Strawberry Chicken

The year was 1991, it was late in May, and we were celebrating my husbands (then boyfriend) graduation from high school. His aunt Ruth made dinner that night, strawberry chicken - it was awesome!! Aunt Ruth was the first person I had seen to combine fruit and meat together and instantly I was hooked, both on the dish as well as the Aunt.

From what I remember Aunt Ruth's chicken was pretty basic (but delicious!), soy sauce and ginger as the marinade, it was the fresh ruby red strawberries on top of the chicken that stuck out in my memory. Being the budding foodie that I was I got the recipe for the chicken that night and made it for my own family the following evening.

I haven't made Strawberry chicken in a LONG time. Probably close to 5 years or more. However when strawberries were on sale this week (BOGO 2/$5, not too bad!) I decided it was time to dust off the old strawberry chicken recipe and give it a Kitchen Witch make over, just in time for spring.

The Witch decided that the berries needed to be more of a salsa than just sliced on top, so I used some lime juice and agave nectar, the lime plays nicely with the berries, adding acidity and the agave nectar helps balance that acid with sweetness. Next time I'll add some fresh mint too, I think it would be really good - it needs an herbal flair. The chicken needed some sprucing up too, so I added lime to the marinade along with garlic and green onions, just for kicks.

The results? Pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. The chicken has an Asian flair, something that I rarely turn down, slightly spicy from the garlic and ginger and the strawberries add their sweet tang, think sweet and sour chicken for grown ups. The kids will enjoy it too, the little Witch ate half of my chicken!!

Strawberry Chicken
serves 2
2 chicken breasts
1 T soy sauce
juice and zest of 1 lime, divided
2 green onions
1 inch ginger finely minced (can use dried ground, 1 t)
2 cloves garlic
2 pinches kosher salt
few grinds black pepper
1/2 lb strawberries (about 4-5 per person)
1 t agave nectar (can substitute honey)

Make marinade:
Mix lime 1/2 the zest and juice, soy, salt, pepper, onions, garlic and ginger together. Pour over chicken and allow to marinate for 1 hour.

Hull strawberries and dice berries into 1/2 in pieces. Make a dressing for berries out of remaining lime zest and juice and a drizzle of agave nectar (about 1/2 t). Pour dressing over diced berries, stir well to coat. Allow fruit to mascerate (fancy word for marinating fruit) while chicken cooks.



Cook chicken in a heavy bottom pan (guess what, I used my cast iron! I know, you're shocked LOL) for about 5-7 minutes on 1st side or until deeply golden browned and edges are opaque. Flip chicken, cook on 2nd side until internal temp is 160*. Remove chicken. Serve with rice, or quinoa and fresh vegetables.

Quinoa Pilaf

It's ironic that quinoa, the new uber hot gluten free grain, is actually an ancient grain that the Peruvians have been noshing on for over 6,000 years. Its chock full of nutritional goodness - its protein content is very high (12%–18%), contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest.

No wonder its gaining in popularity! Quinoa makes a great subsititue for rice or potatoes and it cooks in 15 minutes - perfect for today's busy lifestyles!

This was my first foray into the new and wonderful world of quinoa. I decided to make a quinoa pilaf, figuring that adding veggies wasn't a bad thing. Turns out adding the veggies was right on, it was delicious! What a simple way to get extra veggies into your family.

The grains are very small, my husband thought it was couscous at first, that's how small they are. The taste is similar to brown rice, slightly nutty, and very good. The little Witch saw the serving bowl on the table, she asked what it was. I told her it was bird seed and she gobbled it down. She even served herself seconds!!! Quinoa is definitely going to become a side dish staple around here.

Oh and one more thing, the 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water makes a TON!!! For my family of 3 I'd cut it in half at least because we have a LOT left over.

Quinoa Pilaf
makes about 8 1/2 cup servings
1 cup quinoa (prewashed, most boxed quinoa are prewashed)
2 cups water
1 carrot, finely minced
2 green onions, sliced into very thin rounds
1/2 red bell pepper, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
about 1 t kosher salt, pepper
1 t evoo

Heat a sauce pan over medium high heat, add EVOO. Once its nice & hot add the veggies, sautee about 3 minutes, or until the veg just starts to soften and release some liquids.



Add the water and quinoa, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook 15 minutes. Remove lid, fluff with a fork. If there's a lot of liquid left raise heat to medium high and allow it to cook out.



Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
Amount Per Serving
Calories 97.8
Total Fat 2.0 g
Saturated Fat 0.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.4 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 151.9 mg
Potassium 49.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate 17.1 g
Dietary Fiber 2.0 g
Sugars 1.9 g
Protein 3.2 g

Coq Au Vin

One of my good friends Kelly sent me a link to The Amateur Gourmet and his version of Coq au Vin. Immediately I knew that I too must make this. As I'm sure many of you have realized by now I'm a sucker for long slow braised dishes, and dishes that include wine. Well, my friends, this one has both :) And its wonderful!!!

There are a TON of steps to making this meal. Lots of little, simple things, but a LOT of them nonetheless. I'm pretty adventurous in the kitchen and even I was thinking about half way through, "This better be some damn good chicken for all this flipping work!" I'm happy to report that it was worth the work.

