desired shape), re-rolling the scraps and cutting additional cookies. Transfer the cut dough to the baking sheets, spacing each about 3/4-inch apart; keep the dough chilled before baking to prevent them from spreading.
With a lightly floured fork, prick the tops of each piece of dough a few times to prevent them from puffing up, then sprinkle the tops with the sugar-cinnamon mixture. (Leftover mixture can be stored in an airtight container for future use.)
Bake for 15-18 minutes (adjusting the time by 1-2 minutes depending on the size of the cookies you choose to make), rotating the sheets after 10 minutes, until the graham crackers are dark golden brown and are just firm to the touch. Cool on the sheets on wire racks for 2 minutes then transfer them to the racks to cool completely; the graham crackers will crisp as they cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Lemon Cupcakes with Fresh Raspberry Curd Filling for a Memorial Day Virtual Potluck Party

smellslikehome — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:00:02 +0000

I love it when an idea comes together. When what I’ve been dreaming up in my head turns out just how I pictured it. That was these lemon cupcakes. I had made this recipe as full-on lemon poppy cake a few years back for a girlfriend’s baby shower and have since wanted to remake the recipe not only to share with all of you (because it’s pretty awesome) but also because I’ve always thought a cupcake version would be perfectly delightful.

And I was right. The lemon cupcakes are soft-crumbed clouds with a dollop of fresh raspberry curd running through the center, topped with a billowy mound of the fluffiest lemon buttercream I’ve ever eaten. The cupcakes themselves are sturdy and soft at the same time, a cupcake trait not always easy to achieve, and they were able to withstand a hollowed-out the center for the curd and the frosting on top without falling into pieces after the first couple of bites. Of course flavor-wise, berries and citrus are a match made in heaven and even though you’d like to think that these cupcakes would be too lemony and tart between the cake and the frosting, the bright raspberry curd keeps perfect balance. Of course, some sugar helps with this balance as well.

You’ll cone-out the center of each cupcake and add some of your very own, homemade raspberry curd (don’t cut corners and buy it!), a treat worth licking the spoon for in and of itself. If you’ve never made curd before, it’s quite a simple process which involves straining out all of the seeds so you’re left with a thick and silky sweet condiment that can be spread onto biscuits or scones, drizzled over ice cream, or used however else you can dream up. It’s a lovely and necessary component to these cupcakes and I wouldn’t skip making it.

The verdict from Kyle, the non-lemon-loving heathen that he is, was clearly indicated by the random wrappers I’ve found around the kitchen. One or two before I get home from work…another one while I’m making dinner…you get the point. We both adore these lemon cupcakes and I know you will too. In fact, I love them so much that I’m contributing them to Celebrations.com Memorial Day Virtual Blogger Potluck Party that I’ve been invited to. Have a look on Celebrations (link below) to see the party as a whole and be sure to stop by the other awesome bloggers’ blogs to see what they brought to the party as well.

Elle of Elle’s New England Kitchen: Boneless Pork Ribs with Woodchuck Summer Cider Blueberry BBQ Sauce
Valerie of Une Gamine dans la Cuisine: White Out Cake
Rowena of Aprons and Sneakers: Speck Skewers with Herb Mayonnaise and Grilled Mediterranean Aubergine Bundles with Provola
Erin of Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts: Quinoa Salad with Veggies and Lime, Garlic, Cilantro Dressing
Beth of Hungry Happenings: Patriotic Biscuits
Katrina of In Katrina’s Kitchen: Picnic Tablecloth Cookies
Jaclyn of Celebrations.com: Buffalo Chicken Dip

Lemon Cupcakes with Fresh Raspberry Curd Filling and Lemon Buttercream Frosting
source: adapted from Annie’s Eats

Ingredients:
For the raspberry curd:

8 tbsp unsalted butter
1 pint ripe raspberries or 1 12-oz. package frozen raspberries, thawed
5 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2-3 tsp fresh lemon juice

For the lemon cupcakes:

