Biscotti: Unbeatable

I know this is a funny name for biscotti, but when I began my biscotti search trying all sorts of recipes, I came upon this one and I liked the title they gave it because it was just what I was searching for. This is the perfect simple biscotti that has NO butter in it. It is a hard biscotti good for dipping, (if you are a dipper).

I think the biggest surprise people have when making their first biscotti, is how stiff and sticky the dough is. When you first get all the ingredients together, it will seem like there is not enough moisture to make it stick together. But just keep beating, and in a couple minutes it will come together in a lump like this.

When it looks like this, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.

While the dough "rests" for a couple minutes, I just turn my mixing bowl over it to keep the dough moist.

Now, on step 3 of the recipe, you will read to divide the dough into 3 pieces...but I find that 2 work just fine, and are less trouble to deal with.

Flatten the tops slightly, then pop your logs into the oven.

There is a oven temperature correction for this recipe. In step one it says to toast almonds at 350 degrees, then lower the oven temp to 300 degrees. Disregard the part of lowering the temperature--that comes later. Bake your logs at 350 degrees. After you take the logs out and cool them a bit, you will then slice them and put the slices back to bake in an oven that has been lowered to 325 degrees.

Biscotti, especially the ones without butter, make great gifts. They will last a couple months on your counter top in a jar, or in zipper-top bags. You can also freeze them. Pretty soon, you won't be able to have your morning coffee without a biscotti in hand!

Shrimp in Creamy Wine Sauce ~ page 187

Adam took one bite and said to the rest of us at the table (which included me, a 5 yr old, and a 3 yr old) "Who thinks this is the best thing they have ever put in their mouth?" Everyone but the 3 yr old raised their hand! It has been too long since I made this....my oh my, it is delicious! I got this recipe from a former co-worker when I lived in Tyler. She called it "Party Shrimp", which I think sounds more fun that the title that we gave it in our cookbook. It really is a party in your mouth.
Here is the sauce being poured over the raw shrimp, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts. I did cut my artichokes hearts into smaller pieces mainly for the kiddos. Oh, and I didn't have Sherry, so I used white wine with equally delicious results. The recipe calls for 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of cream...I just used 2 cups of milk (I was out of cream) and it was just as deliciously creamy, so I think I will change that in my cookbook for next time I make it, that way it is a little healthier. I also accidentally sprinkled 1 cup of Parmesan cheese on top instead of the 1/4 cup the recipe called for. I was reading the recipe really fast. I might do that again next time, I think it really added to the flavor.
Above is a pic as it came out of the oven...the Parmesan cheese coats the shrimp and the paprika adds great color. I have always served this over rice, Adam thinks I should try it over grits next time.
Here is a pic of my 5 yr old with her empty bowl! She gobbled it up, but the 3 yr old just wanted the sauce and rice. Over all I would say that my first evening to cook a real dinner since baby Sylvia was born a month ago was a great success. We have been eating out of the freezer when friends and family weren't bringing dinner over. It feels good to get back in the swing of things.

--Carissa

We've Been Hyjacked....or something...

Some of you have received some odd emails from our sweet little blog---it appears we have been the recipients of some sort of spam. I will get my computer hubby to look at it and see if we can get it blocked. I am so sorry to bother our wonderful followers with junk!

Mona gets cooking...

Our sweet friend, Mona, has been doing some cooking and telling me (Janice) about it, but I can't seem to get her to post on her own, so I am putting on her comments to share with others! She wrote a good synopsis of the recipes she has liked: 

Carissa's Lasagna - excellent. Easiest lasagna recipe I ever cooked. It didn't quite fill the pan of a 9x13 when I was assembling it (which made me nervous) but it of course expanded when the noodles cooked in the oven and came out lovely. What was great was how it was not too "saucy" when I served it right out of the oven. Mine is usually so messy and never looks pretty til the second day. And it was sooooo easy to assemble.

Carissa's Chicken Picatta - I loved it - but I forgot Phillip doesn't like capers so he wasn't thrilled with it. Plus it was too tart for him. Possibly, because I only cooked two chicken breasts but didn't reduce the sauce, maybe that's why it was so lemony. (4 breasts might have absorbed the sauce better). But I really loved it. If I only make it with two breasts next time, I might cut back on the lemon juice and capers for Phillip's benefit.

Carissa's salmon for two was wonderful. We had it last night. But I didn't buy two 12 ounce filet's. I bought a one pound piece of salmon (skin on the back). It was on sale. Anyway, the one pouud piece was more than enough for us. I was surprised she had two 12 oz filets because I know you guys do not overindulge and cook huge portions. But it was really tasty. I used my fresh basil from my potted herbs. Only change I made was the last couple of minutes I opened up the foil and turned the broiler on to dry the top of th salmon just a bit.