When my husband took his first bite of Coq au Vin, he looked at me and said "This is the most complex sauce, its like a good chocolate in that regard". Do I love that man, or what?? He's so right too, its a very deep flavored, complex and yet oh so comfy cozy home cooking.

And the smell...dear Lord, the smell!! Forget April Rain or Apple Breeze air fresheners, they need to sell Coq au Vin scented febreeze. The smell was out of this world good.

My 3 yr old daughter even enjoyed this meal. She told me "its like a restaurant Mom, but its our own house!" What an astute little girl I have :) It really was out of this world. If you have 3-4 hours and want to impress your friends and family, I highly recommend making this dish.

Coq au Vin
serves 6-8
adapted from Molly Stevens and The Amateur Gourmet
1 chicken cut into 8 pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 breast and 2 wings)
1 bottle red wine (I used el cheap-o boxed Burgundy wine, worked great!)
1 onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 carrots cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic crushed but whole
1 t dry thyme or 2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 t kosher salt
1/3 t pepper
4 strips bacon, diced
1 cup chicken stock
1 T tomato paste
1 bag pearl onions (next time I'm using cipolini onions I think they'd be a lot better)
1 pack cremini mushrooms (or white mushrooms)
3 T butter
1/4-1/2 c flour for dredging

First do all of your prep work: chop veggies, measure herbs, dice bacon, cut up chicken (if using whole) and pat it dry. Preheat oven to 325*

In a heavy bottom pan - I used my trusty enameled cast iron Dutch Oven - cook bacon until crispy. Remove and reserve bacon bits.



Season chicken pieces with 1 t salt. Dredge chicken in flour on both sides. Put chicken pieces into the hot bacon fat and cook until very browned. The browner the better here. Brown chicken in 2 batches for best color and results. Set chicken aside.



Add diced onions and carrots to the pan, adding 1 T butter if needed (I had enough bacon fat in the pan still), cook about 5 minutes over medium heat. Stir well, scraping up as many browned on bits from the pan as you can.

Once the onions start to brown add the tomato paste. Stir paste into the veggies very well and cook about 5 minutes, you'll really start to smell the tomato paste as it cooks and browns.



Add red wine and herbs, bring to a boil. Scrap the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the cooked on fond from the bottom, incorporating it into the sauce. Bring to a boil and cook about 15 minutes or until reduced by half.

Once wine has reduced by half add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and remove 1/2 cup of the braising liquid for later use in the pearl onions. Add bacon and chicken to the braising liquid, legs and thighs in first, wings and breasts skin side up, on top. Cover the top of the dutch oven with parchment paper or tin foil (I used foil) and place lid on top creating a very tight seal and put it in the oven.

After 15 minutes flip the breasts over so the skin side is in the braising liquid, recover with foil and lid, cook an additional 60 minutes or until chicken is fork tender.

Meanwhile, prepare the garnish of pearl onions and mushrooms. In a sautee pan (I used my trusty cast iron skillet, man I love that thing!) melt 1.5 T butter. Once it stops foaming add the bag of pearl onions. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Stir well, recover and cook 5 additional minutes. Remove lid, allow liquid to evaporate and onions to brown, about 5-10 minutes longer. Once onions are browned add the reserved braising liquid, bring to a boil and reduce to glaze the onions. Remove onions to a small bowl, scraping out as much of the liquid from the pan as possible.



Melt remaining 1.5 T butter, once it stops foaming add the mushrooms and cook until they are very browned, about 10-15 minutes at my altitude. They may give off a bit of moisture, just keep cooking them until they are nice & toasty. You may need to add 1-2 t EVOO to keep things moist while cooking (I did). Once mushrooms are browned reserve them with the pearl onions.

~*~the original recipe didn't call for this but I just couldn't resist deglazing the pan, it was so brown from the onions and mushrooms, it seemed a waste to just throw that wonderful fond away. The Kitchen Witch added about 1/2 c red wine, deglazed it and added the wine to the mushrooms & onions. Feel free to do the same if you so desire~*~

Now, this last step will depend on how much of the braising liquid you have left in the pan. I had about 1 cup, 1/4 c of that was fat, so skim off any fat (I used a gravy separator) and didn't really see any reason to further reduce that as I wanted some extra sauce (for my mashed potatoes). If you have more than 1 cup of the braising liquid left you might want to reduce it some. Either way remove the chicken pieces to a plate & cover to keep warm. Remove bay leaf & discard.



Once liquid is reduced (or not) add the garnish to the liquid, stir to mix.
Serve chicken pieces with the onion/mushroom/carrot/bacon pieces and sauce over top. Excellent with garlic mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles.



Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
6 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 377.3
Total Fat 11.0 g
Saturated Fat 5.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.5 g
Cholesterol 106.1 mg
Sodium 780.3 mg
Potassium 601.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate 19.0 g
Dietary Fiber 1.8 g
Sugars 8.8 g
Protein 32.4 g

Ghetto fab Taco Meat

Its no secret, we love Mexican food here. Enchiladas, taco, mole, we love it all. Some form of tacos/nachos/tostadas/taco salad is bound to be found on our dinner table at least once a week.