2 1/3 cups cake flour
2 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
5 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
12 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup whole milk

For the lemon buttercream frosting:

16 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Fresh raspberries for garnish

Ingredients:

To make the raspberry curd: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the raspberries, egg yolks, sugar and salt, and cook, mashing the berries. Stir frequently at first and then constantly at the end, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Pour the mixture through a coarse strainer set over a bowl, pressing hard on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Cool to room temperature; the curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Stir in lemon juice to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The curd can be made 2-3 days in advance.
To make the cupcakes: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 24-cup cupcake pans with cupcake liners.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. In the clean, dry bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and increase the speed to medium-high. Beat just until stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted. Transfer the egg whites to a separate bowl (not plastic), clean and dry the mixer bowl and reattach it with the paddle attachment.
Add the butter to the mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and beat until incorporated. Mix in the lemon zest. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in 1/4 cup of the milk until just blended. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture alternately with the remaining milk in three batches, beginning and ending with the flour; scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat until just blended. Using a rubber spatula, fold one quarter of the egg whites into the batter, being careful not to deflate the mixture. Once incorporated, add in the rest of the whites (including any liquid that may have accumulated on the bottom of the bowl) and gently fold in until well combined; no white should remain.
Using a large cookie/ice cream scoop, divide the batter between the cupcake liners, filling each liner about 2/3 full. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18-22 minutes, turning the pans around halfway through the baking time. Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes then remove them from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
To make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and zest on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the heavy cream and lemon juice and beat for one minute longer; the frosting should be light and fluffy.
Once the cupcakes have cooled, hollow out the center of each cupcake using the cone method and spoon about 1 tsp of raspberry curd in to each hollowed-out cupcake. The filling should be just shy of the top of the cupcake. Frost as desired, taking care not to push the curd out of the cupcake with the weight of the frosting. Garnish with raspberries. Serve and store at room temperature, though the frosting will soften significantly at temperatures above 75 degrees F.

Steak, Shaved Asparagus, and Gorgonzola Pizza

smellslikehome — Tue, 15 May 2012 07:00:57 +0000

Lately, I feel like my brain has been working in overdrive. Since moving, I’ve been working on changing a few things around here. Where dishes used to sit in the sink for a day (or two…ok, I’m being generous here), a little extra conscientiousness and some rubber gloves go a long way. Laundry gets folded within 2 days of being washed. My commute is an extra 10 minutes in the morning now and I’m busting my butt every morning to get to my new job on time. I’m chronically late for just about everything in my life and frankly, I’m tired of feeling like I’m always stopping to catch my breath, literally and figuratively.

I hate my shortcomings. I know I’m not a fabulous “housewife” but I know I’m able to make lots of other contributions to our little family aside from just my paycheck. Like this pizza. Thinly sliced flank steak, shaved asparagus, crumbled Gorgonzola, and a béchamel sauce base. It’s pretty much the best [non-breakfast] pizza we’ve eaten in ages. And it really came about because in my typical frazzled manner one morning a few weeks ago, I forgot to take the pork chops out of the freezer for dinner. I called Kyle at home to take them out (he was off from work that day) and I came home that afternoon to find thawed flank steak. Silly boy.

So out of my stewing about the flank steak not being pork chops, I wrapped my brain around the idea of this pizza. And since I’m not one to toot my own horn [too often], I’ll just say that you’ll thank me after making this. Set atop your favorite pizza dough (this is ours – I really need to blog this recipe), you’ll love how the ingredients all come together almost as if it’s a dinner at a pricey steakhouse. The flank steak is tender, the fresh asparagus adds a little bitterness, the Gorgonzola (and some mozzarella) melts all over just like a decadent Gorgonzola sauce over filet mignon, and the béchamel sauce base is rich and silky. Basically, it’s perfection.

