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.)

Bread: Apple Cinnamon Muffins

http://scribbit.blogspot.com/2010/08/apple-cinnamon-muffins.html

1 ¾ cup flour
¼ cup sugar
2 ½ tablespoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
¾ cup milk
1/3 cup oil
1 cup apple
2 tablespoons sugar+1/2 teaspoons cinnamon for topping

Mix the dry ingredients (flour through cinnamon) in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Mix the wet ingredients separately in a medium sized bowl (egg through apple) before adding them to the center of the dry ingredients in the large bowl. Mix all the ingredients together until just combined.

Fill greased muffin cups three-quarters full with the batter. Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon together and sprinkle on top of the muffins.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden.

Entree: Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/07/grilled-chicken-with-lemon-basil-pasta/

Ingredients

* 4 whole Grilled Chicken Breasts, Sliced
* 1 pound Penne Pasta, Cooked Until Al Dente
* ½ sticks Butter
* 3 whole Lemons, Juiced
* ¾ cups Heavy Cream
* ¼ cups Half-and-half
* 1-½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (or Romano)
* Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
* 20 whole Basil Leaves, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta, reserving 1 cup of hot pasta water when you drain. Set pasta aside in a colander.

In the same pot, melt butter over medium heat. Squeeze in the juice of 3 to 4 lemons. Whisk together. Pour in cream and half-and-heat. Whisk until hot. Dump in cheese and whisk until melted. Add salt and pepper. Check consistency, adding some of the hot pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.

Pour pasta and sauce into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining basil all over the top, then add sliced chicken breasts. Serve immediately!

Entree: Chicken Breast with Mushrooms & Snap Peas

http://www.notakeout.com/chicken-breast-with-mushrooms-snap-peas/

Shopping List
* 4 scallions
* 8 oz. button mushrooms
* 2 cups sugar snap peas
* 1 lemon, preferably organic
* 4 boneless chicken breasts
* 1/4 cup heavy, non ultra-pasteurized cream
* 1 lb. orzo

Pantry Items
* Black pepper
* Canola oil
* Curry powder
* Sea salt
* Unsalted butter


* When you walk in the door

* Don’t refrigerate the chicken
* Fill the pasta pot 2/3 with water, add 2 tbsps. salt and put over high heat
* Get out Pantry Items
* Get out Tools
* Assemble the ingredients

* Prep

* Trim the scallions – pull off any limp outer leaves, cut off the ends of the leaves and cut away the root end.
* Cut the scallions into thin rounds.
* Trim the ends of the mushroom stems and wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp towel. Cut the mushrooms in quarters.
* Trim the snap peas and slice them crosswise into thin slices.
* Zest the lemon.
* Cut the chicken breasts across into 1/2-inch slices.
* Get someone to set the table – you won’t have time.

* Start Cooking

* When the water boils add the orzo, stir, and cook until it is al dente, about 7 minutes.
* Put 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. oil in the heavy skillet over medium heat. When the butter is hot, add the chicken and shake it so it’s covered in the oil and butter. Sprinkle it with 1 generous tsp. curry powder (or to taste), salt and pepper and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until it is almost opaque through, 5 minutes.
* Transfer the chicken to a bowl.
* Add 1 tbsp. butter to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Add the mushrooms. Shake the pan and cook until they’re browned and start to give off some liquid, about 4 minutes.
* Check the orzo. If it’s al dente, drain and put it into a large bowl. Add 2 tbsps. butter and the lemon zest and toss. Season and keep warm.
* Add the peas to the mushrooms and shake the pan, then return the chicken to the pan and cook just until everything is hot, 1-2 minutes, shaking the pan.
* Add the cream to the chicken and veggies and shake the pan so it melts into them. Remove from the heat, and adjust the seasoning.
* To serve, divide the orzo among four plates. Top with equal amounts of chicken and veggies and you’re on!

Entree: Tequila-Lime Chicken

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/06/tequila-lime-chicken-with-all-the-fixins/

Ingredients

* 3 whole Limes, Juiced
* 5 cloves Garlic, Peeled
* 1 whole Jalapeno, Sliced
* 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
* ½ cups Cilantro
* ½ cups Tequila
* 5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
* 4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
* 1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
* Pico De Gallo
* Refried Pinto Or Black Beans
* Mexican Rice
* Sour Cream
* Avocado Slices
* Homemade Flour Tortillas

Preparation Instructions

Combine lime juice, garlic cloves, sliced jalapeno, salt, cilantro, and tequila in a food processor or blender. Pulse until combined. Turn on the blender/food processor and drizzle in the olive oil until it’s all combined.

Slightly flatten chicken breasts with a mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet. Place in a plastic bag and pour in marinade. Seal bag and marinate for several hours or (preferably) overnight.

When ready to cook, remove chicken from bag and place on the grill. Cook until completely done. Toward the end of cooking, top chicken breasts with grated Monterey Jack and allow to melt. (You can also top chicken with cheese and melt under the broiler.)

Serve topped with pico de gallo or salsa, alongside refried black beans, Mexican rice, sour cream, avocado slices, fresh flour tortillas…and whatever other garnishes make you smile!

This is an absolutely delicious meal.

Dessert: Pudding Cups

http://www.bakerella.com/pudding-cups/

Dessert: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pots

http://beehiveandbirdsnest.blogspot.com/2010/10/hobby-week-baking.html

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pots

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed firm
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. milk
40 mini peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Sift together first three dry ingredients. Set aside. Cream together both butters and both sugars til fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla and milk.

Add flour mixture and mix well.

Shape into 40 small balls (about the size of a very large grape) and place each into ungreased mini muffin pan.

Bake at 375º for 7 minutes (do not overbake!)

Remove from oven and immediately press a peanut butter cup into each. (optional: after peanut butter cups have melted, place one white chocolate or butterscotch chip, pointy-side down, in the center of each cookie.)

Entree: Super Easy Chicken Korma

http://threemanycooks.com/recipes/meaty-mains/super-easy-chicken-korma/

Serves 4

Serve with steamed basmati rice

1 tablespoon each: ground coriander and ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon each: ground cinnamon and ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, cut into small dice
2 tablespoons minced fresh gingerroot (from about a 1 1/2-inch piece)
6 garlic cloves
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)
Salt
1 cup crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Mix coriander, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves in a small bowl; set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté until gold brown around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, and spices; sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Season chicken with salt and add it to skillet; sauté, coating with spices, until it has lost most of its raw color, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes to coat and 1 cup of water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked and juices reduce to sauce consistency, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in cream and cilantro. Serve