Company Cauliflower

I am not a huge fan of cauliflower. It smells funny and well just doesn't taste that great.


A few weeks ago I got a head of cauliflower in my Bountiful Basket. I had no idea what to do with it. A friend of mine share this wonderful soup recipe that uses cauliflower, but it's the middle of summer. Who wants to eat soup?


I came across the recipe, and thought why not? And well, it was AMAZING!! Travis even ate it and he despises cauliflower. It reminded me of lighter Funeral Potato dish. But don't take my word for it, just try it.


Company Cauliflower


Ingredients:

• 2 heads cauliflower
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9x13 inch casserole dish.
2. Break cauliflower into florets, place in large covered saucepan and steam until tender.
3. Place cauliflower in casserole dish; gently stir in sour cream and cheese.
4. In a saute pan over medium heat, melt butter; add bread crumbs and evenly coat.
5. Sprinkle bread crumbs over cauliflower mixture and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  

(Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/company-cauliflower/detail.aspx)

A New Spin on Fried Chicken

At my work every year we have a United Way fundraiser book fair. This year I came across this simply wonderful cookbook called, Fast Fix Family Food. I have found so many exciting recipes in here. There are so many that I can't wait to try.


Tonight's dinner was inspired from a recipe in this cookbook. Oven-Fried Buttermilk Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, and Steamed Broccoli.


Here is the recipe for the chicken:

• 1 cup buttermilk or milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups crushed cornflakes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 3 lbs meaty chicken pieces - breast halves, thighs, and drumsticks (I just used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a shallow dish, beat together buttermilk, eggs, and salt with fork until combined. In another dish, stir together cornflakes and oregano. Dip chicken pieces, one at a time, into buttermilk mixture, then into cornflake mixture to coat. Arrange pieces in a lightly greased 13x9x2-inch baking pan so pieces do not touch. Drizzle with butter.
2. Bake, uncovered, for 40 to 50 minutes or until chicken pieces are tender and no longer pink.

I served it with Mashed Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli:

1. Wash around 6 medium red potatoes. Cut them into a little larger than bite size pieces. Place in large pot and fill pot with water, enough to cover the potatoes plus about a 1/2 inch. Season water with some garlic salt or table salt. Bring to a boil and cover for around 30 minutes or until potatoes break apart very easily with a fork.
2. Drain water from potatoes, reserving about a 1/8 cup of the water. Dump potatoes and reserved water into a bowl. Add about 1 cup of milk, 2 tablespoons of margarine or butter, and an assortment of desired spices. (I used garlic salt, Mrs. Dash Onion and Herb, minced onions, season salt, Cajun seasoning, and some other ones that I don't remember. Just whatever tickles your fancy.) Used potato mashed until all is mixed and they are the desired consistency. If you want them creamier, add more milk.

The broccoli I just steamed on the stove in a steamer basket and added a little margarine or butter. I am still trying to get the hang of steaming. Who knew it would be that hard.


Here is the final product:

It was super yummy! The boyfriend devoured almost all of it. Which is always a good sign.

Chile Rellenos

When I was younger, my dad's side of the family never had a traditional American style Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. I am not sure how it all started, but for almost as long as I can remember we always had a Mexican style dinner (by Mexican, I mean American-Mexican. It wasn't really the authentic stuff, but it was close). My assumption was we all had other sides of the family and well, the Longhursts just do things different.


One item I remember having was chili rellenos. A chili relleno is essentially a battered and deep fried chili (usually a poblano pepper) that has been stuffed with some kind of filling. I only remember eating it with cheese, but there are recipes out there for some meat and cheese fillings. All depends on your fancy.


I received some poblano peppers from Bountiful Baskets and was trying to figure what to do with them. I decided to go back to my childhood and attempt to make chili rellenos with them.

Here is how I made them:

• 6 large, roasted and peeled chilies 
• 6 eggs (approx. 1 egg for 1 large chili)
• 1/4 cup flour (optional)
• Sliced cheese, Pepper Jack and Cream Cheese
• Deep fryer or a large pan with 2 inches of oil
• Pinch of salt
• Paper towels for draining

1. Roast the chilies 
   Roast the chilies in a broiler on high heat. Turn them occasionally until the skins are blackened and charred. When the skin of the chilies is sufficiently charred and blistered, remove from the heat and place in a plastic bowl or zipper bag and close tightly. Let them cool to room temperature so you don't burn yourself. Peel the skin from the cooled chili, rinsing your fingers if they become sticky. Be careful to not tear the chili while peeling it. Don't rise the chilies, it will wash away the yummy flavors. 
2. Remove the seeds
   Here is the tricky part. Roasted chilies are very soft, and tear easily. You are going to make a small slice into the side of the chili, just big enough to get a spoon into, about 2-3 inches. (Or use an existing tear if there is one.) Insert the spoon into the chili and scrape the seeds and the white membrane out, try to not tear the chilies flesh any more than possible.
3. Stuff the chilies
   Place a slice of pepper jack cheese and a spoonful of cream cheese into the chili, but don't force it. If the cheese is too large, trim it down until it fits inside. Don't over-stuff it. Make sure the open edges of the chili still come together. Make sure it's spread from the steam to the end of chili.
4. Prepare the chilies
   Place half of the flour on the bottom of a plate. Place the chilies on the flour and sprinkle the rest of the flour on top. Use your finger to make sure the entire chili is coated. Dust off remaining flour and set chilies aside.
5. Prepare batter
   For a simple batter, whip 3-6 cold egg whites in a chilled bowl until they are stiff. Stir up the remaining yolks and slowly fold them in with a pinch of salt.
6. Cook chilies
   One at a time, hold the chilies by the stem and support the bottom with your fingers or a spoon, and dip the stuffed chilies into the batter. Carefully place them into the fryer basket and lower it into the hot oil. Cook each side until batter is a crisp golden brown.
7. Drain excess oil
   Remove chilies from the oil and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with your favorite salsa.

They didn't turn exactly how I remember eating them with my family, but overall they were pretty tasty.

What's Cookin' Good Lookin'?

Recently I have found a passion for cooking. I have always enjoyed cooking, but lately I have been wanting to become more creative. A lot of thanks goes to Bountiful Baskets. They are produce co-op that allows you to purchase a basket full of a vast variety of fruits and veggies. They also have extras that you can add on. A really good friend of mine turned me on to it and now I am hooked. Each week I pick up my basket and get home and start looking for recipies to use my produce. I love it! Not to menetion I am looking for heathier recipies and trying to get away from boxed meals and frozen meals. Not everything is from scratch, but it's not all out of a box.

So the point of this blog is to share the new creations I find with all my wonderful friends that would like to try tasty food. I would absolutely LOVE if you would contribute too. Just send me your suggestions and I will try them out and share them with the world.

Hope you enjoy!