Steak, Shaved Asparagus, and Gorgonzola Pizza
source: Smells Like Home original, sauce adapted from Spinoccoli Pizza

Ingredients:

For the bechamel sauce:

1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

For the pizza:

1/2 batch pizza dough
8 – 10 oz flank steak, cooked medium and sliced thin across the grain
6 asparagus stalks, shaved lengthwise with a vegetable peeler
3 oz crumbled Gorgonzola
6 oz mozzarella, shredded
Cornmeal

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F with a clean pizza stone on the center rack of the oven for 30 minutes.
To make the bechamel sauce: Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir in flour and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Whisk in the milk until no lumps remain. Toss in the garlic and bring the milk to a simmer, stirring frequently until it begins to bubble and coats the back of a spoon, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the garlic and off the heat, stir in the Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
To assemble the pizza: Once the stone is properly heated, roll the pizza dough out to a 14-inch circle on a well-floured surface. Sprinkle some cornmeal on a pizza peel or wood cutting board and transfer the dough round to the peel or board. Spread the sauce out over the pizza and sprinkle on half of the mozzarella cheese. Lay the steak on the cheese in one layer, spread the shaved asparagus out over the steak, sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella, and add the Gorgonzola. Remove the stone from the oven and sprinkle some cornmeal on the stone; carefully transfer the pizza to the stone. Bake for 12-13 minutes. Allow the pizza to cool on the stone for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Pizza

smellslikehome — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:39:01 +0000

In 1988, my parents bought a boat. Overall, the boat served us well (in spite of all the money they sunk into it, no pun intended – you know how having a boat goes) and we spent many a weekend for the better part of 10 or 12 summers crammed into my parents’ 25-footer at our favorite little beach on Fire Island. Like camping, feeding a family on a small boat requires a good bit of planning; refrigeration is limited (think dorm-size fridge) or sometimes non-existent except for ice in coolers and if the beach/marina you’re staying at even has water available, your hook-up is done through a garden-like marine hose plugged into the side of the boat. Our showers were made possible by a sun shower that we’d let heat up on the dock all day then hang up on a nail in one of the stalls of the public bathroom to wash away the sand, salt, and sunscreen.

In a semi-distant but totally comforting way, this bacon, egg, and cheese pizza reminds me of Sunday mornings at the beach. For the most part, my mom packed food for breakfast – our electric griddle was king – but on a rare Sunday, after giving in to our pleading and whiny voices (dad included), she would allow my dad (as we were always on a budget) to hit up the snack bar for freshly made-to-order egg sandwiches. He practically floated down the dock on the smell of cooking bacon and sausage wafting over the marina like a cartoon character drawn to his favorite food. Those sandwiches were rare, special, and so satisfying.

This breakfast pizza, being all of those sentiments, admittedly was Kyle’s idea. He gets me. He knows that I find it virtually impossible to find a decent freshly made egg sandwich sandwich (i.e., not microwaved – gross) anywhere near our home. This pizza idea is the brainchild of observing my frustrations all these years and it encompasses all that I [we] love in an excellent egg sandwich. Plus? It’s pizza. So yeah, two of my favorite foods wrapped up in one little package. Like I said, he gets me.

As with any pizza or egg sandwich, feel free to add whatever toppings you want. We went for bacon, Monterey Jack, sautéed onions and peppers, and a whole bunch of fresh herbs. The key to this pizza is to make sure you push the pizza dough up the sides of a baking sheet so that the beaten eggs have a place to stay. It’s almost like making a quiche in that you don’t want the eggs leaking under the crust, else they will make it soft and difficult to remove from the baking sheet. Use a well-seasoned baking sheet if you have one and sprinkle on a little cornmeal before you put the dough down – don’t skip this step. The end result is a something magical: fluffy eggs, salty bacon, tons of freshness from the herbs, crispy pizza crust. It’s pretty much the perfect breakfast pizza and because we made a whole sheet pan of it, we had plenty of leftovers for breakfasts later in the week. I can see this being a great Mother’s Day breakfast project with a kitchen full of kids or even a quick through-together breakfast-for-dinner kind of meal during the week. Either way, this breakfast pizza is a big winner here: it evokes great memories for me and fills our bellies at the same time.

