Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

3 cloves garlic

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1/2 cup chicken broth

A tablespoon or two of olive oil

Salt, pepper, ground sage, and ground thyme to taste

Desired root vegetables (potatoes, carrots)

Method:

Take whole chicken and remove gizzards and insides.

Place chicken in glass casserole dish in about 1" of broth and a couple chicken bouillon cubes. 

Take a couple garlic cloves and slice them into spears. Cut holes into the chicken skin and put the garlic spears inside.

Rub chicken with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, sage, and thyme.

Slice the vegetables into bite sized pieces (peel if needed, like carrots or Russet potatoes) and place into broth.

Place chicken breast down and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes + 20 minutes each lb of chicken.

Every 30 mins pour over or inject broth for keeping neat moist. Cover with foil if skin gets too crispy.

Cook until internal temperature is about 170°F. You can also cut the chicken breast open to see if there is no pink. (Checking what the temperature is at is a safer way to check when it's done).

Baking in Bowties - Pizza

Pizza dough

Ingredients

2 cups plain flour (extra for flouring surface and maybe some extra for the dough

1 7g sachet dry yeast OR 2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar (or you can use the same amount of honey - honey and yeast react better together)

2 teaspoon olive oil

3/4 cup warm water

Method

1. Combine dry ingredients in large mixing bowl and add oil and water

2. Mix to a soft dough

3. Knead on a floured surface until soft and pliable

4. Return to the mixing bowl and cover with cling wrap and leave in a warm spot for 30 minutes. The dough should double in size.

5. Remove from the bowl and knead gently for 1 minute

6. Roll the dough out to desired size and add favourite sauce + toppings

Baking in Bowties - Pizza Pull Apart Bread

ngredients:

For the dough:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 envelope)
1/3 cup whole milk
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature

For the toppings:
1/2 cup pizza or marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup sliced pepperoni
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together 2 cups of the flour with the sugar, salt and yeast. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the milk and 6 tablespoons butter over low heat until melted. 

Remove the saucepan from the stove and stir in the water. Let set until it reaches 120-130ºF.

Pour the milk mixture over the dry ingredients, using a spatula to fold them together just until combined.

Mix or knead the dough until everything is fully incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, kneading in between each addition so that the eggs are fully incorporated.

Stop the mixer/kneading and add 1/2 cup of the remaining flour, kneading it on low speed until the dough is smooth, about 2 minutes. Add 3 more tablespoons flour and knead just until the dough is soft, but still slightly sticky.

Lightly flour your work surface, and then turn the dough out onto the surface, kneading it 5 or 6 times just until it comes together into a ball.

Lightly grease a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and secure it tightly with plastic wrap. 

Allow the dough to proof in a warm, dry place for one hour, or until it doubles in size.

Gently deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll it into a rectangle measuring roughly 20"x11". Brush the dough with the sauce, sprinkle it with the cheese and top it with the pepperoni.

Trim the edges, discarding any scraps, to make straight sides along the rectangle.

Cut the rectangle (width-wise) into 5 equal strips. Stack the strips atop one another and then cut the strips into 4 equal parts to make a total of 20 squares.

Lightly butter a 9"x5" loaf pan. Stack the squares against each other, cut-sides down. (There will be extra space on both sides.) Lightly cover the pan with plastic wrap and let it proof for 30 minutes or until it doubles in size.

Preheat the oven to 350FºF.

Stir together the melted butter and minced garlic.

Place the loaf pan on a baking sheet and bake it for 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, brush the top of the loaf with the garlic butter, and then return it to the oven to continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before turning the loaf out onto a serving plate.

Budget Thanksgiving Special!

Thanksgiving-y Chicken
2 chicken breasts
Ground Sage, Ground Thyme, Salt and Pepper to taste
Approximately 1 cup chicken broth

Season both sides of each chicken breast to taste with the herbs and seasoning.  Simmer in chicken broth in pan and cover.