Back in the day before I educated myself about nutrition and healthier eating I was a pound of burger and a packet of taco seasoning mix. Then one day I read the ingredients on that taco seasoning packet and was amazed at the JUNK in there!! Oh sure, theres spices but why is there partially hydrogenated oil? Why is it in there? Some of them have high fructose corn syrup too. Umm...again why? Why do we need corn syrup and almost plastic oil in tacos I ask??

Now a days I make my own taco mix. Its so much fresher tasting, has more flavor, less sodium and NO partially hydrogenated oils or HFCS. That makes a Kitchen Witch happy! I also throw in a fair amount of vegetables like tomatoes, peppers and beans - something the little Witch doesn't realize, so we're getting a serving of veggies in our tacos, gotta love that!

Taco meat is so very versital, last night it was transformed into nachos. Today for lunch it might become taco salad. You can change the meat too, with fantasitc results, try ground chicken for light fresh taste and save yourself a LOT of calories too!!

Oh, we call it Ghetto Fab because its not fancy gourmet like, nope its pretty ghetto. But man, sometimes its so good to slum it :)



Ghetto Fab Taco meat
serves 4-6
1 lb ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken, pork)
1 can RoTel tomatoes or store brand tomatoes with chilies
1 t chili powder
1 t cumin, fresh toasted & ground if possible
S&P
1/2 onion diced fine
3 cloves garlic minced
1 bell pepper diced
1 can beans, pinto, black or kidney, drained & rinsed
1/4 c water
2-4T vinegar based hot sauce like Taco Bell mild sauce or Franks Red Hot (optional but it really doesn't add much heat, more of a subtle spicy tang)

Brown meat, drain fat well. Add onions, garlic and bell peppers. Cook for a few minutes until the onions and garlic start to release their fragrance. Add seasonings and tomatoes, juice & all and the beans. Add the hot sauce & water if needed. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.



Makes awesome nachos, tacos, burritos, tostadas and taco salads.

Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
**nutrition is based on ground beef, values will changed with different meat**
Amount Per Serving (5 servings approx)
Calories 316.0
Total Fat 19.2 g
Saturated Fat 7.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.9 g
Monounsaturated Fat 8.3 g
Cholesterol 68.0 mg
Sodium 484.1 mg
Potassium 483.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 15.0 g
Dietary Fiber 4.2 g
Sugars 2.5 g
Protein 19.5 g

Brownie cheesecake bars

Some of my best creations are based on what I have on hand and what I've been craving. Today is a perfect example: I was bored, its the weekend, so why not bake some tasty treats, right? While my husband and daughter never ever get bored with chocolate chip cookies, I, however do. Brownies sounded good. But I'm out of my beloved black cocoa so I know they won't be as good and dark chocolate as I'd like. Cheesecake sounds delightful, but you really need to let it cool for a good 24 hours, and I didn't have patience for that.

Enter the hybrid of cheesecake and brownie. Not a swirled brownie that only hints of cheesecake, no, I'm looking for a dense brownie bottom with a cheesecake custard layer. Using my old standby brownie recipe was a no brainer, black cocoa or not, it makes awesome brownies. You can find the recipe here. The cheesecake layer was easy to assemble with ingredients that I had in my fridge, with in 20 minutes I had brownie cheesecake bars in my oven.

Creamy, tangy, sweet, chocolaty. Mmm...perfect with a tall glass of ice cold milk.

Brownie Cheesecake Bars
makes a 13x9 pan

brownie layer:
1/2 + 2 T cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 cup + 2 T sugar
1 stick butter
1 1/2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 c chocolate chips

cheesecake layer:
2 packs cream cheese
2 eggs
1 T good vanilla extract
1/2 c sugar

Assemble the brownie layer first while cream cheese sits on counter to come to room temp.

BROWNIES:
in a microwave safe bowl melt the butter. Add sugar to melted butter, stir well and microwave for 60 to 90 seconds. Stir well.

In a small bowl mix cocoa powder and eggs into a very thick paste. Add the butter/sugar mix and stir well until smooth. Add dry ingredients, mix until it forms a thick batter. Add chocolate chips, stir to incorporate.

Press brownie batter into a greased 13x9 pan.

CHEESECAKE:
Using a mixer cream the cheese until light and fluffy. Add sugar, beat about 1 minute. Scrap down sides, add vanilla and 1 egg. Mix very well, about 1 minute. Scrape sides again, add last egg and beat 1 minute until very smooth and thick.

Pour cheesecake over brownie layer. Bake at 350* for 35-40 minutes.

Smothered Pork Chops

I was watching Paula Deen throw down with Bobby Flay over chicken fried steak the other day on Food Network. Paula threw Bobby for a loop when she decided to smother her steaks in a brown pan gravy. Personally, I didn't agree with the smothering of a perfectly fried chicken fried steak, I mean whats the point of smothering it and loosing all that crispy goodness?? Other than the fact that its delicious, of course.

