Sourdough Crumpets

This is a KAF recipe that I decided to try since I had sourdough starter and wanted to make the Breakfast Crumpets that Brynn had blogged. It is SO easy - you take one cup of unfed starter and whisk 1 tsp of sugar, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of baking soda into it. That's it! I used english muffin rings in a cast iron skillet, spooned about 1/2" of batter into each one and turned them when they were set on the edges and had lots of bubbles on top - kind of like a pancake. They are spongier than a pancake, not sure how they are when you buy them in a store. Anyway, I'll definitely make them again! xo

Mrs. Ou's Spicy Szechuan Pork and Bean Curd

One pkg (10 oz) firm tofu cut into small cubes
1/2 lb ground pork
2 chopped garlic cloves
2 TBSP hot  bean sauce or szechuan sauce
3 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP chopped scallions
S & P
3 TBSP cornstarch dissolved in 3 TBSP water
1 cup ( I use more like 2) chicken broth
1 TSP sesame oil
Veg oil or EVOO
Cayenne or chopped chilis to taste

Boil bean curd cubes in chicken stock for 2-3 mins, drain, reserving stock.

Brown the ground pork in the veg or EVOO add garlic, hot bean sauce, s&p, and soy sauce.
Add stock and cayenne or chilis, then bean curd cubes. Add cornstarch paste and stir in  well.

Bring to a boil and cook until sauce thickens. Sprinkle with scallions and sesame oil before serving on rice!

I usually stir fry snow peas and carrot sticks (celery would be good too) just for a minute so they're still crunchy and add to the bean curd just before serving.  xoxo

Gorgonzola Stuffed Chicken Breast

I used the cheese I just discovered from the UK" Ilchester  Double Gloucester layered with Stilton. You can easily double the recipe and can also make it ahead so it's ready to pop in the oven when you get home from work!    While the chicken is cooking it creates lots of yummy, cheesy juices. I think I like it best served over pasta! I used the thick Maple bacon that we always have, smelled delicious when it was baking! I'm going to try stuffing steak with it next, I bet it will be delish!  xoxo Mom   Gorgonzola Stuffed Chicken Breasts Wrapped in Bacon

Rated: Submitted By: witchywoman Photo By: amysrecipes Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 35 Minutes Ready In: 55 Minutes Servings: 2

"Chicken breasts stuffed with an intensely savory mixture of Gorgonzola cheese, shallots, and garlic are wrapped in applewood smoked bacon and baked. It's a tasty little supper for two."

Ingredients:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 2 tablespoons minced shallot

1 clove garlic, minced 4 thick slices of applewood smoked bacon salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2.	Using a sharp knife, cut a slit into the thick side of each chicken breast about 2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches deep.
3.	Mash together the Gorgonzola cheese, parsley, shallot, and garlic in a small bowl; season with salt and black pepper. Divide the filling in half, and stuff each chicken breast with cheese filling. Wrap 2 slices of bacon around each breast, and secure with wooden toothpicks. Place the chicken breasts into the prepared baking dish.
4.	Bake in the preheated oven until the bacon is browned and the chicken is no longer pink inside, about 35 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a breast should read about 165 degrees F (75 degrees C).

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Printed from Allrecipes.com 2/17/2012

Roasted Cauliflower

Separate 1 head of cauliflower into florets, soak, drain and let dry. Put the cauliflower in a big bowl, drizzle with EVOO, salt & pepper, stir in a couple cloves of minced garlic, squeeze a lemon over it all and stir (toss) well. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast in a 450 degree F oven for 15 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Sprinkle with grated parmesan before serving.  Simple and delicious! xo Mom

Spicy Beans

Brynn and I were talking about Jim's spicy beans and I was wondering how they would come out using canned beans rather than dried (because the dried pinto beans take so long to cook) so I tried it this morning.  I used  2 garlic cloves,  1/2 an onion, 1  hot chili and a carrot -all chopped and sauteed for about 5 minutes then added a can of drained and rinsed black beans (that's all that I had). I let this cook down and added a bit of water a couple of times until it looked kind of creamy but the beans still had some shape, added some salt and a bit of dried chipotle flakes. Yum!  Definitely faster than using dried beans! xo Mom