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Pizza
source: Smells Like Home original recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 batch pizza dough (we always use this recipe)
Cornmeal
6 eggs, beaten with 1 tsp water
4 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
8 strips bacon, cooked crisp and broken into 1-inch pieces
1/2 large onion and 1/2 bell pepper, sliced and sauteed in olive oil until soften, about 8 minutes
2 green onions/scallions, white and light green parts only, sliced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, stems removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Sprinkle a little cornmeal on the bottom of a 12″ x 18″ baking sheet. Roll or stretch the dough out to an approximately 14 x 18 inch rectangle (the dough will be thin so take care not to rip it). Drape the dough into the pan, stretching it out to and up the sides of the pan. Using a fork, prick the dough 10 or 12 times to reduce bubbling when baking.
Carefully pour the eggs over the dough (don’t let the eggs overflow), scatter half of the cheese, then the bacon, peppers and onions, and the remaining cheese. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Sprinkle the herbs over the hot pizza before slicing and serving.

Queso Fundido with Chorizo

smellslikehome — Thu, 03 May 2012 07:00:53 +0000

Before seeing queso fundido posted here and there around the interwebs in the past few months, I don’t ever remember previously coming across it. Not on a restaurant menu or in a cookbook, in magazines, or on blogs. And even though the recipe was completely new to me, I knew I’d love it. I mean…it starts with queso and damn, I know that means cheese. I have no idea what fundido means but doesn’t it sound like a happy word?? (Actually, according to my Google search – go figure – it means molten or melted.)

And omgosh, this is a happy cheese dip. Smoky chorizo (thanks for the suggestion, Annie!) is mixed in with handfuls of cheese and more of the usual Tex-Mex suspects: onion, tomato, jalapeño, and cilantro. The chorizo actually cuts through all the cheese and adds a bit of needed “heft” to the dip. It’s a glorious combination of ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to pull together. And it was gone almost as quickly. Along with nearly an entire bag of chips. Salads really do pay off when dinner looks like this one. Our dip did turn out just a little runny and I’m pretty sure it’s because of the excess liquid from chorizo so make sure you drain it off before adding the tomatoes, onion, and jalapeño. But honestly, this didn’t detract from the cheesy goodness at all. The recipe calls for “Mexican melting cheese” (see the recipe below) of which I could not find during my change-of-dinner-plans-on-whim grocery store trip, though I’m sure stores like Whole Foods or ethnic food marts definitely carry one of them. If you’re still planning out a menu for Cinco de Mayo on Saturday, add this one to it…otherwise, it works just as perfectly with a beer for dinner in front of the baseball game on a random weeknight.

Queso Fundido with Chorizo
source: adapted from Rick Bayless in Fine Cooking and Fiesta at Rick’s via Annie’s Eats

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive or canola oil
2 chorizo links (about 6 oz total), 1/2-inch diced
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 large jalapeño or 2 large serranos, seeded and diced
3 tbsp tequila (optional – we forgot to add it)
8 oz Mexican melting cheese like Chihuahua, quesadilla or asadero (or a combination of Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar)
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped

Instructions:

Heat the oil in an 8- or 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes; drain off most of the liquid. Add the tomato, onion, and jalapeño and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to soften and brown, about 7 minutes. Add the tequila (if using) and cook, stirring, until reduced to a glaze.
Sprinkle in the cheese. Stir slowly and constantly until just melted then stir in the cilantro. Serve immediately in a warm dish with chips for dipping.

Baked Chicken Burritos with Sour Cream-Poblano Sauce

smellslikehome — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:31:39 +0000

I start off most of my mornings with a cup of coffee. Sometimes I make it at home. Sometimes it’s on the run on the way to work or on the way home from the gym, which happens before work and usually involves a LOT of rushing around. But it’s part of my routine and even though I look like a whirling dervish most mornings on my way out the door (like this morning when I dropped my laptop in an effort to muscle my way through the door at 6:30am with my purse, work bag, gym bag, and laptop bag strung over my arms), I’m happy with my little routine.