Pork was on tonights menu and I recalled the recipe that Paula made. I still don't agree that you should smother and simmer a chicken fried steak in gravy (poor crispiness, gone all soft and soggy) but I did like the idea of a smothered piece of meat in an onion pan gravy. I dredge the chops in flour and lightly brown one side before adding the stock, which develops flavor and, since I'm not going for a crispy crusty exterior, smothering is completely acceptable here.

I'm happy to say that this was GOOD. I mean really good!! Like make this again for dinner tomorrow type of good. Even the little Witch ate an entire pork chop herself and declared "this dinner is yummy Mommy!" The best compliment of all :) And, if great flavor wasn't enough, its done in about 30 minutes.

Smothered Pork Chops
makes 2 servings
2 boneless pork loin chops
1/2 small onion sliced
1/4 c mushrooms sliced
1/2 t poultry seasoning
S&P
1/4 C AP flour
drizzle oil
1 to 1.5 cups chicken or pork stock (I used ham stock as that's what I had on hand)

bacon bits, if you happen to have them left over in your fridge. If not that's ok too

Sprinkle pork chops with kosher salt, pepper and poultry seasoning, a few sprinkles (1/8 t) on each side. Dredge pork chops in the flour, patting flour into the meat.

Heat a heavy bottom pan (I used cast iron) over medium heat, drizzle bottom with oil. Add onions to hot pan and stir well to distribute oil evenly. Add pork chops, cooking on 1st side about 4 minutes before flipping, once golden browned.

Add stock and cover, cooking about 15 minutes longer. Once sauce has started to reduced add bacon bits if you have them and allow to simmer 5 more minutes, spooning sauce over top of chops as it cooks. The sauce will continue to reduce and thicken to a nice gravy.

Top each chop with onions, mushrooms and gravy. Delicious over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
2 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 255.0
Total Fat 11.3 g
Saturated Fat 3.9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.0 g
Cholesterol 62.9 mg
Sodium 765.6 mg
Potassium 531.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 13.0 g
Dietary Fiber 1.0 g
Sugars 0.5 g
Protein 23.7 g

Goulash

This is the dish that my parents called goulash. Authentic it is not, I'm QUITE sure. However it is quick, easy and pretty darn tasty!

My husband Brian loves this meal. Its one of the few he can cook himself and it tastes almost as good as mine. There's very little prep work, just dicing 1/2 an onion and running a few cloves of garlic through a garlic press for the veg, browning beef and boiling pasta. No biggie!

Give this one a shot on a busy night. Its a family pleaser around here!

Goulash
serves 4-6, ready in 30 min or less!
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained well
2 cans stewed tomatoes
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
S&P (start with 1/4 t kosher salt, taste and adjust from there, about 4 grinds black pepper)
1 t paperkia
1/2 t oregano
Elbow noodles (1/2 box)

Brown the beef and onions. Drain well. Add garlic, spices, S&P and tomatoes, juice and all. Using the end of your spatula cut each tomato slice into quarters (if desired), stir well and bring to a simmer. Simmer while pasta cooks, about 15 min total. Top cooked pasta with goulash and enjoy!



Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
5 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 422.6
Total Fat 19.7 g
Saturated Fat 7.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat 8.2 g
Cholesterol 68.0 mg
Sodium 276.9 mg
Potassium 406.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 38.8 g
Dietary Fiber 2.5 g
Sugars 2.8 g
Protein 22.6 g

Jicama fruit salad with spiced lime agave dressing

Jicama, its an ugly looking tuber that has a sweet, crispy, earthy flavor. Its fat free and high in vitamin C. Its used frequently in Mexican cooking where its somewhat sweet but bland flavor melds well with other flavors. It can also be used as a substitute for water chestnuts in Asian dishes.

I happened to have one sitting on my counter, just waiting to be used. When I bought it I had no real plan on how to use it, it just caught my eye & I went for it. The flavor if jicama is akin to a potato/apple cross, which got me thinking fruit salad. I had tried jicama for the first time in a local Mexican restaurant, in a fruit slaw, and honestly it was the best thing on the plate. But it had been years, upwards of 15 years, since I had that salad, and I didn't really remember the finer details, like what it was flavored with other than jicama.

I put my Kitchen Witches hat on and set to work. The fruit part would be easy enough, I just used what I had on hand, in this case an apple, 1/2 a banana left over from breakfast, some clementines and said jicama. The dressing was just as easy, juice of 1 lime for a tart acidic note, a touch of agave nectar for sweetness and just a dash of cinnamon for a spicy depth of flavor. The result?

Well, simply put, the best fruit salad I've ever had!! The jicama really absorbed a lot of the dressing flavors and the sweet tart flavors of the other fruits, it was just divine! This quick and easy side dish or snack will become a regular player in the Kitchen Witch repertoire. Try it, you won't be disappointed!

Jimica fruit salad with spiced lime agave dressing
makes 4 servings
1/2 jicama, peeled and julienned
4 clementines, peeled and sectioned
1 pink lady apple, peeled and diced
1/2 banana, sliced
Dressing:
juice of 1 lime (2 T)
1 t agave nectar
dash cinnamon

Combine fruits in a medium sized bowl. Mix dressing and toss fruit to coat evenly.



