Delusions of Chefery

Glazed Molasses Gingerbread Cookies

This year I finally made homemade Gingerbread cookies. Like any from-scratch cookies, there are a few steps involved, but overall they’re relatively easy and there’s lot of options for decorating. The sugar-glaze is optional, but highly recommended.

For an orange twist on this recipe, add the zest of an orange and 1 tbsp orange juice. Add some zest and juice to the icing as well.

2 tsp ground Ginger
1 Egg
3/4 cup Molasses
3 1/2 cups All purpose flour
1/4 tsp Allspice
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
3/4 cup Brown sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Butter, unsalted, melted

Sugar Icing:
2 cups Powdered sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 drop Peppermint Extract (optional)
4 tbsp Milk (increase for thinner glaze)

– Add brown sugar, molasses, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and allspice to melted butter in a large mixing bowl.
– Add the egg and beat it in with the spice mixture.
– In a separate large bowl, whisk together baking powder, soda, and flour.
– Add flour to the liquid spice/sugar mixture and stir together with a wooden spoon.
– Roll dough into a log shape and then flatten into a thick rectangle between two sheets of plastic wrap.
– Refrigerate for at least one hour, but preferably overnight.
– Preheat oven to 350℉. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
– On a floured surface, roll dough into 1/4 inch thick rectangle with a floured rolling pin.
– Cut out shapes with your choice of cookie cutters. Place at least an inch apart on cookie sheets.
– Bake for 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
– Let cookies cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes and then transfer to cooling racks to cool for an additional 10 minutes.
– Once completely cooled, glaze cookies with a pastry brush and add other fun sprinkles or crushed candy canes.
– Once the glaze hardens, you can add more icing to give your shapes some life!
– Store in airtight containers at room temperature or in freezer.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This banana bread has all of the wonderful qualities that we love in banana bread plus some chocolate-y goodness. And it’s moist. And oh my goodness it is so moist that you don’t even need to add that large pat of butter on top.

banana-bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3-4 ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips

– Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
– Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
– Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
– Beat the butter and sugar together in a second large bowl until light and fluffy and beat in the eggs one at a time.
– Add the mashed bananas, milk, and vanilla extract to the bowl of wet ingredients.
– Slowly stir the dry mixture into the large bowl of wet ingredients until blended. Fold in the chocolate chips until distributed.
– Pour bread batter into the prepared loaf pan.
– Bake for 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean.
– Let bread cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Store leftovers in aluminium foil so that they stay moist.

No-bake Creamy Cheesecake (Pie)

Calling this pie a cheesecake is a bit of a stretch, but it is extremely creamy and cheesy with the slightest hint of citrus. Consider this recipe to be a starting place in an on-going experiment to make an amazing dessert.

1 can of sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
1 8 ounce container of frozen whipped topping (Cool Whip)
1/3 cup of lemon or lime juice (or a combination of the two)
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese (very softened)
1 graham cracker crust

– Using a mixer on low speed, blend together the condensed milk, cream cheese, and whipped topping.
– Lastly, quickly add the lemon/lime juice and mix for approximately 2 minutes so that all of the ingredients are combined.
– Immediately pour all of the ingredients into the pie crust and refrigerate for 2 hours.
– Serve chilled with additional whipped topping and fruit topping.

Linda’s Notes:
– One of the most important steps with this dessert is to ensure that the cream cheese is room temperature and creamy
– The mixture will appear soupy prior to adding the citrus juice, but the chemical reaction will immediately make it thicken up
– This pie is great in any kind of cookie crumb crush with the addition of additional cookies, or fresh fruit in the pie mixture
– If adding mechanized whip cream to the pie scares you, then you may also add whipped cream as long as you add a slight bit more citrus juice to thicken the cream

Creamy Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

6 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
12 ounce of macaroni noodles
3 cups whole milk, warmed
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 package of frozen pureed butternut or winter squash, defrosted
1/4 cup of chopped onions
1 clove of garlic, minced

– Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
– Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter (microwave works just fine) and drizzle over panko bread crumbs in a small bowl and toss to combine.
– In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the elbow macaroni until al dente. Drain the macaroni and return them to the pot they were cooked in.
– In a medium saucepan over moderate heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, onions, and garlic and sauté until the onions are clear.
– Add the flour and use a flat-edged wooden spoon or heat-safe rubber spatula to stir the mixture together, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent burning, just until it starts to turn a light brown color, about 5 minutes.
– Slowly add the warm milk and stir constantly until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.
– Slowly stir in the defrosted winter squash puree until it is completely combined and there are not lumps.
– Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the dry mustard, salt, pepper, and all of the cheese except for a small handful.
– Pour the cheese and squash sauce over the cooked elbow macaroni and gently stir until all of the noodles are coated with sauce.
– Pour the macaroni and cheese into the greased baking dish and top with the panko bread crumb mixture and the remaining handful of cheese.
– Bake until light golden brown and bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Linda’s Notes:
– This recipe, minus the vegetables, is my go-to traditional macaroni and cheese
– If you want to make the ahead of time, the macaroni and cheese mixture can be kept in the refrigerator up to two days before baking with the bread crumb mixture
– Any variety of cheese can be used in this recipe to change the flavor one way or another

Creole Stir-fry

This recipe was one that I tried to use a variety of vegetables from my Spring CSA. It was simple and surprisingly healthy for a creole recipe.

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 onions, chopped
4 ears fresh corn, scraped
2 pounds fresh okra, cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes, broken up
1/2 pound andouille sausage, diced
1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

– Heat butter and olive oil over medium heat in a large pot.
– Cook and stir celery and onions for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent.
– Stir in the corn kernels and cook for 3 additional minutes.

– Stir in okra, tomatoes, sausage, and Creole seasoning.

– Cover and cook over medium heat until the okra has lost all of its slippery texture, at least 45 minutes.

– Season with sea salt, black pepper, and more Creole seasoning if necessary.

– Cook, uncovered, to thicken, about 10 minutes.

Linda’s Notes:

– Frozen, thawed okra and/or corn can be substituted for fresh.
– I substituted cajun-flavored turkey sausage for the pork sausage.
– I used fresh, chopped tomatoes instead of the canned since they were included in my CSA.

My First Seafood Gumbo

For Thanksgiving this year, my Mom and I took a week-long road trip down to New Orleans. While in the French Quarter, we enjoyed some of the best food we’ve ever consumed and the seafood gumbo was certainly as good as advertised.

For every meal, I had a bowl of gumbo at a different restaurant and considered in every bite how I would make my own pot of New Orleans seafood gumbo on a cold day back in Virginia. This recipe is what I came up with 🙂

1/4 cup oil

6 tbsp flour

1 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 cup celery, diced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
6 cups chicken stock (seafood or vegetable will work as well)
1 tbsp concentrated chicken or seafood broth or base
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 cups cut okra (thaw if frozen)
1 can diced tomatoes, drained well (use the kind with onions or garlic for extra flavor)
1/4 lb of lump crabmeat
4 cups of cooked, peeled shrimp
1 cup of sliced andouille sausage (or cajun-style turkey sausage)

– In a large stockpot, mix the flour and oil and cook over medium heat until it is dark brown in color. Whisk the mixture constantly to remove all flour lumps and to prevent scorching.
– Add the onion, garlic, celery, and pepper to the roux and sauté for 3-4 minutes.

– Begin slowly adding the stock and soup base to the mixture, stirring constantly.
– Add all remaining ingredients, with the exception of the seafood.

– Cover pot and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

– Add seafood ingredients and continue cooking for 15 additional minutes.
– Serve gumbo in a soup bowl over hot rice. Garnish with green onions or parsley as desired.

Linda’s Notes:

– I used Swanson’s seafood flavor boost in addition to the liquid stock to add more seafood flavor
– I chose to only use a roux to thicken the stew, but if you prefer a very thick gumbo you can also add file powder.
– I used very well-drained chopped tomatoes that were infused with basil, garlic, and onion for added flavor. Crushed tomatoes could be used for more of a “red” gumbo.
– For a “healthier” gumbo, I used olive oil, turkey sausage, and served over brown rice with a dash of olive oil.
– This recipe could be easily converted into chicken, vegetarian, or vegan gumbo. This could also be prepared in a slow-cooker, with the roux prepared early and the seafood added later.

