Category Archives: Fine Fixin’s

Fine Fixin's

Fine Fixin’s: Chocolate Chess Pie

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Chocolate Chess Pie

With Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner, it certainly seems like pie time out there. Before Sarah and I hunkered down to make our Thanksgiving day apple pie, I wanted to try a classic chess pie. Usually chess pie is a very simple buttermilk pie. This recipe, however, is a bit different. I figured Sarah would appreciate chocolate more than buttermilk, so I found an equally simple recipe for Chocolate Chess Pie. If you are in need of a really simple pie composed of ingredients you may very well have, please get bakin’.

Chocolate Chess Pie

Adapted from Southern Pies by Nancie McDermott
Serves 8

For the crust
1 sleeve chocolate graham crackers
1 stick butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar

For the filling
1 stick butter
1 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate (or 3 tablespoons cocoa powder)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350°.

To make the crust, crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs. (I like to put them in a large ziploc and smash them with a rolling pin. It’s very satisfying.) Add sugar and melted butter and mix until well combined. Push into a 9 inch pie pan to form a thin crust on the bottom and sides. (I also like to save a few bites for myself.) Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven, and chill until firm and crunchy, about an hour.

Lower oven temperature to 325°.

To make the filling, heat the butter and chocolate in a saucepan over medium until melted and smooth. Remove from the burner and add the sugar, mixing until well combined. Stir in eggs, vanilla, and salt. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for around 45 minutes, until top is puffed and the center is just set. To be honest, I like mine a little on the gooey side so I start checking around 40 minutes just to be safe (however, my mom likes her chess pie totally set and would prefer around 50 minutes. It’s your call here.). I also covered the edges of the crust with foil about half way through to keep it from burning.

Remove the pie from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 – 30 minutes.

via theKitchn

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Fine Fixin’s: Veggie Enchiladas

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vegetarian enchiladas

Vegetable Enchiladas
adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook
serves 6
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tbs canola oil
1 onion, minced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
1 zucchini (8 oz) halved lengthwise, seeded, and chopped small
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce (recipe follows)
1 cup finely crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup drained, canned chopped green chiles
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped
salt and pepper
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
cooking spray
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (about 4 oz)
lime wedges, for serving
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.

Mash half the beans in a bowl with fork until mostly smooth; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeno, and bell pepper and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and cook until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and corn, and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the mashed beans and remaining black beans and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce, queso fresco, cilantro, green chiles, spinach, and tomato. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Place the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Cook 30-60 seconds, until warm and pliable. Spread them out over a clean surface and top each one with a scant 1/3 cup of the filling. Working quickly, roll each torilla tightly and lay them seam-side down in the baking dish.

Spray the enchiladas lightly with cooking spray, and cook 5-7 minutes. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top, sprinkle with cheese, and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, until the enchiladas are heated through and the cheese has melted. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes, then serve, passing lime wedges separately.

vegetarian enchiladas

Red Enchilada Sauce
1 tsp canola oil
1 onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbs chile powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp sugar
1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chile powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water, and bring to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

via Pink Parsley

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Fine Fixin’s: Fish Tacos, Take 2

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fish tacos

Most of the time, easier is better. These fish tacos are faster and easier than our previous recipe, plus they are battered with cornmeal, which is my favorite way to fry fish. I have this incredible memory of going to some out-of-the-way fish fry when I was pretty little and having fresh fish battered with cornmeal and fried. I just love the texture and flavor of cornmeal fish, plus the nostalgia that comes with it!

Fish Taco No. 2

White fish – we used frozen tilapia, but you could use whatever fish you’d like
cornmeal
smoked paprika
2 egg whites, beaten
flour
salt
pepper
vegetable oil
corn tortillas
shredded cabbage
mayo
chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
cilantro
lime

Slice the fish into nugget-sized pieces. Put a cup or so of flour in a bowl and mix in some salt, pepper, and some smoked paprika.
Next you’ll dredge the fish nuggets in the flour, then dip them in the egg whites, and finally coat with the cornmeal.

Meanwhile, heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a frying pan. When you have your nuggets coated and the oil heated, drop them in the pan, turning after a few minutes until browned on all sides. Remove them the pan and place them on a paper towel lined plate to wick away excess oil.

While the fish is frying you can mix up some spicy chipotle mayo. Just take however much mayo you think you’ll want and add some adobo sauce to taste along with lime and smoked paprika.

Now comes the fun part–assembling your tacos! You can obviously use whatever taco topping you’d like. We kept it simple this time with some shredded cabbage, spicy mayo, cilantro and lots of lime.

fish tacos

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Fine Fixin’s: North African Chickpea Salad

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north african chickpea salad with couscous

We seem to be finding more and more vegetarian dishes that we like, which comes as a surprise since Sarah doesn’t even like vegetables! Here’s our latest veg option featuring our favorite ingredient…chickpeas! We also rounded this out with some tomato lemon couscous, which ended up being great. Maybe we’ll post about that a little further down the line.