Nutrition Facts provided be SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 122.6
Total Fat 0.3 g
Saturated Fat 0.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 4.6 mg
Potassium 432.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 30.8 g
Dietary Fiber 6.4 g
Sugars 15.5 g
Protein 1.8 g

Carrot Spice cake and cream cheese icing

I made this cake a few weeks ago but have hesitated on blogging about it for 2 reasons:

#1 The icing didn't turn out right, I didn't have enough powdered sugar to really make it a true icing, it was more of a glaze

#2 The photos aren't too good either, partly because I was very VERY tired of cooking and photography this day (I cooked and photographed 5 new dishes!) and, well, see #1

After a week or so, I decided to just post the cake, ugly pictures and all, as the cake itself was very very good. Its incredibly moist, the last slices were just as moist and delicious as the 1st ones were. The ample amount of spices and bright color make this a delightful treat on cold end of winter days.

I created this recipe because my daughter requested carrot cake. Well, she actually asked me to make her chocolate chip cookies, but we were out of chocolate chips. So she then asked "What about carrot cake Mom?" I was a little shocked and surprised, she's never asked for carrot cake before, heck she's not had carrot cake since she was 1 and even then she didn't eat it!! What kind of a mom would deny my little Witch a carrot cake??? After all, its got veggies in it, its practically health food!

I did some research on carrot cake, most call for an unholy amount of oil. I halved the oil, added a can of crushed pineapples and added reconstituted raisins, all of which helped keep the cake super moist and keep it on this side of healthy. A bit of whole wheat flour added a bit more fiber, and its texture was completely unnoticeable in the cake.



The recipe makes 3 eight (8) cakes, so you have a nice, tall layer cake. I don't think I'd try it in a bundt pan, its too dense and I'm pretty sure the outside would burn before the inside was finished cooking.

Carrot Spice Cake
makes 12 servings
3 cups shredded carrots (about 5 large)
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple in its own juice, drained well
1 c. raisins, plumped
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c oil
juice and zest of 1 orange
1 cup flaked coconut
1 T vanilla
2 t cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
pinch cloves
pinch fresh ground nutmeg
1 t salt
2 t baking soda
2 1/2 cups AP flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Cream Cheese icing
8 oz cream cheese (1 block) or Neufchatel cheese (low fat cream cheese)
4 cups confectioners sugar
2 T butter
1 t vanilla
1 t lemon juice

Cake batter assembly: This can be done with a mixer or by hand
In a large work bowl combine the oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla and lemon & orange juices, mix well until throughly combined and smooth. Add orange zest, carrots, pineapple, coconut and raisins. Mix until combined, this will be lumpy.

Mix dry ingredients together, including spices. Add dry ingredients to the wet in 3 installments, stirring in each round until flour is no longer visible but you don't want to over mix this, so don't go overboard. If using a stand mixer I'd go about 4-5 seconds on a 3-4 speed, scrape down sides, add the next round of dry good, mix 5 seconds, scrape, add last round of dry and mix 5-7 seconds longer.

Prep 3 8 inch round cake pans by spraying with non stick spray and lining bottoms with parchment rounds. If you don't have parchment you can use aluminium foil, I did and it worked fine! If you need details on how to make a parchment round for you cake pans send me a comment & I'll let you know how its done :)



Distribute batter evenly among the 3 pans. Bake at 350* for 35 to 40 minute, or until cake tests clean in center. Run a knife along the edge of cake and allow to cool about 30 minutes before inverting out of pan. Once cakes are fully cooled you can frost the cake.

Isn't it UGLY?? Good thing it tasted good :)


Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
12 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 505.9
Total Fat 16.9 g
Saturated Fat 5.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 7.1 g
Cholesterol 49.8 mg
Sodium 528.5 mg
Potassium 304.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 83.6 g
Dietary Fiber 3.5 g
Sugars 42.8 g
Protein 7.3 g

Roasting Peppers indoors

Roasted peppers. They just sound good, if you ask me. Really roasted pretty much anything & I'm a happy camper.

Have you ever spent $4 to $7 on a jar of roasted red bell peppers, eaten & enjoyed them of course, then thought, Geeze, what the heck did I spend so much money on? Its just a pepper, right??

Yup. You're right. Its just a pepper. Someone did about 5 minutes of work for you and charged you $5 for that work. And theres usually 2 peppers in the jar, max. Oh, I forgot, they put it in a jar with some preservatives and junk too, thanks, I was looking for extra chemicals in my peppers! What a rip off!

Most of the time bell peppers run about $1 each here. I can find them cheaper sometimes and when I do I stock up. But what do you do with 12 bell peppers? There's only so many stuffed bell peppers one family can eat, and after a week of sneaking them into everything I make I'm kinda over them. The answer is roast and freeze them.

You can roast ANY pepper, from sweet red bells to the spicy chilies and anything in between. Roasting really brings out the best in a pepper, it enhances the natural sweetness and brings a smoky flavor to your dish. I roast all my peppers before using them whenever possible, it adds an additional depth of flavor to my food and gives everything a nice chef like touch. And, since you remove the skin from a roasted pepper, you won't have curled up chewy pepper skins in your meal. An added bonus indeed.