Mashed Potatoes
1-2 pounds of potatoes. If using Russet, peel. If using red skinned/new or yellow/Yukon gold, you can leave the skin on if you would like.
1/4 cup sour cream
1/3rd stick of butter
Splash of milk
Salt/pepper/garlic to taste

Boil potatoes in water lightly salted. Boil until a butter knife slides easily into potatoes. Drain and add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, and garlic. Mix on low with hand mixer or mash by hand if preferring more of a mashed than a whipped potato.

Sausage Stuffing
Half a loaf of bread
1/4 onion
2 stalks celery
Sausage of your choice (sage is more traditional)
Splash of chicken broth

Cube the bread. Fry up onion and celery. Add desired sausage (either cut into bite sized/small slices, or if ground sausage, break into small pieces) and continue to fry up. Turn down heat and add bread. Mix well together and pour a splash of chicken broth over. Let cook for another couple of minutes. Wrap in foil and place in oven at around 250 degrees to keep warm and to crisp up.

Gravy
1/4 stick Butter
Flour (enough to turn the melted butter into a smooth paste)
Chicken bouillon cube
Chicken broth as needed

Melt butter and add flour until a smooth paste mixture is achieved. Cook lightly until there is a nutty smell and the mixture is a golden to light brown shade is achieved. Add one chicken bouillon cube and chicken broth, whisking as you do so until desired amount of gravy and thickness is achieved.

Baking in Bowties - Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Baking in Bowties - Pecan Bars

Ingredients

Base

1(18.25-oz.) pkg. Yellow or Butter Recipe Yellow Cake Mix

1/3 cup margarine or butter, softened

1 egg

Filling

Reserved 2/3 cup dry cake mix

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 1/2 cups dark corn syrup *

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup chopped pecans

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9-inch pan. Reserve 2/3 cup of the dry cake mix for filling. In large bowl, combine remaining dry cake mix, margarine and 1 egg; beat at low speed until well blended. Press in bottom of greased pan. Bake at 350°F. for 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

2 Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine reserved 2/3 cup dry cake mix, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and 3 eggs; beat at low speed until moistened. Beat 1 minute at medium speed or until well blended.

3 Remove pan from oven. Pour filling mixture over warm base. Sprinkle with pecans.

4 Return to oven; bake an additional 30 to 35 minutes or until filling is set. Cool 1 1/2 hours or until completely cooled. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

* Note, the corn syrup can be substituted for simple syrup if so desired.

Quick Eats - Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/4 cup milk 

1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 dash black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans
1 1/3 cups French Fried Onions


1 Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans, worcestershire and 2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.

2 Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling.  Stir the bean mixture.  Sprinkle with the remaining onions.

3 Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.

Baking in Bowties: Chewy Brownies

Ingredients


1 2⁄3 cups granulated sugar
3⁄4 cup baking cocoa
1 1⁄3 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
3⁄4 cup butter or 3⁄4 cup margarine, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla
chocolate chips, if desired

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°

Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

Combine dry ingredients in large mixer bowl; stir.

Add wet ingredients and chocolate chips

Spread into prepared baking pan.

Bake for 18 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky.

Quick Eats - Yakisoba

Ingredients

1/3 lb (150g) pork, thinly sliced
1 small onion
2 C cabbage, cut into about 2" squares
2 C bean sprouts
1/2 small carrot
1/4 green bell pepper
1 Tbsp oil

2 packages Chuka Men (Chinese style noodles)
salt and pepper

Yakisoba Sauce
3 Tbsp Tonkatsu sauce
2 Tbsp Worcester sauce
1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp Mirin

Instructions

Cut sliced pork into bite size pieces.

Prepare the vegetables: slice onion, carrot, and bell pepper thinly; cut cabbage into 2"squares; wash and strain bean sprouts. Mix all the ingredients for Yakisoba Sauce.

In a large frying pan, add oil and heat at medium high heat. Cook meat first until browned.

Add onion, carrot, and bell pepper and cook about 1-2 minutes. Then add cabbage and bean sprouts, and cook until vegetables are wilted.

Once water seeps out from vegetables, add Chuka Men, stir under the vegetables, lower heat and cover, and cook about 2 minutes until noodles soften.

When noodles get loose and soft, keep stirring to mix with vegetables, then add sauce and coat the whole thing for a couple of minutes. (Season with salt and pepper to taste.)