Hello? Bueller?

I know, I have been a terrible poster lately. We're preparing for a family vacation, so I haven't been experimenting much lately with new recipes. I've been using this blog to guide what I've cooked lately. But I promise, when we get back, I've got lots of new recipes I'm ready to try and blog. So don't go too far!!

Cinnamon-Bun Ebelskivers

I was originally going to blog tonight's dinner, but it was so not worthy. So instead I'm blogging with these long-overdue, totally amazing Dutch filled pancakes, courtesy of Williams Sonoma. Ordinarily, I'm not one to buy highly specialized kitchen equipment, but the recipes for these sounded so amazing, I couldn't resist. I can't lie, they weren't the easiest thing in the world to make, but they were worth it!!! Don't count a single calorie on these - some things are worth it!

For the pancakes:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 2 cups milk
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• Nonstick cooking spray
  

For the cinnamon filling:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes,
  at room temperature
  

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 to 4 Tbs. milk
  
  

For cinnamon filling, stir together the granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and, using the back of a spoon, mash the butter into the flour mixture until all of it is absorbed into the butter, forming a paste. Set filling aside.

To make the pancakes, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then add in the milk and the melted butter. Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined (batter will be lumpy. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff but not until dry peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter in two additions.

Spray each well of ebelskiver pan with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Pour 1 Tbs. batter into each well. Spoon 1/2 tsp. of the cinnamon filling into the center of each pancake and top with 1 Tbs. batter. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Using 2 skewers, flip the pancakes over and cook until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes more. Transfer the pancakes to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling.

To make the cream cheese frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle, beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar, reduce the speed to low and beat until combined, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add 3 Tbs. of the milk and beat until combined, about 1 minute. The frosting should be thick but still pourable; add more milk if needed to thin.

Drizzle the pancakes with the frosting and serve immediately. Makes 35 to 40.

Langostino Macaroni and Cheese

Wow. This is absolutely amazing. Decadent (definitely not healthy!), rich, and oh-so-satisfying. It would be perfect for a romantic evening, but it was just as perfect for a relaxing Sunday night in our house!
1 box macaroni, cooked and drained
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 small garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1 cup FF milk
1 cup FF half-and-half
1-1/4 cups reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1 10 oz. package langostino, defrosted according to package directions
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning (I didn't have any of this, but it would really be fantastic in this!)
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Sale and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat until oil starts to ripple. Add onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add butter to pan and stir to combine with onions and garlic. When butter is melted, whisk in flour to make a roux. When combined, add milk and half-and-half and whisk until combined. Allow mixture to thicken.

When milk mixture has thickened, add spices and cheeses and stir until the cheese is melted. Add langostino meat and stir to combine. Mix with pasta and pour into casserole. Bake uncovered until top is browned and sauce is bubbling, about 15-20 minutes.

Menu Planning

Every Sunday, like clockwork, my husband and I sit down and plan the week's menu out, then head to the grocery store together. This keeps us from, "Hey, I don't know what to make and I'm missing at least one ingredient for everything I can think of cooking, so let's go out." It also saves money at the grocery store when we head in with a plan. But, until today, I've never blogged about them. I'm hoping that listing what we're having this week will inspire me to blog about it once it's made, because I know I've been a bit of a slacker in that department lately. I blame the summer heat here in PA!

Our plan for this week is:

Sunday
Langostino Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Monday
Steak Burritos

Tuesday
Chicken Skewers with Peanut Sauce

Wednesday
Shrimp Tacos

Thursday
Steak Sandwiches with Oven Fries

Friday
Open - maybe we'll go out, or we might take the little guy to the pool for family swim night - he loves this!

That's our week! What are you having?

White Chicken Chili

I have read other bloggers' raves about white chicken chili for a while now. We tried one recipe back when I was pregnant - in.edi.ble. Too much spice (and I LOVE my spicy food!), too much cumin... blech.

Yet I stayed determined. While I was on maternity leave I saw Giada make a version that didn't appear too smoky and spicy on Giada at Home, and I decided to suck it up and try it. Fantastic! It's smooth, creamy, with just a hint of warmth rather than overt spiciness. I made a few modifications to her original recipe to accommodate what I happened to have in my kitchen, and we definitely weren't disappointed!


1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pounds ground chicken
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sweet paprika
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili powder
2 tablespoons flour
1 (15-ounce cans) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup fat-free half-and-half
1/4 cup light sour cream

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, around 30 seconds. Add the ground chicken, salt, paprika fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through.

Stir the flour into the chicken mixture. Add the beans and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 55-60 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Add crushed red pepper and simmer for another 10 minutes. Stir in half-and-half, Parmesan cheese, and sour cream, and stir until creamy.

Ladle into serving bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper, if desired.

WW Info: 3 Points per one-cup serving

Source: Adapted from Giada at Home

Shrimp Scampi Risotto

I love risotto. Love, love, love it. Ever since my first foray into making it at home, it has been a constant in our dinner rotation. This is one of our new favorites.

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 small onion
3 cloves minced garlic, divided
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups chicken broth, warmed
1/3-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 bag frozen broccoli

Cook broccoli according to package directions and set aside.

Melt butter and 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once butter is melted and oil is hot, add onion and saute until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add 2 cloves of garlic and saute until garlic is just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in rice and saute until grains turn opaque.

Reduce heat to medium. Pour wine over rice and stir until liquid is reduced.

Begin adding chicken broth one ladle at a time, stirring regularly between each. Once liquid is almost reduced, stir in next ladle. Risotto should be creamy and slightly al dente.

In a separate, smaller skillet, heat remaining olive oil. When oil is hot, add remaining garlic and heat until fragrant. Stir in shrimp and saute until shrimp is pink. Add shrimp, broccoli, and cheese to risotto and stir until cheese is melted.

Szechuan Shrimp

I love Chinese food. And not the good-for-you, light white sauce on the side Chinese food. I love the brown sauce-drenched deep fried Chinese food like General Tso's chicken. Yum. But, of course, those aren't very friendly to the old Points calculator, now are they? So I found this recipe on Stephanie Cooks, a blog by a girl after my own heart who follows Weight Watchers but uses real food to do it.

I added lots of veggies (a package of Steamfresh that just cook right in the microwave - love these!) and brown rice to this recipe, and just doubled the sauce from Stephanie's original so I had enough to cover all of the extras.

1 pound cooked large shrimp
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1/8 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 green onions, diced
4 cloves minced or crushed garlic (I used my ever-present garlic press)
1 bag Steamfresh Asian vegetables (no sauce)

Combine water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, crushed red pepper flakes and ginger in a small bowl. Prepare vegetables in microwave according to package directions.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add green onions and garlic and stir fry for ab about 30 seconds. Add shrimp and vegetables and toss to coat with oil. Stir in sauce. Heat until sauce is thick and bubbly.

Makes 4 servings.

WW Info
4 Points for 1/4 of recipe (not including rice)

Adapted from Stephanie Cooks, originally from Blog Chef.