I grilled the chicken long enough to get grill marks and rubbed it with a beer-honey-chipotle mixture. I put it in the oven at 350F and then worked on the compote.

The finished product was excellent. The flavors mingled well and the beer added an extra earthiness that I really liked. Use a honeycrisp or granny smith apple for this. You want the flavor to be able to hold up to the beer.

I used chicken breast but you could use a split chicken or cut up chicken. It really is versatile. I suspect that it would do as well with pork.

• 8 chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup strong honey (like organic buckwheat)
• 1 tbs mashed chipotle in adobo
• 1/2 lemon squeezed into mixture
• 1/4 cup Guinness Stout
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 honey crisp apples, washed and chopped – not peeled
• 1 purple onion, chopped
• Remainder of the bottle of beer
• 4 tbs of unsalted  butter
• 1 canned chipotle chopped (more if desired)

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Oil a grill pan and preheat it lay chicken on it to establish grill marks; turn once
3. Simmer honey, 1 tbs chipolte,  1/4 cup Guinness, and lemon until reduced and thickened slightly – about 10 minutes. Glaze chicken with mixture and place in oven. plan on cooking until 180F is reached, about 30 to 40 minutes depending on the chicken.
4. Meanwhile saute onion, remaining chipotle, and chopped apple in 2 tbs  butter in a pan until tender.
5. Pour in the remaining Guinness and simmer until the mixture is reduced to a juicy compote.
6. Stir in remaining 2 tbs butter
7. About 15 minutes before chicken is done remove it from oven and spoon compote over it.
8. Return to oven to finish cooking.

Serves 8

images : Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

This would be heavenly on the grill but the day I made it it was about 45F and drizzling. Grill be darned…that is what grill pans are for! Oil your grill pan, if you have one, with olive oil and then let it get good and hot. You want the steak to have those fantastic grill marks. If you don’t have a grill pan you can use a frying pan.

The flavor? The meat is allowed to marinate in the maple and chipotle glaze and then is grilled with a light coat of the glaze to intensify the flavors.  The combination of sweet and spicy is perfect with the beef. I served this with smoky mashed potatoes and would suggest a good Shiraz as a compliment.

Always let your meat warm up a touch before cooking. Placing cold meat in a hot pan will shock the cells in it and make it tough. Give it about 30 minutes on the counter to come to room temperature and then cook it. You will be glad you did.

Steaks with Chipotle Maple Glaze

• Flank Steak or London Broil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (real stuff)
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup chipotle in adobo, mashed or blended
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil for grill pan

1. Combine the maple, chipotle, and garlic until smooth
2. Rub salt and pepper on the steaks
3. Brush the marinade on steaks and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes
4. Brush the gill pan with olive oil and allow to heat until sizzling
5. Add the meat carefully to the pan, glaze side down, allowing it to sear
6. Brush the top of the meat with the remaining glaze
7. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes on each side, or until desired done-ness is reached

Servings depend on the amount of beef you get.

images:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Now, the odd thing is that, believe it or not, I don’t drink. A glass of wine once in awhile is about it for me. So, even if you don’t drink there is probably a place for alcohol in your kitchen. I made cheese ravioli with a poblano pasta. Adjust the amount of poblano puree you use to adjust the heat of the pasta. I wanted a delicate flavor with just a little kick in the finish. You can make the ravioli large or small. For aesthetics in the future I will keep the ravioli tiny, about the size of the shrimp.

When I tasted the combination it was delicious but I felt I was still missing something. I decided to serve the combination over a bed of wilted balsamic spinach but you can leave that out if you like. This is also my contribution to this week’s Presto Pasta Nights, created by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast hosted by Chaya of Sweet and Savory Says It All

Ravioli is messy...but fun.

Seal the ravioli carefully

Simmer gently. Fresh pasta cooks quickly.

