Baked Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

Recipe from Martha Stewart

Chicken Piccata Recipe

I followed this recipe exactly, except for the parsley. It took be about an hour to make because I cleaned up as I cooked. I recommend serving with homemade mashed potatoes.

Cooking Light Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 ounces all-purpose flour, divided (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
• 4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons drained capers
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Place 1 teaspoon flour in a small bowl, and place remaining flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle both sides of chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour in shallow dish; shake off excess.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
3. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots to pan; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add wine; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until liquid almost evaporates, stirring occasionally. Add 1/4 cup broth to reserved 1 teaspoon flour; stir until smooth. Add remaining 1/2 cup broth to pan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half (about 5 minutes). Stir in flour mixture; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, juice, and capers. Place 1 chicken breast half on each of 4 plates; top each serving with about 2 tablespoons sauce. Sprinkle each serving with about 2 teaspoons parsley.

Julianna Grimes, Cooking Light
January 2012

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (King Arthur Unbleached Flour)
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh cranberries (chopped)
• 1 orange (zested)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in chopped cranberries. Stir. Zest an orange into the batter. If you use a cheese grater to zest, zest against the medium/large blade. Stir.
   If you notice your batter is liquid-y, add a tbsp of flour at a time to thicken it.
   If you find your batter is too thick (and you think you won’t be able to drop it into the muffin liners with ease, add a tbsp of milk at a time to make it thinner)
3. Fill muffin cups right to the top, or a 1/4 inch below the top. 
4. Bake for 11-14 minutes, depending on your oven. I recommend checking at 10. They will be done when you can smell them, and the tops are beginning to brown.

Recipe adapted from Colleen‘s Blueberry Muffins, which I have also made for this blog: blueberry muffins and also apple cinnamon muffins

Blackberry Lavender Scones

I discovered Joy the Baker. And you should too.
Lavender. Blackberry. Scones.

I’ve made Joy’s scones several times this year since I discovered it in May.

 

In the words of Joy, this is how it is done:

LAVENDER BLACKBERRY SCONES

Makes 10 to 12 scones

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon dried lavender

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup cold buttermilk

1 cup fresh blackberries(you can used thawed and drained berries from the freezer although the scones will have a more purple color)

1 beaten egg and granulated sugar for sprinkling on top before baking

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, lavender, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Cut in butter (using your fingers or a pastry cutter) until mixture resembles a coarse meal.  Work the butter into the dry ingredients until some of the butter flakes are the size of peas and some are the size of oat flakes.    In another bowl, combine egg and buttermilk and beat lightly with a fork.  Add to flour mixture all at once, stirring enough to make a soft dough.  Fold in the blackberries.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead about 15 times.  Roll or pat out into a 1-inch thickness.  Cut into 2-inch rounds using a round cutter or cut into 2×2-inch squares.  Reshape and roll dough to create more scones with excess scraps.    Place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Brush lightly with beaten egg and sprinkle with granulated sugar.   Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Serve warm.  Scones are best the day they’re made, and though they can be frozen and lightly reheated in the oven if you need a future treat.

DIY Succulent Terrarium

 

Easy-peasy, and fun to make!
+ $4 thrift store punch bowl. A fish bowl would also be sufficent.

Rocks, colored sand, dirt, succulents.

Chilled Borscht Recipe

Homemade Russian Borscht with plain Greek yogurt and fresh dill. Served chilled.

Check out the recipe in one of my older posts

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Apple Cinnamon Muffins.

Adapted from the Blueberry Muffin recipe that I’ve made for years. Originally from Colleen.

Instead of blueberries, I used 1 medium apple and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. Plus an extra splash of milk. The muffins were done at 15 minutes in my oven

Finished off with homemade canned apple butter

Watercolor Inspired Pottery

 

Inspired by Stina Persson’s watercolor art, I painted a clay pot for one of my indoor plants.

Banana – Almond – Seed – Smoothie

1 cup Almond Milk – Blue Diamond Original
1 tps Ground Flax Seed
1 tsp Raw Oats
1 tsp Chia Seeds
1 Banana – very ripe
1 scoop peanut butter- natural, no sugar added
3 ice cubes

It tastes like a milk shake!

Scones: Blood Orange & Cranberry