Chicken Stemperata

I think this is my first Mario Batali recipe to try. I don't remember now what I was searching for when I stumbled onto this one. I love the one pot veggie packed meal idea but I have to say it was nothing special. I can think of a lot better ways to make a chicken stew. I probably wouldn't try this one again. The only thing that kept the meal interesting was the help I received from this little one, a future monthly challenge blogger .....


and, perhaps, the 2006 Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet that I chose with it. It's great if you need a good wine for the holidays.

Perfect Panini

I was trying to find something to use my Krups panini press on and remembered seeing Giada make these a time or two. The recipe doesn't state to use a panini press but it sure was good toasted anyways. I resisted the urge to slap a piece of cheese on it ... surprisingly, it didn't need it. It was nice and creamy as is and the pureed olives made a really nice combination. I wouldn't sub regular black olives ... the kalamatas were perfect for it. Click here for Tuna and Artichoke Paninis.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

For this soup I used Tyler Florence's Roasted Tomato Soup and Ina Garten's Roasted Tomato Basil Soup as guides for mine. I roasted the tomatoes in the oven. Then I sauteed some onions and simmered both with some chicken stock and seasonings. I pureed the soup in the food processor a small amount at a time and then finished it with some cream.

I served it with a salad.

Me too!

I also made the Jam Thumbprints (center) this weekend, along with Alton Brown's Cocoa Brownies (right) posted by wirrek back in October and Martha Stewart's Chocolate Macaroons (left). I know, Martha's not on the Food Network, but close enough.






And just for sympathy, here's a picture of the half inch of ice on the inside of my living room window from this morning. No one should ever have to experience a wind chill of -26.

Another steal

That isn't the best picture. My camera battery was about to die, and that was the best I can do.

These jam thumbprint cookies were originally posted by Lindsey earlier this month. I felt like trying something new for a cookie party I was going to, and a double recipe of these were perfect. They didn't turn out like I was expecting, but very tasty. I think next time I would keep them in the oven a little longer to get the coconut a little toastier. They were well received and a great Christmas cookie!

Roasted Green-Chile Chicken Enchiladas

So, I finally got my hatch chile peppers. Well, about half of them. I am not going to post the link to the company I order from or anything. That is a mess for another time.

But I did order some hatch chile peppers with the intention of making some kick ass chicken enchiladas with them. Actually, when looking for a recipe, I didn't really see what I was thinking of, but this one by Tyler Florence seemed interesting.

The result: underwhelming. Perhaps it was operator error, I used smaller tortillas and ended up with 2 dishes with a total of 20 enchiladas. The tomatillo sauce was good, but you really lost the flavor of the peppers. On with my quest to find a different enchilada sauce recipe. I have plently of chiles leftover to use up.

Rachel Ray's Beef Stroganoff

Have I posted this one before? I can't remember. This is one of out staples...even the kids like it pretty well! I saw Rachel Ray make this recipe years ago on 30 minute meals and still go back to it!