Poblano Pasta

• 2 cups flour
• 1 poblano pepper – roasted
• 1 tbs olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• Water as needed

1. Puree the roasted pepper and measure out 1/2 cup puree
2. Mix salt and flour
3. Add puree and olive oil and knead in to make a stiff dough, add a little water if needed for correct consistancy
4. Knead until smooth and elastic – about five minutes
5. Let rest 20 minutes
6. Cut in fourths and put through a pasta machine according to directions

Poblano Ravioli

• 1 lb whole milk ricotta
• Salt to taste
• Poblano pasta sheets

1. Mix ricotta and salt and check for seasoning
2. Lay out sheets and place  spoonfuls of ricotta mixture along the sheets. Amount depends on the size of the ravioli you want.
3. Moisten around the cheese with a little water and lay another sheet of pasta on top. press down around the cheese mounds to seal.
4. Cut with biscuit cutter or a knife. Be sure edges are sealed completely
5. Drop pasta gently into simmering salted water and cook for about 3 minutes or until tender. Drain and toss with olive oil. Keep warm

Vodka Shrimp

• 1 lb (or more) shrimp, cleaned, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup vodka, divided use
• Olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 slices of bacon
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Grated Parmesan
• Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1. Marinate the shrimp in the vodka, garlic, and onion for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile cook bacon until crisp and crumble. Set aside.
3. Add olive oil to a pan and saute the shrimp mixture until it is cooked.
4. Add the remaining vodka and either cook for another 2 minutes OR light it on fire and allow the alcohol to burn off. This looks cool but if you are clumsy it is not a great idea.
5. Check seasoning

Toss the ravioli and the shrimp together and serve.

This serves about 8 very generously.

Balsamic Spinach – optional

• 2 lbs baby spinach
• 1 tbs bacon fat or olive oil
• 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbs honey or sugar

1. Mix the vinegar, honey, and bacon fat and heat until boiling.
2. Pour over the spinach and toss to coat.

images:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Pork is a delicate and sweet meat that has a robust texture. It can handle many flavors but seems to shine when intense, fruity flavors are involved. This date and balsamic sauce is rich and flavorful enough to bring out the best in the pork, which in turn is given a bit of an extra shazaam with a maple and liquid smoke glaze.

Don’t go overboard on the menu here. The flavors of the main course are heavy so create everything else with a light touch.

Need a menu?

Pork Loin with Date Balsamic Sauce

Arugula with tangerine and a quick tangerine vinaigrette

Sour Dough with a thick, crisp crust

A simple poached pear or baked apple for dessert

Date-Balsamic Sauce

• 1 cup pitted dates, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped ginger
• 1/2 inch piece of dried chipotle
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• Pinch of salt
• 1-2 cups of chicken stock
• 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
• Olive oil

1. Saute onion, garlic, chipotle, and ginger in olive oil until onion just begins to caramelize.
2. Add dates and one cup of chicken stock, vinegar, and liquid smoke
3. Simmer, adding stock as needed to keep the mixture from sticking, until sauce is reduced and ingredients are all cooked together
4. Taste and adjust seasoning

Using a grill pan gives the meat a professionally done look

Pork Loin Chops

• 8 loin chops
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp powdered chipotle OR maple pepper
• 2 tbs maple syrup
• 1 tbs liquid smoke
• Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Rub a grill pan with olive oil and heat until it begins to smoke
3. Rub chops with maple pepper and salt
4. Lay on hottest part of grill pan to set grill marks
5. When you have good grill marks flip and set grill marks on the other side
6. Remove to baking dish
7. Mix maple syrup and liquid smoke and rub on meat
8. Bake about 30 minutes or until done. Depends on thickness of chops.
9. Serve the chops with the date-balsamic sauce

images:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Poulet au Bonne Femme was a recipe long before Julia Child wrote her amazing version. I think that we can get stuck in a recipe rut, afraid to deviate from what someone else has done. I hear from women all the time who feel that there is some insurmountable difference between a “foodie” and themselves.

I used to tell people that the only real difference between a chocolate pudding and a chocolate mousse is that you fold the whipped cream into the mousse and you put it atop the pudding. Most of the time it is the little details that make the difference in the dish. If you have been holding back because you are afraid of moving out of the hot dogs and beans rut…well try jumping in with this dish…simple, homestyle comfort food.

A slow simmer keeps your kitchen smelling fabulous. Seriously, Yankee Candles should have one that smells like this. I used dried trumpet mushrooms and I do suggest dried mushrooms for this dish. Why?