My afternoon routine is much more serene. Come home, make dinner, relax…except on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I meet with my trainer at 4:00. By the time I pull myself into the house, it’s all I can do to move. She’s insane. So it’s those nights where throwing a simple meal together or reheating leftovers works best. These baked burritos serve both purposes. On the table in about half and hour and filled to the brim with Tex-Mex-y ground chicken and black beans, this meal rejuvenates my weary body. The sour cream-poblano sauce is spicy and cool at the same time and it’s a genius sauce since it reheats perfectly for leftovers. And speaking of leftovers, these burritos reheat like champs. The recipe yields 4-5 large burritos so you can bake all of them then reheat leftovers quickly in the microwave and throw them in the oven to crisp up the tortillas. It’s pretty much my favorite meal from over the past few weeks and I may even make a big batch this weekend to have in the freezer at the ready on those crazy kinds of days.

Baked Chicken Burritos with Sour Cream-Poblano Sauce
source: adapted from Elly Says Opa!

Ingredients:
For the burritos:

1 tbsp canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 lb ground chicken
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup water or beef broth
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 tsp brown sugar
Kosher salt
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
4-10 whole wheat tortillas, depending on size (4 for burrito-sized, more for soft taco or fajita sized)
Cooking spray

For the sour cream-poblano sauce:

2 poblano peppers
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2/3 cup chicken broth at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream (light is fine) or non-fat Greek yogurt
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF and spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
To make the burritos: Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and then add the oil. Once hot, add the onions and cook for 3-5 minutes until they begin to soften. Place the ground chicken in the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned. (At this point, drain any excess fat if necessary/desired). Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 30-60 seconds before adding in the beans. Add the water or broth, cumin, oregano, chili powder, cayenne, brown sugar and salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon). Reduce heat and simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Place 2 tablespoons of the cheese at the end of each tortilla (depending on size) and then spoon some of the beef and bean mixture over the top. Fold the left and right sides of the tortilla in, and then roll the tortilla up, from the end closest to you, to the top. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet and lightly spray the tops of the burritos with cooking spray. Bake for about 20 minutes, until tortillas are golden brown and crispy.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Place the poblanos directly over a gas burner. Using tongs, turn occasionally until skin is blackened on all sides. Place in a bowl and top with plastic wrap or a clean towel, until cook enough to handle. (Alternatively, you can roast the peppers under the broiler until all sides are well-charred.) Peel the peppers, remove the stems and seeds, and dice them.
Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat and melt the butter; stir in the flour and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and then the diced poblano; continue to simmer, whisking frequently, until thickened. Stir in the sour cream/yogurt and warm through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the sauce over the baked burritos.

American Sandwich Bread

smellslikehome — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:00:12 +0000

Is there nothing more satisfying than a warm loaf of freshly baked homemade bread? Not in my book and apparently, not according to so many of you who entered the KitchenAid Mixer giveaway last week and told us that the first thing you would do with said mixer is make homemade bread. Well folks, congrats to Steph who said:

Steph is the winner of the KitchenAid mixer and even though her plans are to make chocolate chip cookies (her coworkers are really excited about her win, by the way), I’m pretty sure she’s going to want to make this bread also. Heck, you’re going to want to make this bread because it is quite possibly the most fantastically amazing homemade white bread ever created.

Overly effusive? Yes. Lying? No. Seriously, it’s difficult for me to accurately describe the perfectly soft crumb without snacking on a piece of it with some softened butter and tangy rhubarb strawberry jam as I sit and write this post (actually, it’s not so difficult for me to do this). It’s difficult for me to tell you how four adults nearly devoured an entire loaf in one day. And it’s difficult for me to tell you that I will be making my third loaf this weekend in as many weeks. I beg you, please go and make this bread so you can start telling me how awesome it is. This bread is the epitome of what homemade sandwich bread should be. It’s bread that can make you squeal with delight over eating a turkey sandwich. We love it dearly. You will too.