North African Chickpea Salad

2 (15.5 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 carrot, peeled and grated
½ cup raisins
2 Tablespoons fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed (about ½ teaspoon)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
salt and ground black pepper

1) In a large mixing or serving bowl, combine chickpeas, grated carrots, raisins and mint. Stir.

2) In a separate small bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and paprika. Whisk it together, like you would a dressing. Pour over chickpea mixture and stir thoroughly to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve at whatever temperature you like. Sarah liked it heated best.

From: America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

You might also note that tall glass which is prominently featured below. That’s just an Arnold Palmer, Sarah’s new favorite drink. Hopefully this nice weather lasts long enough to enjoy a few more!

arnold palmer and north african chickpea salad

Fine Fixin's

Fine Fixin’s: Easy Little Bread

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We went through a brief, if not inevitable, cold spit last week, which I used an excuse to get back to the oven. If there’s a cure for a drafty old house, it’s got to be a hot oven, and one of the best ways to utilize an oven is with bread! Who doesn’t love munching on bread straight from the oven. Luckily for us, we stumbled upon a ridiculously easy recipe at 101cookbooks.com.

Easy Little Bread

1 1/4 cups / 300 ml warm water (105-115F)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
1 tablespoon runny honey
1 cup / 4.5 oz / 125 g unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup / 5 oz / 140 g whole wheat flour
1 cup / 3.5 oz / 100 g rolled oats (not instant oats)
1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing

In a medium bowl, sprinkle the yeast onto the warm water and stir until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the honey and set aside for a few minutes, until the yeast blooms and swells a bit – 5 – 10 minutes.

In the meantime, mix the flours, oats, and salt in a large bowl. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir very well.

Brush a 8-cup loaf pan generously with some of the melted butter. Turn the dough into the tin, cover with a clean, slightly damp cloth, and set in a warm place for 30 minutes, to rise.

Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C, with a rack in the middle. When ready, bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, until golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan. I finish things up by leaving the bread under the broiler for just a heartbeat – to give the top a bit deeper color. Remove from oven, and turn the bread out of the pan quickly. Let it cool on a rack so it doesn’t steam in the pan. Serve warm, slathered with butter.

Makes 1 loaf.

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Fine Fixin’s: Chicken Pot Pie

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When I was little, I really didn’t like chicken pot pie. I think everyone else in the family did, but not me! I don’t know if it was the idea of a pie with meat or the various vegetables that threw me off, but I wasn’t going to like it . . . especially if my sister liked it.

But my, how things have changed. Here’s a vegetably take on a classic that isn’t all that pie like but really tasty nonetheless. Bonus points for getting to cook the whole thing in a big cast-iron skillet.

Skillet Chicken Pot Pie

Biscuits
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
.5 tsp baking soda
.25 tsp salt
.5 cup buttermilk
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

filling
6 tbsp all purpose flour
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
1 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4″ rounds
2 red bell peppers, stemmed and chopped
1 celery rib, sliced 1/4″ thick
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp thyme, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup dry sherry
2 bay leaves
4 oz baby spinach
.75 cups frozen peas
3 tbsp half and half
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced

1. For the biscuits: Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk and melted butter. Gently stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.

2. Divide dough into six balls, and set them on the baking sheet. Bake around 10 minutes, until they have risen, but are still pale.

3. For the filling: Toast the flour in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, until fragrant and golden, 5-7 minutes. Transfer flour to a large bowl, and wipe out the skillet with a paper towel.

4. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in the skillet until just smoking. Add the chicken and cook until browned on one side, 3-4 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Leave the fat in the pan.

5. Add the carrots, peppers, onions, and celery to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are softened, about 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

6. Whisk the broth, sherry, bay leaves into the bowl of cooled toasted flour until evenly combined, and then whisk the mixture into the skillet. Add the browned chicken, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over medium-low until the chicken is 160F (12-15 minutes).

7. Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred when it is cool enough to handle. Meanwhile continue to simmer sauce over medium-high heat until vegetables are tender and sauce is thickened, 5-8 minutes.

8. Discard bay leaves. Stir in spinach, a handful at a time until wilted. Off the heat, stir in shredded chicken, peas, half and half, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

8. Arrange biscuits on top of the filling in the skillet, about 1.5 inches apart. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until golden and the filling is bubbling, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Source: America’s Test Kitchen

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Fine Fixin’s: Black Bean Mango Salsa

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Sarah loves black bean and mango salsa. But we always have trouble finding nice ripe mangos when we want to make it. Luckily we had about three last weekend, so we made an extra big batch of it. Unfortunately, we didn’t have Bush’s black beans with the handy black bean mango salsa recipe right on the can, so we had to turn to the internet.  Food & Wine came to the rescue.

