Entree: Chicken Rockefeller Pizza

http://scribbit.blogspot.com/2010/10/chicken-rockefeller-pizza.htm

1 pizza dough recipe (see mine here if you want)
cornmeal
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt, pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons minced red onion
1 cup shredded provolone
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded chicken
4 pieces crumbled bacon
1 Roma tomato, diced
1/4 cup finely chopped spinach

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle cornmeal on your baking surface then spread out your pizza dough on the surface.

Drizzle olive oil over dough and brush to cover. Sprinkle minced garlic, season with salt and pepper, then spread cream cheese over the crust. Sprinkle minced red onion then provolone, mozzarella and Parmesan over top and sprinkle remaining toppings as well.

Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

Dessert: Spiced Applesauce Cake

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/10/spiced-applesauce-cake/

For cake
2 cups (8 3/4 ounces or 250 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) salt
3/4 teaspoon (2 grams) cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 stick (4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (7 3/4 ounces or 218 grams) packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (about 13 ounces or 365 grams) unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup (about 1 3/4 ounces or 50 grams) walnuts (optional), toasted, cooled, and chopped

For frosting
5 ounces (142 grams) cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces or 42 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (4 ounces or 120 grams) confectioners sugar
1/2 (1 teaspoon) teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter an 8- or 9-inch square cake pan. I had no trouble getting my cake out of a nonstick pan by just buttering it, but if you don’t have a nonstick cake pan or are a little nervous, line the bottom with parchment paper and butter that too.

Make cake: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in walnuts (if using). The batter will look a little curdly and uneven but don’t worry, it will all bake up perfectly in the end.

Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Reinvert cake onto a rack to cool completely. You can speed this up, as I always do, in the fridge.

Make frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Sift confectioners sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated. Spread frosting over top of cooled cake.

Do ahead: We were impressed with how well this cake kept for three days but were unable to “research” if it lasted longer. Keep frosted cake in the fridge. If you’d like to bake the cake further in advance, I’d wrap it well and freeze it until the day you need it. Leave it out on the counter to defrost and frost it up to a day in advance.

Soup: Baked Potato Soup

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/03/baked-potato-soup.html

2 Tbs butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C flour
4 1/2 C low-fat or skim milk
1 14oz can chicken broth
4 medium baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds) baked*
2 C grated cheddar (or sharp cheddar) cheese, divided
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 C light sour cream, divided
1/2 C chopped green onions, divided
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided

*don't have time to bake potatoes in the oven? Just pierce them with a fork a few times and then pop them in the microwave. Cook in 5 minute intervals until a knife easily pierces through them. It usually takes 5-10 minutes. To bake in the oven, pierce each potato with a fork and place directly on oven rack. Bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes.


Melt butter in a stock pot over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Add flour to pan. Slowly add milk a little at a time while whisking constantly to eliminate lumps. Whisk until smooth and then add chicken broth. Bring soup just to a simmer and heat until thickened, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

Once soup is thickened, turn heat down to medium-low. Cut potatoes in half length-wise and use a spoon to scoop out potato flesh into the pot. Use a wooden spoon to smash potatoes, breaking up large clumps. Add 1 1/2 C grated cheese and salt and pepper and stir until cheese is melted. Remove pan from heat and stir in 3/4 C sour cream, 1/4 C green onions, and 4 strips of the crumbled bacon. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with each serving with the remaining sour cream, onions, cheese, and bacon.

Dessert: Best Frosting

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen-blog/2010/10/thats-the-best-frosting-ive-ever-had-again/

Ingredients

* 5 Tablespoons Flour
* 1 cup Milk
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla
* 1 cup Butter
* 1 cup Granulated Sugar (not Powdered Sugar!)

Preparation Instructions

Bake your favorite chocolate cake and let it cool.

In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. You want it to be very thick, thicker than cake mix, more like a brownie mix is. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. (If I’m in a hurry, I place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools.) It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. Stir in vanilla.

While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You don’t want any sugar graininess left. Then add the completely cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat the living daylights out of it. If it looks separated, you haven’t beaten it enough! Beat it until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.

Grab a spoon and taste this wonderful goodness. If there is any left after your taste test, spread it on a cooled chocolate cake.

Cut yourself a piece and put it on a pretty plate. Grab a fork and prepare to experience the most divine pairing you can imagine. This frosting on chocolate cake is to die for. Sure, the recipe sounds strange — it has flour in it — but it’s sublime. Try it, you’ll see. You’ll love it so much you won’t go back.

Soup: Outrageous Garlic Soup

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen-blog/2010/10/a-tasty-recipe-outrageous-garlic-soup

* 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
* 1 cup Onions, Thinly Sliced
* 12 cloves Peeled Garlic, Smashed
* 1 cup Dry White Wine
* 1 quart Chicken Stock
* 1 leaf Bay
* 2 cups French Bread, Torn Into Pieces
* ¾ cups Heavy Cream
* ½ cups Shredded Gruyere

Preparation Instructions

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 10 -12 minutes; the onion and garlic will begin to caramelize. Add the wine, cover, reduce heat, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock and bay leaf.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the bread and allow the soup to sit without heat for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

In batches, pour the soup into the blender and puree until smooth. Add the cream and salt and pepper to taste. As each batch is pureed, pour into another pot. Keep warm over low heat. Garnish with the cheese (if desired).

Dessert: Fat Witch Brownies

http://www.bakeorbreak.com/2010/09/fat-witch-brownies/

* 14 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons bittersweet chocolate chips
* 1 & 1/4 cups granulated sugar
* 4 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* pinch of salt



Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9″x 9″ baking pan with butter. Dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

Melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat (or in the microwave), stirring frequently. Set aside.

Beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add cooled chocolate mixture and mix until well blended.

Sift together flour and salt. Add to chocolate mixture, mixing gently until well combined.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only dry crumbs. Cool on rack for 1 hour before cutting into bars.

Makes 12-16 brownies.

Entree: Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/09/pasta-with-tomato-cream-sauce

Ingredients

* 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
* 2 Tablespoons Butter
* 1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
* 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
* 2 cans (15 Ounce Each) Tomato Sauce Or Marinara Sauce
* Salt And Pepper, to taste
* Dash Of Sugar (more To Taste)
* 1 cup Heavy Cream
* Grated Parmesan Or Romano Cheese, To Taste
* Fresh Basil, Chopped
* 1-½ pound Fettuccine

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for a minute or so. Pour in tomato sauce and add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Stir and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and stir in cream. Add cheese to taste, then check seasonings. Stir in pasta and chopped basil and serve immediately. (Thin with pasta water before adding basil if needed.)