2.04.2013

the baker's chicken and dumplings


over my past year and a half here in los angeles the baker family [jesse, kim, jess, and lauren] have welcomed me and treated me like family. they jokingly call me their long lost 3rd daughter. kim cooked this for me soon after i arrived in los angeles, and any other time she called and said she had a pot of chicken and dumplings on the stove i immediately got ready to rush over there! this meal will always remind me of them and the warmth they have extended to me. 

The Baker's Chicken and Dumplings

32 oz chicken broth
32 oz vegetable broth
4 - 6 chicken thighs with bones and skin
4 cups water plus 6 cups later
2 tbsp paprika (approx, better to add more because this really makes the flavor of the broth)
sea salt 
1/2 tsp white pepper (approx)
1 - 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper (approx)
1/4 cup half & half

3 cups bisquick
1 1/4 cup broth
1 - 2 tbsp half & half
paprika
sea salt
white pepper
fresh ground pepper

combine chicken broth, vegetable broth, 4 cups of water in a large pot and bring to a boil then add chicken thighs. add paprika, sea salt, white pepper and fresh ground pepper and cook for 1 hour.

remove chicken thighs and 1 1/4 cup of broth

combine bisquick, broth, 1 - 2 tbsp of half & half, and seasonings in a mixing boil. try to knead the dough as little as possible. Roll out dough into a thin sheet then cut in squares.

once the chicken has cooled enough, de-bone your chicken. add the additional 6 cups of water to the broth, bring to a boil, add back chicken and then start dropping in the dumplings one at a time. add 1/4 cup half & half and cook for 20 minutes or until dumplings are done. usually the dumplings will start to fall apart a little, this is good and should thicken the broth but make sure they don't disintegrate completely or stick to the bottom of the pot.



1.28.2013

crab stuffed cannelloni


Crab Stuffed Cannelloni

fresh spinach (about 1 bag)
1/2 lb lump crabmeat
cannelloni pasta
sea salt
cayenne
ricotta
butter
3/4 cup half & half

01 : boil a large pot of water with some salt in it and drop the cannelloni in for just 3 - 5 minutes until it is rubbery

02 : saute spinach in a pan with just a little butter or olive oil

03 : mix spinach, ricotta, and crabmeat with a sprinkle of sea salt and cayenne in a bowl

04 : stuff cannelloni with crab mixture

05 : in the pan you used for the spinach, use about a tbsp of butter and once its melted pour in half & half. add a little salt and cayenne to your liking and cook until the mixture thickens slightly. it should stick to the side of the pan and the spoon a little.

06 : place stuffed cannellonis in a baking pan and pour sauce over them, sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes 




1.22.2013

ojai



made a quick one night trip to ojai over the holiday weekend. the drive up there was beautiful and we had a good time walking around the quiet town. they are very pet friendly as well, Oscar went everywhere with us.

1.21.2013

stuffed bell peppers


Stuffed Bell Peppers

2 large eggplant
1 lb ground beef
30 medium sized shrimp
2 - 4 green bell peppers
italian breadcrumbs
cajun seasoning
parmesan cheese
juice of 1 lemon 

01 : boil shrimp in a little crab boil or cajun seasoning (bring water to a boil, put the shrimp in for 3 minutes then let them soak until you need them again

02 : boil eggplant

03 : in a pot brown the ground beef, then add in eggplant and cook until there are no chunks on eggplant left and the two have made a well mixed goo

04 : cut the shrimp in half and add to the mixture

05 : add in about 1 cup of breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and some cajun seasoning to taste [you don't want the mixture too wet or too dry so add more breadcrumbs and cheese as needed]

06 : cut tops off of green bell peppers, and clean out. if the bell peppers are large, you can cut them in half as well. then stuff the mixture into the bell peppers and sprinkle the tops with a little parmesan cheese

07 : bake at 350 degrees for about 10 - 15 minutes [this is a great meal to save extra peppers for later in the week or freeze ... this will require a little longer in the oven to bake]