Black Bean and Mango Salsa

  • 1 cup drained canned black beans, rinsed
  • 1 ripe medium mango, peeled and cut into 1/2 -inch dice
  • 1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 -inch dice
  • 1 medium jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 medium scallion, minced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

In a bowl, combine the black beans, mango, red bell pepper, jalapeño and scallion. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, oil, vinegar, ginger, sugar, salt and cayenne. Fold the mixture into the beans. Stir in the cilantro and serve chilled or at room temperature.

MAKE AHEAD The salsa can be refrigerated for up to 6 hours.

From: Food and Wine

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Fine Fixin’s: Top Shelf Margarita Cheesecake

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As you’re probably aware, Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner. Let’s not kid ourselves here, Cinco de Mayo is really just an excuse for margaritas. If you are a bit tired of the ordinary margarita, or if you are looking to take your margarita enthusiasm even further, we have just the recipe for you. A cheesecake that tastes like a margarita. Yes, it tastes like a margarita, and yes, it’s really good.

Top-Shelf Margarita Cheesecake

Cornmeal Crust

  • 1/2 C unsalted butter
  • 1/4 C sugar
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1/4 tsp coarse salt

Margarita Cheesecake

  • 3 (8oz) packages cream cheese
  • 1 C sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 C lime juice
  • 2 Tbsp tequila
  • 2Tbsp Cointreau
  • Zest of Half a lime

Margarita Whipped Cream

  • 1 C heavy cream
  • 1/2 C confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 2 Tbsp tequila
  • 2 Tbsp Cointreau

Garnish

  • 3 limes, sliced soaked in 1 c simple syrup

Preparation

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Grease bottom and sides of a 9″ spring-form pan.
  • In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar 3 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour, cornmeal, and salt and mix to combine. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool.
  • For the cheesecake: IN a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar and beat 4 to 5 minutes, or until smotth, Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in lime juice, tequila, Cointreau, and lime zest.
  • Spread mixture into the cooled crust and bake 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 1 hour. Transfer to refrigerator and chill at least 6 hours or overnight.
  • For whipped cream: In a mixing bowl, combine cream, confectioners’ sugar, lime juice, tequila, and Cointreau; starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high, beat unti soft peaks form.
  • Let the cheesecake sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Spread the margarita cream on top. Drain the lie slices from the syrup. Sprinkle a pinch of coarse salt around the edge of the crust and top the cheesecake with limes.

Source: The excellent and fun Booze Cakes

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Fine Fixin’s: French Toast Casserole

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Over the weekend we celebrated Easter with my family, which meant french toast casserole! It’s been something of an on-again-off-again tradition, but I think it’s here to stay from here on out. We’ve fussed around trying to make something fancy from time-to-time, but nothing beats a tasty breakfast casserole, and this one happens to be so easy and tasty. This time we used a basic french baguette for the bread, and I think it worked out perfectly. There is something about using these smaller rounds that really seems to work out nicely. The takeaway: If you need to feed more than yourself, and if have the foresight to plan your breakfast a day in advance, it’s a foolproof way to make predictably great french toast.

French Toast Casserole

1 loaf long thin French bread
8 eggs
3 cups milk (I used skim)
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces
ground cinnamon
Generously grease a 9×13″ pan (we used a larger pan but that’s what the original recipe calls for)
Cut bread into 18 (1″ wide) slices or enough to fit in the pan.

Arrange slices in 1 layer in bottom of pan.

Beat eggs, milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla in large bowl. Mix thoroughly and pour over bread. Dot bread with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate over night. Cook uncovered in 350 degree oven or 325 if using a glass pan.

Bake 45-50 minutes. Remove and let sit 5 minutes.

Fine Fixin's

Fine Fixin’s: Chickpea Toasts

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Here’s one of our new go-to weekend lunch snacks. It combines two of our favorite things: goat cheese and chickpeas!

Chickpea Goat Cheese Toasts

1 15.5oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 garlic gloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp olive oil
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 6″ whole wheat pitas cut into fourths
1 oz goat cheese

  1. Preheat oven to 400F
  2. Mix together chickpeas, garlic, cumin, and oil in a square baking dish. Roast, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Transfer chickpeas to bowl and stir in tomato, salt, and pepper.
  3. Toast your pitas
  4. Depending on the type of goat cheese you have, spread or sprinkle it on the pita wedges. Then add the chickpea mixture on top.

Recipe comes from the Hungry Girl.

This basic template of roasted chickpeas and goat cheese spread over a pita is open to endless variation. Our current favorite is roasting the chickpeas with diced apple/pear and a bit of cinnamon. Then spread the mixture over cranberry-cinnamon goat cheese. I think it’s even better than the original version, at least if you are in the mood for something a bitter sweeter.

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