American Sandwich Bread
source: adapted from Baking Illustrated, by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated Magazine

Ingredients:

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
2 tsp table salt
1 cup milk, warm (about 110 degrees F)
1/3 cup water, warm (about 110 degrees F)
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3 tbsp honey
1 package or 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

Instructions:

Adjust oven rack to low position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Once oven temperature reaches 200 degrees, maintain heat 10 minutes, then turn off oven heat. I use the proof setting on my oven which maintains the heat at 85 degrees F so if your kitchen is warm enough, there is no need to use the oven for proofing – just keep the bowl in a draft-free area of the kitchen.
Mix 3 1/2 cups of the flour and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix milk, water, butter, honey, and yeast in 4-cup liquid measuring cup. Turn mixer to low and slowly add liquid. When dough comes together, remove the paddle attachment and switch to the dough hook – the dough will be very sticky at this point. Increase speed to medium (setting number 4 on a KitchenAid mixer) and mix until dough is smooth and satiny, stopping machine two or three times to scrape dough from hook if necessary, about 10 minutes. If, after 5 minutes the dough still sticks to the side of the bowl, add another 1/4 cup of flour to the dough, 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface; knead to form a smooth, round ball, about 15 seconds.
Place dough in very lightly oiled bowl, rubbing dough around bowl to lightly coat. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap; place in warm oven until dough doubles in size, 40 to 50 minutes.
Form dough into loaf by gently pressing the dough into a rectangle, 1-inch thick and no wider than 9 inches long, with the long side closest to you. Next, starting with the long side, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, pinching the seam with your fingers to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn dough seam side up and pinch it closed. Place dough in greased 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan and press gently so dough touches all four sides of pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap; set aside in warm spot (not in the oven) until dough almost doubles in size, 20 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oven to 350 degrees F and adjust the racks to the center and bottom positions. Place an empty baking pan on the bottom rack. Bring 2 cups water to boil.
Remove plastic wrap from loaf pan. Place pan in oven and immediately pour heated water into empty baking pan; close oven door. Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted at angle from short end just above pan rim into center of loaf reads 195 degrees F, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove bread from pan, transfer to a wire rack, and cool to room temperature. Slice and serve.

Healthy Turkey Tacos

smellslikehome — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 12:03:43 +0000

Tacos were pretty much an every-week staple at my elementary school growing up. And I remember this being a crazy popular lunch day but I don’t remember eating them at school. In hindsight, my brother and I were lucky kids; our mom was a work-at-home mom (almost unheard of in the 80s) and she had the ability to be there every morning to make our lunches. Once a week, she gave us money to buy lunch at school and I picked carefully: either deli day (Thursdays) or pizza day (Fridays, naturally). I don’t think my mom was ever exposed to tacos and refried beans until we were at a Girl Scout jamboree camping trip circa 1988 so until then, we never ate them at home either. I couldn’t tell you if that was weird for the time but I can tell you tacos soon became a revolutionary meal in our house.

In our house now, you’ll see tacos show up on our menu at least twice a month and while Kyle and I love to make them traditionally with my homemade taco seasoning, we’re not against trying other varieties either. These turkey tacos are a little different from the norm. There’s a little brown sugar and cider vinegar added, both of which add a tiny hint of sweetness to the turkey and boost the flavor of the tacos exponentially, especially with the contrast of a little heat from the chili powder. I’ve been heating up the leftovers for lunches this week along with the leftover refried beans I made to go with the tacos and either for lunch or dinner, these tacos are already a mainstay on our menu – we’ve made them 3 times in the past 6 weeks!