Roasting peppers

Turn your broiler on (HI setting if you have an option). Put peppers onto a sheet pan.



Put the sheet pan in the oven on the top rack closest to the broiler. Close the door and wait about 2-3 minutes. You want the skin to be blackened and blistered. Once it starts to blacken flip peppers over (using tongs) and continue to blacken on all sides.



When all sides are black, remove peppers to a smallish bowl and cover with plastic wrap. The steam from the peppers will help steam off the skins, making removal easy. Allow to sit in the bowl about 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle.



Scrape off skins using your hands or the back side of a knife. Open pepper, remove the seed pod, shaking out seeds. Cut the veins out if you want less heat. Rinse briefly to remove any remaining charred skins and seeds, but don't go overboard here, you want some of the black to stay, that's your roasted flavor.

My knife is removing the vein, this helps reduce spiciness of hot peppers. In bell peppers remove this part as its very pithy, sponge like and tends to be bitter. Not to mention that its just not pretty.

For long term storage I freeze my peppers. They'll last fresh in the fridge for about 7 days, frozen up to 6 months. Since I don't have a blast freezer where I can IQF (individually quick freeze, like the factories do) I have to improvise. Here's how the Witch does it.

Line a sheet pan with plastic wrap. This makes for easy clean up. Take 1 roasted & seeded pepper and lay it out open on the sheet tray. Repeat for as many peppers you have. Put the sheet tray into your freezer and allow peppers to freeze until solid. Remove frozen peppers from tray and put into freezer storage bags, squeezing out as much air as possible. You can put sheets of parchment between frozen peppers if desired to make removal of single peppers easier. Remove the plastic wrap from the sheet pan & its ready to be used again, no muss no fuss :)

Don't you want to just peel that blackend skin away? I sure do!

Basic Pot Roast

My husband is an all American, red blooded male, meaning he loves pot roast. To him, there isn't a better way to cook a piece of beef. I appreciate this very much because pot roast is not only delicious, its super simple. And when you get the roast on sale, its completely affordable too.

I think the hardest part of making a pot roast starts at the store and choosing a cut of meat to roast. Top round, bottom round, chuck cross rib roast, chuck 7 bone roast, boneless pot roast, the list goes on and on. If you don't know what you're looking for you can end up with a roast that's dry and flavorless. Who wants to play that game of Russian roulette with dinner, much less your wallet, roast can be pricey!

Kitchen Witch tip: Look for a CHUCK roast. Really any cut from the chuck and you'll be good to go. Bone in or boneless, that's up to you. Bone in will take longer to cook but you'll get a more flavorful dish, and the bones can then be used to make beef stock. And don't pick the leanest one you see, that marbleizing of fat and tissues is what causes the roast to be so tender and flavorful.

Our local grocery had boneless chuck roasts on sale this past week for $2 per pound. I of course bought 2, one for dinner tonight and one for the freezer. I also like to grind my own chuck to make ground beef, but thats another blog entry. Today its all about the pot roast.

Basic Pot Roast
makes 6-8 servings, depending on size of your roast
1 2-4 lb beef chuck roast
2 t Kosher salt
1/4 t ground pepper
1 t thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup red wine OR 1/2 c water and 1 T each soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and red wine vinegar
1 small onion sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 ribs celery cut into 2 inch chunks
4 carrots peeled and cut into 3 in chunks
drizzle of oil

Preheat oven to 300*

Pat dry roast. Cover each side with 1 t salt and 1/8 t pepper. Heat a small amount of oil in a dutch oven or heavy oven safe pot over medium high heat. Brown roast on all sides. Turn heat off, add vegetables, herbs and liquid. Cover pan and put into a 300* oven.



Roast for 4 to 6 hours. (Boneless roasts are ready to go at about 3-4 hours, depending on size, bone in can take up to 6 hours) You really need the roast to have at least 3.5 to 4 hours in the oven to develop a fork tenderness. This long slow moist cooking method (braising) dissolves the collegens in the connective tissues of the meat, making it very savory and flavorful. It also helps give the meat its fall apart tenderness that is a hallmark of pot roast. Skimping on the cooking time will yield a tough and chewy roast.

See how the meat is falling apart tender on the edges? Thats what you're looking for.

Once roast is cooked and very tender remove it from the pan, cover with foil and allow to rest while the gravy is being made.

Strain the juices off the vegetables. Skim off any fat that collects on the top of the juices. Return the juices to the cooking pan (over high heat) and bring to a boil, allow to reduce by 1/3 to 1/2.

Serve roast with the cooking vegetables, mashed potatoes and the gravy. Sit back and enjoy the compliments on a job well done.



Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople Recipe Calculator
6 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 443.6
Total Fat 19.2 g
Saturated Fat 7.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat 8.5 g
Cholesterol 196.6 mg
Sodium 272.9 mg
Potassium 1,151.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate 5.4 g
Dietary Fiber 1.6 g
Sugars 1.8 g
Protein 58.8 g

French Chicken in a Pot

I'm a big fan of America's Test Kitchen, a very informative cooking show on PBS. If you've not checked it out, I highly recommend you do so. The Kitchen Witch always thought herself to be pretty informed about all things food, then she got skooled by ATK. My new goal in life is to become a cook in the test kitchen. That would be simply awesome.