Crustless Vegetable Quiche

This is my favorite quiche recipe for making on the weekends for brunch, or for a potluck.

1 tbsp of olive oil
1 large or 2 small summer squash (zucchini or yellow)
1/2 of a tomato, chopped
1/4 of a sweet onion, chopped
1 small clove of garlic, chopped
3 large eggs
1/2 cup of Bisquick (or generic biscuit mix)
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
1 cup of shredded cheese (any)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Fresh chopped herbs to taste, such as basil (optional)

– Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
– In a skillet, saute the squash, onions, and garlic in the oil until soft.
– Mix the eggs, milk, and biscuit mixture in a large bowl.
– Put the sauteed vegetables, herbs, tomato, and cheese in a greased pie plate or casserole dish.
– Cover the vegetables and cheese with the biscuit mixture.
– Bake for 50 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Linda’s Notes:
– Dried herbs can be substituted for fresh herbs, but the “fresh” taste is part of what makes this quiche so special.
– Spinach, asparagus, or okra are good substitutes for the summer squash mixture.

Eggs in a coffee cup

I assure you that these eggs come out really fluffy and delicious. And it’s fast. And easy. Pass this on to every college student and single man you know.

2 eggs

2 tablespoons of milk (any kind – whatever you have to put in your coffee

2 tablespoons of shredded cheese (any cheese, measurement not exact)

Salt/Pepper/Garlic powder as desired

– Coat coffee cup with cooking spray.

– Add ingredients and mix until well blended.

– Microwave for 45 seconds and stir. Microwave until the eggs are fully set, usually another 45 seconds.

– Top with shredded cheese and serve.

Linda’s Notes:

– I added a little hot sauce and chopped tomatoes to mine, but you could put anything in this that you’d like in an omelette or scramble.

– The eggs continue to cook a bit after they come out of the microwave, so after adding the cheese let them sit for 30 seconds before digging in.

3-ingredient, 3-step Sausage Dip

This might be the easiest dip to take to a work function or party (maybe a Superbowl party?). I don’t eat pork, but I substitute mild or spicy Italian turkey sausage and it’s just as good.

1 lb of Italian sausage (mild or spicy)

1 can of Ro-tel, drained

2 8 oz packages of cream cheese

– Cook sausage on medium-hight heat in a skillet until fully cooked.

– Drain sausage well and return to the skillet on low-heat.

– Mix in Ro-tel and cheese and stir until well blended and hot.

Linda’s Notes:

– If you’re serving this at a party, use a small crockpot so it stays warm and creamy and serve with tortilla chips

– You can use any kind of sausage as long as it has typical sausage seasoning

– If you want more spicy, add hot sauce to your likening

– I have had this with just one package of cream cheese and it was just chunkier and less creamy, but still fabulous!

Stuffed Eggplant

Since all local CSAs are overloading us with many, MANY varieties of squash, this is a great opportunity to share my stuffed eggplant. This is loosely adapted from Food Network’s Michael Chiarello.

1 eggplant (should be large to hold all the stuffing)

1/2 pound ground turkey (or beef)

1 onion, diced

1 red or green pepper, small diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley

1/2 cup freshly chopped basil

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1 egg

1 chopped tomato

About 2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

– Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

– Cut the eggplant in half and scoop out meat inside, leaving just enough for the shell to keep its shape.

– In a medium sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add ground meat seasoned with salt, pepper, and cumin.

– Cook meat until it is browning and no longer pink.

– Add eggplant meat, peppers, onions, and garlic to the pan and continue cooking until all vegetables are soft.

– In a bowl, mix together the cooked meat and vegetable mixture, herbs, cheese, bread crumbs, and the egg.

– Fill the eggplant shells with the bowl mixture, dividing it evenly among the two.

– Top with chopped tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, place on an oiled oven tray or baking dish.

– Bake for one hour in preheated oven.

– Let cool for about 5 minutes and slice similarly to a meatloaf.