Healthy Turkey Tacos
source: adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook by the editor’s of Cook’s Illustrated

Ingredients:

For the tacos:

1 tsp canola oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 tbsp chili powder
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp tomato paste
1 1/4 lbs (20 oz) ground turkey (not 99% fat-free)
1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp light brown sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

8 corn tortilla shells
Shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
Shredded lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Diced avocado
Chopped red onion
Sour cream
Lime wedges

Instructions:

In a 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, garlic, oregano, and tomato paste and stir for 30 to 60 seconds, until the tomato paste is evenly distributed.
Add the turkey and cook for 3-5 minutes, breaking up the turkey with a wooden spoon into smaller pieces as it cooks; the turkey should be cooked through but still slightly pink.
Stir in the tomato sauce, chicken broth, vinegar, and brown sugar and bring the mixture to a simmer; simmer until thickened, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper before serving hot in taco shells. Garnish as desired.

[CLOSED] KitchenAid 6qt Stand Mixer Giveaway

smellslikehome — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:27:23 +0000

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Can you believe that we’re celebrating 5 years of blogging here at Smells Like Home today?! FIVE YEARS. Five years of sharing my favorite recipes, kitchen adventures, and photos (if you want a laugh, check out the archives) with you. Five years of reading your awesome comments and visiting so many of your own blogs. Five years of watching the food blogging world change, of experiencing our main medium of communication change from a single platform to the explosion of social media. Five years of meeting some incredible bloggers and forming bonds that have changed my life. It’s been quite a ride. An awesome, unforgettable, life-changing ride.

And for all of this, I want to thank you. For sticking by me. For encouraging me to challenging myself. For posting your own recipes that have inspired me in the kitchen. And since my KitchenAid stand mixer has been by my side throughout this entire ride, I’m giving away a brand-spanking new 6 quart KitchenAid bowl lift stand mixer this week. It’s similar to my own but with a larger bowl and I know you’ll love it as much as I do. Check out the entry rules below!

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THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Here’s what one lucky winner will win:

KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer in Silver (shown above).

To enter this giveaway here are The Rules:

Answer this question in the comment section of this post (and only this post): What is the first recipe you would make with this mixer?
Only one entry per person will be accepted and you MUST include a valid email address with your comment.
If you don’t see your comment post right away, please don’t post another comment. The delay happens because I moderate all comments.
Giveaway closes on Friday April 20, 2012 at 11:59pm Eastern.
One winner will be chosen by that handy-dandy random number generator we’re all familiar with.
The winner will notified by Monday April 23, 2012. If you do not respond to my email within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen (also at random).
Giveaway is open to entries with U.S. addresses only.

GOOD LUCK!!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

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Tomatillo Chicken Fajitas

smellslikehome — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 07:00:26 +0000

Last summer, I fell head over heals in love with salsa verde. Like, so in love that tomato salsa could never again compare. I was relatively new to using tomatillos and I was floored by how pan roasting them imparted such a smoky sweetness to the salsa. Add some garlic and a big handful of cilantro…perfection.

So let’s just say that not eating all of this salsa with a bag of blue corn chips was nearly impossible when I made it for these tomatillo chicken fajitas. And let’s also say that making chicken fajitas with salsa verde was close to genius. You’ll brown up some onions and red peppers, sauté thinly sliced chicken with some of the salsa, and then use some extra salsa as part of the fajita fixins. It’s an awesome 15 minute dinner and I strongly recommend taking a few extra minutes before making the fajitas (or even a day or two in advance) to make your own salsa verde – it totally makes this meal!

Tomatillo Chicken Fajitas
source: adapted from Sargento via Confections of a Foodie Bride

Ingredients:

3 tsp canola oil
1 small red bell pepper, sliced
3 sliced onion rounds (red or yellow), 1/4-inch thick
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced 1/4-inch thick
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup salsa verde (double recipe is recommended)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

6-inch flour tortillas
Additional salsa verde
Monterey jack cheese
1 lime, cut into wedges
Chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

Heat 2 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, flipping just as the vegetables begin to brown.
Remove the vegetables from the pan and keep warm on a plate. Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil, add the chicken, garlic, and chili powder and sauté 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is browned and almost cooked through. Stir in the salsa and cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in tortillas with toppings of your choice.