 

I'm really loving your recipe book. I am going to order one for Shannon for Christmas. Would love to see more beef/pork recipes because we eat so much chicken and I like to change things. I  like using the book because most of the recipes are easy with ingredients that I usually have around.  I think my next recipe to try will be the Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta.

Jam Jewels ~ page 211

These are so appropriately named...they just look like little jewels all lined up! The dough isn't overly sweet, allowing the jam and the drizzle to stand out. They look complicated, but read below and you'll see just how easy they are!
The dough is a little stiff when you first take it out of the fridge, so I cut it up in 1 inch cubes, then start rolling them into little balls. You should get 3.5 to 4 dozen balls depending on the size your balls are.
I use a 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon that is rounded and push a little dent in each one. Don't do it too shallow, you don't want the jam to run out.
Then fill them up. I used Strawberry for the first time (usually I use raspberry) and found the chunks of berry were hard to work around. Try using a smooth jam without bits of fruit.
After baking and cooling the cookies I put the glaze into a zip-lock baggie and snipped the corner and drizzled the tops. I did add 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar to my glaze so it was a little thicker, so adjust it to the thickness you like. They look quite fancy, but if you make the dough a day ahead like I did, it makes the whole process pretty easy! If you freeze them, drizzle them after they are thawed. --Carissa

Ranch Chicken Salad in a Pita ~ page 71

I am short on pictures, but this recipe is big on taste. I didn't get a pic of the ranch chicken in the pita...so maybe next time I will post that. This dish is super easy, super cool, and super delicious! If you look in the cookbook, you see there are no proportions given...which makes this easy to do your way with what you have around. I didn't have the wild rice mix I like to use, so I used white jasmine rice. I also added some spinach leaves and chopped yellow pepper, just because I had them. I didn't notice till after the meal, that I forgot the grated cheddar cheese! But I don't think anyone missed it. This was still wonderful. We ate the cold leftovers for dinner, and they were just as good--maybe even better! This is a great dish to make ahead and serve company for a casual summer meal. The pita pocket bread will make it look special. ~Janice

Butter Rolls ~ page 275

This is a versatile, easy dinner roll that you can't mess up, unless you over cook it. These are best when baked until just barely done--that keeps them very tender and soft.

I like to make my rolls into ovals, but I sometimes make them golf-size balls also. The ovals are nice if you want to use this an a sandwich roll. I have served these at showers and luncheons, filled with a chicken salad, and they are awesome.

If you want to freeze your rolls, cook them just a little less than called for so that you can brown them when you heat them up to serve.

The large amount of milk in this recipes keeps the rolls soft, and the butter makes them rich, so that you don't even have to butter them at dinner...but I do anyway.

Fig Streusel Bars ~ page 233

I really love figs. My grandmother had a fig tree in her yard when I was a girl and that is where my love began. Now I have one in my own yard. Fig trees are beautiful, and oh so handy 2 weeks of the year with all their lovely fig gifts.

My gift was huge this year! This is one of the daily harvests...

These delicious fig bars have two simple steps: cut up and cook the figs with sugar (you don't need much sugar because figs are naturally quite sweet), then mix up the streusel.

The streusel makes up to about 6 cups of topping. Press about 3 1/2 cups into a sheet pan to make the bottom crust--then add the fig filling.

Then sprinkle the rest of the streusel on top.

Fig bars are good for dessert or for breakfast. You can also make this bar with dates, as stated in the recipe. These really are just as good either way, so don't worry if you do not have access to a fig tree. ~Janice

Janice's Beef-Barley Soup Soup in the Slow Cooker ~ page 36

I know this seems like a winter meal...but on a rainy summer day, soup is good too. And using the slow cooker means you don't heat up your house. I have been known to put my slow cooker on the patio in really hot weather, when the air conditioner seems to be struggling with any heat output going on in the house!

There are two important things in this recipe to remember: Be sure to hunt down a beef bone. Not all grocery stores carry beef bones--but they make all the difference in a flavorful broth. Another tip to pass on, is I have found that it is not really necessary to brown all the stew meat pieces. I just brown one pan-full, then put the browned pieces and the rest of the unbrowned pieces in the slow cooker, then deglaze my pan with wine as the recipe says. The brown bits left from browning are what your are after, and one pan full of browned meat will do the trick and save you some time.

One more tip--sometimes I can't find long-cooking pearl barley, so it is fine to use quick barley. However, add quick barely for the last one hour in the slow cooker--not the whole 7 to 9 hours of cooking time as you would for pearl barley.