Until then, I'll share with you their recipe for a whole chicken cooked in a pot. Its about the easiest thing you'll ever do, and the most tasty, too. The chicken is unbelievably moist, juicy and tender. Its delicately seasoned, which is nice because the left over chicken can be used in a number of applications.

What we like most about this dish is the jus, or gravy as my 3 yr old insists on calling any sauce I serve. According to the fine folks at ATK they say the cooking method of dry roasting in a tightly sealed environment, causes the bird to baste itself and the juices stay in the bird. This is undeniably true. The chicken stays super moist and flavorful. From a dry pan you end up with about a cup and a half of golden chicken juices. Reduce them by half and you have the most intensely chicken flavored jus to ever cross your palate. You'll want to make French Chicken in a Pot just for the jus. I know I do :)

French Chicken in a Pot
from America's Test Kitchen Best of 2009 Cookbook
Serves 4 to 6 people
1 roasting chicken, 4-5 lbs, giblets removed and discarded, wings tucked under back
2 t kosher salt
1/4 t pepper
1 T EVOO
1 small onion chopped
1 rib celery chopped
6 garlic cloves peeled and trimmed
1 bay leaf
1 sprig rosemary or 1/2 dry rosemary
1/2 to 1 t lemon juice

Preheat oven to 250*

You'll need a heavy dutch oven or large pot that a chicken will fit in with a tight fitting lid, oven proof of course, set over medium high heat with the EVOO in it.

Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with the salt on all sides. Once pan is hot add chicken breast side down. Sprinkle back side of chicken with pepper. Cook about 5 minutes or until the skin is golden brown. Flip bird over, sprinkle breast with pepper and turn heat off.



Add the celery, onion, herbs, lemon and garlic to the pan. Cover top with a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil and put the lid on top of that. The aluminium foil will help cause a tight seal so your chicken is juicy.

Cook at 250* for 90 to 110 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

Once rested remove chicken to a cutting board and cover with foil until ready to carve. Strain off the vegetables skim fat off top of cooking juices.



In a small saucepan boil the cooking juices until they've reduced by half. Serve with the carved chicken and enjoy.



**The skin on this chicken is not crispy or very brown. As a matter of fact the chicken is less than impressive when you remove it from the pot. Please don't let the pale color deter you from trying this dish, the flavor more than makes up for its pale appearance. I take the skin off my piece of chicken anyway, so I don't really miss it.

Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople recipe calculator
5 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 218.6
Total Fat 5.2 g
Saturated Fat 1.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.6 g
Cholesterol 124.0 mg
Sodium 615.6 mg
Potassium 500.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 1.5 g
Dietary Fiber 0.4 g
Sugars 0.0 g
Protein 39.0 g

Fresh Salsa

Recently I went shopping at a local Mexican grocery store. Holy cow, they have the best prices on produce!! Here's what I scored there for $20!!! Twenty dollars people! That's amazing!

1 head cauliflower, 3 heads broccoli, 12 jalapeno peppers, 3 pablano peppers, 3 Anaheim pepper, 4 yellow onions, 6 cloves garlic, 1 lb carrots, 1 jicima ,2 large sweet potatoes, 10 lbs potatoes, 8 tomatillios, 1 head lettuce, 2 red bell peppers, 8 roma tomatoes, 6 large limes, 36 corn tortillas, 1 lb queso fresco and 1 container Mexican crema. Phew! That's a LOT!

So what did I decide to do with my bounty? Make fresh salsa, of course! I am not a cilantro fan which is why you don't see it on my list of produce scored (however it was .25 cents per bunch, an awesome price indeed) or in my recipe for salsa. If you like it please feel free to add it.

This salsa is fresh, tangy, spicy and delicious. Its really good with tortilla chips, made into a guacamole or topping your favorite tacos, nachos or even a baked potato.

Fresh Salsa
makes about 2 cups worth, enough for 4 to enjoy with chips
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced fine
4-6 roma tomatoes, diced
about 2 T of fince minced onions, rinsed
1 clove garlic, minced
juice of 1/2 lime
kosher salt and pepper

Mix everything together in a bowl. Allow to sit for at leasts 30 minutes before serving for flavors to meld. Keeps about 1 week in the fridge, or about 1 day in the Kitchen Witch household.





Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople recipe calculator
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 22.6
Total Fat 0.3 g
Saturated Fat 0.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 46.2 mg
Potassium 203.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate 5.1 g
Dietary Fiber 1.2 g
Sugars 0.3 g
Protein 0.9 g

Spiced Beans

Canned beans are a staple in the Kitchen Witch pantry. My daughter LOVES beans, so anytime I can throw them into a dish, I do. Its the one thing I know she'll eat! But canned beans have a tenancy to be lackluster, to say the least. Have no fear, the Kitchen Witch is here to spice up those beans for you, turning them from a pantry staple to a quick and easy side dish.

Black beans are my personal prefereance for this dish, they go so well with cumin and lime. However the day I photographed this dish all I had on hand was pinto beans. They were pretty darn tasty, too. Almost as good as the black beans. So feel free to use whatever kind of beans you have in your pantry.