Well, when you are making a stew type dish, with a long simmering time the dried mushrooms will give a richer, more intense flavor than fresh. It is just that simple.

You can make this on top of the stove or in a crock pot. Super autumn comfort food! Sorry about the images. We are having lots of dark, dreary days and I haven’t gotten a light box yet. With 11 ft ceilings the lighting is less than optimum!

Need a menu? Try this…

Poulet au Bonne Femme Menu Suggestion

Rice (I used jasmine and flavored the cooking water with a little truffle oil)

Autumn Salad

Baguette

Walnut Genoise with Ganache

Poulet au Bonne Femme

• 6-8 boned chicken breasts, cut in chunks
• 4 slices bacon
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 6 carrots peeled and sliced
• 4 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 oz dried mushrooms (I used trumpet)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup chardonnay

1. Bring stock to a simmer and put the mushrooms in to rehydrate, set aside
2. In a large saute pan saute the bacon until it is done and the fat is rendered
3. Remove bacon from pan and set aside
4. Add onion, celery, garlic and carrots to the pan; saute until tender but not colored
5. Remove from pan
6. Add chicken and brown in the remaining bacon fat, you may need to add a little olive oil if there is not enough fat
7. When chicken is golden brown add the stock with mushrooms, chardonnay, vegetables, and herbs
8. Cover and simmer on low for an hour and a half, adding stock as necessary to keep from going dry but not so much it is soup. If you use a crockpot, 6-8 hours should be perfect
9. Serve with the crumbled, cooked  bacon sprinkled over top

Makes 8 servings

images:Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

See?

This is one of those “Dear Lord what am I cooking tonight?” dishes. The refrigerator was skimpy and so was the pantry. I used to have a regular day for everything…Grocery shop on Monday,clean on Tuesday and Wednesday, day off on Thursday, paperwork and scheduling on Friday…

Please note the words “used to”. Now I get so busy I forget to shop and then we have the unique meals that would totally ruin any reputation as a foodie I have. I have not yet lowered myself to the point of making peanut butter ravioli with jelly sauce..but I am not saying it couldn’t happen…

This was made of a few scraps of Fontina, some left over pecans, a whisp of celery and a couple of spinach leaves that would have had to go to the chickens by the next day..

Yumm…sounds appetizing doesn’t it? Just remember; it isn’t you you start…it’s how you finish!

This makes a great luncheon dish, side dish, or vegetarian main course. There is lots of flavors and textures happening on the plate. If I make it again I am going to try adding some unpeeled, chopped apples just lightly sauteed. I wish I would have thought of it this time.

A friend of mine saw Maple Pepper on a trip to New Hampshire. She sent me a jar of it and…wowza! That stuff is potent. If you don’t have access to the maple pepper, add a tablespoon of maple syrup to the vegetables at the end of saute time, and add a finely chopped chipotle pepper in adobo as well.

Need a menu? Try this with:

Autumn Dinner

Autumn Pasta with Fontina and Pecans

Honey Glazed Roasted Parsnips and Carrots

Baguette or  Rosemary Cracked Pepper Bread

Apple Bundt Cake

This is my entry for Presto Pasta Night. PPN is the brain-child of Ruth of Once Upon a Feast and Abby of Eat th Right Stuff is the hostess for this week.

Autumn Pasta with Fontina and Pecans

• 1 lb  whole wheat penne, cooked a la dente
• 1/2 to 1 cup pecans, chopped and  toasted*
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach cut on a chiffonade**
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup mushrooms of choice, sliced ( a mixture of several is nice here)
• 4 oz fontina, grated
• 1/2 tsp maple pepper
• salt to taste
• olive oil and butter combo for saute pan (about 2 tbs each)

*To toast pecans toss them in a heavy pan and stir over medium high heat watching that they don’t burn.

**To cut chiffonade: layer several spinach leaves on top of each other. Roll up tightly and then cut horizontally very thinly. You will end up with thin strips of spinach.

