My mom made these over the holidays, and since then I’ve seen them lots of places. This is easier than you can imagine. Just spread some dry kale leaves (stems removed) on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt. You want the leaves lightly coated with oil. Bake at 400 for about 15-20 minutes until they are dark colored and crispy. They are incredibly delicious. Really! I didn’t think they would be but I really liked these.  They do not taste like kale (which I am not a big fan of in general). Mr. MarthaAndMe is a big fan of this dish.

My mom made these over the holidays, and since then I’ve seen them lots of places. This is easier than you can imagine. Just spread some dry kale leaves (stems removed) on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt. You want the leaves lightly coated with oil. Bake at 400 for about 15-20 … Read more →

Desiree at SteakandPotatoKindaGurl has chosen asparagus with creamy mustard sauce for next Monday’s project.

Desiree at SteakandPotatoKindaGurl has chosen asparagus with creamy mustard sauce for next Monday’s project.

My pick for Martha Mondays was the New York Crumb Cake from March Living. OMG. This was amazing, I thought! I forgot to sprinkle powdered sugar on top, but it was good anyhow. Here’s the recipe:
Topping:

3 1/2 c cake flour

2/3 c sugar

2/3 c brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 sticks butter, melted

Cake:

1 1/2 sticks butter

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 c sugar

2 eggs and 2 yolks

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 c buttermilk

powdered sugar for dusting

optional 1 cup blueberry jam (I used this)

Mix dry crumb topping ingredients together. Pour butter over it and mix with hands until it makes large clumps.

Preheat oven to 325 and grease a 9×13 pan. Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs and yolks and vanilla. Add dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk. Pour batter in pan. Top with jam (if desired) then crumb topping. Bake for 1 hour.

Yum. The amazing part is this thing sat on the counter at my house for 5 days (covered) and did not diminish in moisture or texture, which I cannot believe. Everyone here loved this. I am saving this recipe and it goes on my “Martha’s Best of” list for sure. Super easy to make and moist, delicious and gorgeous.  It was incredible.

My pick for Martha Mondays was the New York Crumb Cake from March Living. OMG. This was amazing, I thought! I forgot to sprinkle powdered sugar on top, but it was good anyhow. Here’s the recipe: Topping: 3 1/2 c cake flour 2/3 c sugar 2/3 c brown sugar 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp … Read more →

I’ve never made brioche before and this recipe from Cooking Light (from Dec 2010) sounded great, so I gave it a try.

1 packet yeast (2 1/14 tsp)

1/3 cup warm 1% milk (I used skim)

15.75 oz flour (about 3 1/2 cups)

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

4 eggs

8 1/2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp water

1 egg white

Dissolve years in warm milk and let stand 5 minutes. Add flour, sugar, salt, and eggs and beat with paddle attachment on stand mixer on low, scraping down the side, until smooth. Remove the paddle and put in the dough hook. Mix on low for 5 minutes until it is elastic and pulls away from the sides. Cut up 6 1/2 tbsp of butter into cubes and add half, mixing on medium. Add the other half and mix on medium until incorporated. Mix on medium for 4 minutes. Put it in a greased bowl and cover, allowing to rise for an hour until doubled (I had to put mine in a warm oven to get it to rise – it was just too cold in this house in February!).

Punch the dough down and return to the bowl and cover, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight (I did overnight).

Remove the dough and uncover allowing it to come to room temp (about 90 min). Divide into 4 sections and cut each section into 6 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place in a greased muffin tin. Cover and allow to rise 45 min (again, I had to use the oven).

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix water with egg white and brush the rolls with the mixture. Bake 14 minutes until golden. Melt remaining butter and brush the rolls with butter.

These were really, really delicious. Light, fluffy, and slightly sweet. My only complaint is that they weren’t very big. I would have liked them to be taller and just bigger. But other than that, they were great.

I’ve never made brioche before and this recipe from Cooking Light (from Dec 2010) sounded great, so I gave it a try. 1 packet yeast (2 1/14 tsp) 1/3 cup warm 1% milk (I used skim) 15.75 oz flour (about 3 1/2 cups) 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 tsp salt 4 eggs 8 1/2 tbsp butter … Read more →

The updated Martha Mondays schedule is here: http://marthaandme.wordpress.com/2011/02/21/martha-mondays-9/, reflecting a new member (check out her blog, now listed in the Martha Mondays blog roll over on the bottom right of the site).

The updated Martha Mondays schedule is here: http://marthaandme.wordpress.com/2011/02/21/martha-mondays-9/, reflecting a new member (check out her blog, now listed in the Martha Mondays blog roll over on the bottom right of the site).