I like the simplicity of ingredients in this soup--meat, barley, carrots, onion, and tomatoes, all in a very rich and flavorful broth. This soup gives you a warm, satisfied feeling. ~ Janice

Wonderful Homemade Pie Crust ~ page 265

Fresh peach pie--does it get any better than that! I found peaches for 49 cents a pound the other day, so I just had to make a pie using our pie crust recipe. I worked on this crust recipe for several years trying to find the right proportions of butter and shortening. Years ago, I used all shortening, but I like the richer flavor of butter, plus, I wanted to lower the shortening content because of the trans fats in it. But crust does need some shortening in it or the dough will be very hard to work with, as the butter gets too soft.

I like to make my dough, then  pat it into a 6-inch circle, put it in a baggie, and refrigerate it for 30 minutes or even a day ahead. Then I take it out to roll it while it is really cold. That keeps it easier to work with. This crust did justice to my summer peaches--mmmm, it was very good! ~Janice

Summer Squash Oregano ~ page 106

What makes this dish so fresh tasting, is summer ripe tomatoes, peeled, and stirred in just until hot, and a good freshly grated Parmesan cheese melted on top.

I made this recipe couple weeks ago when I was keeping four grandkids while Carissa was in the hospital having baby Sylvia. Lillian, or course, wanted to help. The recipe calls for both yellow squash and zucchini, however, I neglected to buy the zucchini this time, so I just used all yellow squash, which is fine if you need to.

Evelyn wanted a turn to help too, so she put in the Parmesan. The burner is turned off at this point, the pan covered, and the retained heat melts the cheese.

You know how some dishes say "summer" to you? Well, this is one of those. Very delicious with the vegetables of the season.

Whole Wheat Belgian Waffles

This is a new recipe that I have made several times now, so I thought I'd share it with you guys. It doesn't have many ingredients so it is fast to whip up. I add several dashes of ground cinnamon to the batter for a unique taste. For the recipe check out the "New Recipe" tab at the top of the blog!

-Carissa

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake ~ page 250

This is a very lovely coffee cake that is more like a dessert. There is a typo in this recipe...You really need a bigger pan.... the cookbook calls for an 8x8 pan...that is too small. I made this in a 9 x 13 pan and it was perfect, but instead of baking it 50 minutes like the recipe calls for, do 35-40 min. It should come out perfect. The recipe says you can also do it in a 9 inch spring form pan...if you do this you need to cook it the full 50 minutes that the recipe calls for. I froze it in little squares for Adam to take to work for breakfast. --Carissa

Biscotti: Orange-Almond ~ page 203

It was not so long ago that most of us did not know what biscotti was...but then came the popularity of coffee shops, and those that love coffee at least, learned about this wonderful crisp, dry, (perfect for dipping) crunchy cookie.

The first biscotti I experienced was in a little outdoor coffee bar at the foothills of the Swiss Alps during a trip to Switzerland twelve years ago. My espresso came with one of these cookies. I have been in love with them ever since.

Lightly toast your whole almonds before you start the recipe, so they have time to cool before adding to the batter.

Coarsely chop the toasted almonds and zest your orange. If I have an extra orange on hand, I like to use the zest of 2 oranges, for even more of a burst of orange flavor.

There are 2 kinds of biscotti--the ones with butter, and the ones without. We have some of both kinds in the cookbook. There is a big difference--the ones with butter are softer, though still crisp. But the ones with no butter, are very hard, and could probably crack a tooth if you have a delicate one--but these are the ones especially good for dunking. This particular recipe is not that kind. There is a small amount of butter here that makes this biscotti mix up to a smoother batter, and bake to a softer crunch.

The finished dough will be heavy and kind of sticky.

Plop the dough into two logs on a parchment lined baking sheet.

With floured hands, pat the logs out like this...

After the first baking, the logs are sliced into 3/8 to 1/2-inch slices. Lay these slices on a pan to be baked again. (Biscotti means, "twice baked.")

Not only coffee drinkers love these cookies...

Avocado Quesadillas ~ page 90

I made these for a light lunch just before Carissa's baby was born 11 days ago...and have not made much from the cookbook since! But I am ready to get cooking again. So thanks for waiting to hear from us. This is a cool, light, tasty supper when the heat index is 112 degrees...goodness, too hot for much cooking!

These tasty quesadillas make 4 side dishes or appetizer servings, or 2 servings if you want it as a main dish.

The avacado filling and the spicy sauce mix up quickly. Instead of sour cream in my sauce, I used plain yogurt, because that is what I had on hand.

I wanted to use some new uncooked corn tortillas that I found. I cooked them on a griddle instead of under the broiler.

After the tortillas crisp up just a bit, the cheese is added.  When cheese is melted, with a spatula, put cheesy tortillas on your serving plate, then add your avocado filling.

Now you are ready for the top...

Add the extra cooked tortillas to the top, then serve with a scoop of the spicy dipping sauce. When this recipe is made with flour tortillas, like the recipe calls for, they will cut up neatly into wedges. I found that my corn tortillas did not cut as nicely, but we sure did love the taste! ~Janice