1. Saute onion, garlic, and celery in pan until just soft
2. Add mushrooms and saute until done
3. Add maple pepper and stir well
4. Put penne in a large serving bowl, spoon ingredients over the top
5. Add pecans, fontina, and spinach
6. Toss lightly and serve immediately with extra fontina

serves 4-6 (8-10 appetizer or side dish servings)

image:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

This beef recipe will remind you of the French countryside even if you have never been there. Red wine, sliced orange, sliced lemon,  mushrooms and a long cooking time make this meat fall apart, buttery tender with an aroma that may have you neighbors’ knocking at your door. You better close the windows.

I cut some fresh spinach in a large chiffonade to add color to the dish for presentation. You don’t need to do that but I liked how it looked.

You can cook it anywhere from 6 to 12 hours depending on the size of the roast and the way your crockpot heats.A great menu for this is:

Autumn Slow Cooker Beef Menu

Slow cooker beef

Anise Carrots

Buttered Red Potatoes

Homemade Brown and Serve Dinner rolls

And something yummy for dessert.  Take a peek at the archives – I am sure you will find something that you like. ….. Give this one a try, I think it is a keeper.

Slow Cooker Beef and Wine

• 1 beef roast, about 2 -3 lbs
• 4 stalks of celery, chopped
• 2 onions, peeled and chopped
• 1 oranges, sliced
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1 lb mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups fruity red wine
• 1 cup of  kalamata black or smoked green olives
• Herbes de provence, kosher salt, and cracked pepper

1. Mix about a tablespoon each of salt, herbes de provence and pepper. Rub on all sides of the meat and allow to stand for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Brown on all sides in some fat or oil in a large, heavy skilled. Bacon fat is perfect but olive oil will work.
3. Place all ingredients in the crockpot and cook for about 8 hours.

serves 8 or so

image: marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

It’s the difference between eating at Frontera Grill and Don Pablos.

If you are thinking that that looks like some pretty good nachos – think again. That is one of the diet staples of the Audet household…none other than Tex-Mex Hash. The hardest thing about making this dish  was measuring so I could share it with you.

Basically you can put any meat in hash. It was a dish created to be able to use up leftovers. Traditionally it is corned beef, potatoes, onions, and maybe even beets. Well, that may be how they do it in New York City but in Texas we dance to a different fiddler, so to speak.

You can use left over taco filling if you like, or any other meat you have. I used ground beef in this because I was making it more as a quick dinner than a way to use up leftovers. Anything and everything can be substituted with great results except that you need the Ro*Tel tomatoes and the potatoes.

Tex-Mex Hash

serves 8

• 2 slices of bacon
• 1 large or 2 small onions, peeled and chopped
• 8 medium size potatoes- peeled if not organic otherwise just washed and cubed
• 1 bell pepper , chopped
• 1/2 lb mushrooms sliced, optional
• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 1 tbs cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped  fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup beer
• 2 cans Ro*Tel tomatoes with chilis
• 2 cups cheddar or colby or jack cheese
• 6 corn tortillas, cut in small cubes and fried into chips
• 6 corn tortillas cut in wedges and fried into chips for garnish
• Sour cream

Instructions

1. Cut the bacon into squares and begin to fry it in a large saute pan. You want a nice amount of fat in the pan.
2. Add potatoes, onions, and pepper and saute until almost done but still crisp tender.
3. Add the ground beef, mushrooms, and seasonings, and saute until vegetables are done and meat is almost done.
4. Add cilantro, beer, and tomatoes and simmer uncovered until the most of the liquid is absorbed or evaporates.
5. Mix in the chips that were cut in cubes
6. Sprinkle the cheese over top and allow a minute to melt.
7. Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream

Post from: Baking Delights

The thing is that I have been getting behind on grocery shopping. We have pretty much had to make do with the scraps and bits left on the empty pantry shelves. In fact, the refrigerator echoed the other day. I swear it did. No reason for me not to go, just still run down from the surgery and then the potassium issues. I am so blessed with work right now that it is easy to get behind on things like groceries! That is how I found myself with a group of intense faces in front of me and a clock behind me that said “SUPPERTIME!”

Oops.