I love fried chicken, but it’s something I only make once a year. This quick recipe is a great healthy substitute which delivers an amazing crunch and great flavor. I feed 4-6 people with this.

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut in half with the knife parallel to the counter so you get 6 pieces that are just half thickness of the original breasts)

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 bread crumbs

1/2 grated Parmesan

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dried rosemary

pepper

1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water

2 tbsp melted butter

Soak the chicken in buttermilk 2-4 hours (refrigerated) in a ziploc bag. Combine cornmeal, breadcrumbs, cheese, salt, pepper, and rosemary on a plate.

Preheat oven to 425. Place a rack over a baking sheet or roasting pan and spray with cooking spray. Dip each piece of chicken in egg wash then in cornmeal mix and place on a rack.  Drizzle melted butter over the chicken. Bake for 20 minutes.

I wish I had made more because everyone wanted to eat it for lunch the next day!

I love fried chicken, but it’s something I only make once a year. This quick recipe is a great healthy substitute which delivers an amazing crunch and great flavor. I feed 4-6 people with this. 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut in half with the knife parallel to the counter so you get 6 pieces … Read more →

Ok, oven fixed, double chocolate biscotti made. Thanks to Ana at Sweet Almond Tree for picking this recipe. I had some trouble cutting mine – I don’t think it was baked enough – it was crumbling. I really need to get a thermometer in my oven to see what the temps are really like. It always takes my baked goods longer to bake than they should. Other than that, these were great. I used pecans and dried cherries. They’re really chocolatey and yummy! Now I’ve got to get these out of the house before I have a problem with them!

I posted the upcoming MM assigned dates in a previous post, so check there and let me know your picks once you figure them out.

Ok, oven fixed, double chocolate biscotti made. Thanks to Ana at Sweet Almond Tree for picking this recipe. I had some trouble cutting mine – I don’t think it was baked enough – it was crumbling. I really need to get a thermometer in my oven to see what the temps are really like. It … Read more →

I love surprising my readers with what can be made in parchment. So today I have another fun idea for you – tortellini. And I made this one in my toaster oven since my oven is broken and waiting for a part. This recipe feeds two.

9 oz refrigerated fresh tortellini

1/4 cup frozen peas

salt and pepper to taste

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

1/4 tsp Italian seasonings or basil

1/4 cup pesto sauce

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp chicken broth

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Place the tortellini on a piece of parchment (see Technique page for instructions). Spread the peas on top. Add the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Drop dollops of the pesto over the food. Sprinkle Italian seasoning, chicken broth, and olive oil. Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese. Using a fork, gently mix and toss the ingredients together a bit so you no longer see large clumps of pesto. Fold the parchment and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

This was delicious and super cute in the packet. You can swap out lots of different ingredients in this one – try ham or cooked Italian sausage instead of the chicken. Instead of the peas, you could use spinach, broccoli, or mushrooms.

The tortellini cooks perfectly and all the flavors are sealed in, making this dish fresh tasting and vibrant.

I love surprising my readers with what can be made in parchment. So today I have another fun idea for you – tortellini. And I made this one in my toaster oven since my oven is broken and waiting for a part. This recipe feeds two. 9 oz refrigerated fresh tortellini 1/4 cup frozen peas … Read more →

I have a bit of a glitch here today with the biscotti recipe – my oven is broken. It’s being repaired today, so hopefully I will be able to make this and post it by the end of the day or, if not, then tomorrow.

It’s my pick for 2/28 (the last day of February – at last) and I’m choosing the NY Crumb Cake from March Living. I think I am going to make the blueberry version, but feel free to make the plain one. If you need the recipe, let me know and I’ll send it along.

Here’s the schedule following that:

3/7 SteakandPotatoKindaGurl

3/14 Megans Cookin’

3/21 I need to skip this week

3/28 Sassy Suppers

4/4 Perfecting Pru

4/11 Tiny Skillet

I need to skip 4/18 and 4/25

5/2 Sweet Almond Tree

5/9 Bizzy B. Bakes (new member!)

5/16 MarthaAndMe

If you would like to join, just let me know. All are welcome.

I have a bit of a glitch here today with the biscotti recipe – my oven is broken. It’s being repaired today, so hopefully I will be able to make this and post it by the end of the day or, if not, then tomorrow. It’s my pick for 2/28 (the last day of February … Read more →

Just a reminder that Monday’s project is chocolate biscotti, chosen by Ana at Sweet Almond Tree.

Just a reminder that Monday’s project is chocolate biscotti, chosen by Ana at Sweet Almond Tree.