These beans are a great side dish with your favorite Mexican meal. I also like to use these beans with some grilled meats in a taco salad. They also make for mean nachos. Pretty much no matter what you decide to serve these beans with you'll be happy you did.

Spiced beans
serves 4 as a side dish
1 can beans, drained and rinsed well (black or pinto are good choices)
1 t fresh toasted and ground cumin (preground cumin seed works fine too)
1 T minced onion
1 clove garlic
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and diced (more or less depending on your preference)
1/2 c water or chicken stock
S&P
squeeze of lime juice
drizzle of oil

Heat a small saucepan over medium high heat. Add oil and onions, allow to cook about 3 minutes. Add cumin, garlic, bell peppers and jalapanos, stir well to coat in oil and cook 2 minutes.

Add beans and water or stock, stir well. Reduce heat to low and allow beans to simmer for about 20 minutes.



Nutrition Facts provided by SparkPeople recipe calculator
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 64.3
Total Fat 0.4 g
Saturated Fat 0.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.1 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 40.5 mg
Potassium 189.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 11.8 g
Dietary Fiber 4.0 g
Sugars 0.1 g
Protein 4.1 g

Tortilla soup

After making mole last week, I had a lot of Mexican style ingredients around the kitchen that needed to get used. Things like corn tortillas and jalapanos. It was lunch time on yet another snowy day here in Colorado Springs, a bit of warming was in order. What warms you inside and outside better than tortilla soup?

I've made tortilla soup many times and it always follows the same basic recipe. And its usually good, not great, but good. This tortilla soup, however, was amazingly good. What a taste sensation! It was the first time that I added lime, something I'll never leave out again. Other than the chicken stock, this soup contains no meat. Between the beans and toppings I guarantee you'll never miss the meat.

I cook corn tortillas into my soup, rather than just garnishing the top with them. After all, this is tortilla soup! It takes about 30 minutes of simmering for the tortillas to break down and incorporate into the soup. Its not a pretty process but the taste is fantastic. When you look at the finished product you'll see how creamy the soup looks, and theres no dairy in it at all. That's the magic of the corn tortilla. Rich chicken stock, creamy black beans, spicy jalapanos, all made rich and creamy by the addition of tortillas. A splash of lime juice makes everything stand up and pay attention.

The best part of tortilla soup is the garnishes - add anything you like. I like the creaminess of avocados, the color and acidity of tomatoes and the cooling action of sour cream and cheese. This is a great dish for the entire family, kids and adults both have fun adding their own toppings, making their own custom bowl of soup.

Tortilla soup
serves 4
4 cups chicken stock
2 fresh jalapanos or fresh chili of your choice OR 1 small can jalapanos or green chilies
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 t fresh toasted & ground cumin seeds (pre ground is fine if that's what you have)
1 cloves garlic minced
2 T onion fine mince
8 fresh corn tortillas
1/2 lime, fresh or squeeze of lime juice on each bowl of soup
drizzle of oil
S&P
GARNISHES: diced avocado, tomato, green onion, olives, cilantro, sour cream, tortilla strips


Prep all ingredients first. Dice jalapanos, discard veins and seeds if you like a milder soup. Mince onion and garlic. Toast the cumin and grind it.
Kitchen Witch Tip: If you're unsure about the heat level desired from your soup, remove the vein and seeds from your pepper. Dice the pepper and add to the soup. Dice the vein and seeds and reserve, add some if you need more heat. The vast majority of the heat is in the vein and seeds of the pepper. I do this when making spicy dishes that I expect the kids to eat, the base dish is quite mild, the adults can add more spiciness as desired.

Heat a medium sized soup pan over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of oil to the pan and sautee onions for about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, beans, jalapanos, cumin and stock, reduce heat to medium. Taste and season with S&P as needed. Tear 4 corn tortillas into hunks and stir into soup, allow to rapidly simmer for 30 minutes. You need some good simmering action here, the agitation of the bubbling will help break down the tortillas and allow them to dissolve, helping to thicken the soup and add a rich corn flavor. Stir every 5 minutes.



While soup is simmering heat oven to 450*. Brush both sides of corn tortillas with a touch of oil. Slice tortillas into 1/8 inch wide strips. Put tortilla strips on a baking sheet and toss with 1/2 t kosher salt. Bake strips 8 minutes, turn them over and bake about 5 minutes longer, or until strips turn golden and smell like toasted corn.



Ladle soup into bowls topping with tortilla strips and any/all garnishes you like.

Nutrition information provided by SparkPeople recipe calculator
Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving *~*does not include garnishes*~*
Nutrition Facts
Tortilla soup
4 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 195.8
Total Fat 2.3 g
Saturated Fat 0.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Cholesterol 6.3 mg
Sodium 1,400.5 mg
Potassium 342.2 mg
Total Carbohydrate 36.5 g
Dietary Fiber 7.4 g
Sugars 1.0 g
Protein 8.5 g

I've entered this soup into a blog challenge for tortilla soup recipes, click HERE to check out all the awesome soups, too!