Grabbed a can of pumpkin and the thing of flour and started throwing things together and this is what happened:

Look at the colors in that! The dish is Autumn personified. I love it. I wanted a smoky flavor that would reflect all that is Fall. Spicy, earthy, and easy. I think I got it. And this is my entry to Presto Pasta Nights, hosted this week by Sara of I’m a Food Blog

Applewood smoked bacon, onions, roasted red peppers, chipotle, and smoked olives are sauteed in olive oil and finished with just a splash of maple syrup. Diced fontina gets sprinkled on top and the whole thing takes less than 30 minutes.

The roasted red peppers were commercial, as were the smoked olives. I got mine at the grocery store but if you can’t find them I think Amazon carries them. I also found these chipotle smoked olives which sound amazing.

You can make these a day ahead and store them in the refrigerator for a really quick meal.

Need a menu? Try this:

• Pumpkin Gnocchi with Smoky Chipotle Sauce
• Baguette
• Sauteed Lemon Brussels Sprouts with Pistachio
• Pecan Praline Cheesecake

I hope you like this as well as I do.

Pumpkin Gnocchi

• 1 (15 oz.) can solid pack pumpkin or two cups of homemade pumpkin puree, drained
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 3 cups flour or enough to make a soft dough
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Mix together until you get a soft, kneadable dough. You want it to be the texture of soft Play-do.
2. Cut in about 5 or 6 parts and roll each part out into a 3/4 inch thick rope
3. Slice in pieces about 1/2 inch thick
4. You can use a fork to make a design, or not as you wish
5. Spoon gnocchi into water that is at a slow boil
6. Cook until done, it will come up to the surface and float there. Just take that batch out with a slotted spoon and add the next batch until all are cooked.
7. Toss with Smoky Chipotle Sauce

Smoky Chipotle Sauce

• 1/2 cup smoked green olives, sliced
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
• 6 slices of applewood smoked bacon
• 1 tsp of dried chipotle, more or less to taste
• 1 onion chopped
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 1/4 cup olive oil, smoked olive oil if you have it
• 2 tbs of maple syrup (more or less to taste)
• 4 oz fontina, diced

Directions:

1. Simmer everything but the maple syrup and fontina in a pan on low heat until the onions are cooked
2. Stir often, don’t let anything caramelize
3. Stir in the maple syrup and simmer for another minute or two. Taste and adjust seasonings
4. Pour over cooked gnocchi and toss
5. Sprinkle with fontina

Serves 6-8

Post from: Baking Delights

Rich and creamy, with a faint coconut flavor that is followed by a tingle of spiciness. As my dad used to say, “This soup has some authority to it!”.

Eating hot peppers really does cause your circulation to increase and it warms you up more than just a warm soup alone would. You can simmer this in a crockpot or make it on top of the stove. If you do decide to make it in a crockpot start with rice that is cooked. I never have had much luck in getting rice to cook right in a slow cooker.

This recipe has a lot of ingredients but there is not a lot of prep and it goes together really fast.  I really loved it and so did the entire family.

Need a menu suggestion? Try this –

• Thai Coconut Curry Soup
• Soft Dinner Rolls
• Mixed Baby Greens with a warm sesame dressing (just warm it to about 110F before adding it to the salad) and grilled pineapple slices
• Chai Spice Snowballs

This is based on a recipe from Epicurious.

Thai Coconut Curry Soup

• 10 cups organic chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 oz dried lobster mushrooms, optional
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in thin slices
• 2 dried thai chile peppers
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 leek, cleaned and sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced small
• 2 14 oz cans organic coconut milk (not the sweetened kind)
• 2 bunches of cilantro, stems discarded and leaved chopped
• 1 1/2 cups Jasmine rice
• 2 tbs Asian fish sauce
• 2 tbs brown sugar, if desired
• Juice of one lime
• 3 tablespoons curry powder, or to taste
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Bring the water to a boil and pour it over the mushrooms. Allow to stand for 20 minutes
2. Combine stock, curry powder,  mushrooms and water, peppers, leeks, carrots, garlic, ginger, and chicken. Simmer until chicken is tender, about 15 minutes
3. Stir in rice and simmer until rice is cooked, another 15 minutes or so. Leave uncovered and stir occasionally
4. Add remaining ingredients and allow to simmer for another 15 minutes
5. Remove peppers, taste and adjust seasonings
6. Garnish with cilantro leaves

Serves 8

image:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights