I was making a really quick dinner recently but was just craving something that felt slow cooked. I came up with this moist, delicious chicken recipe that has a cider infused gravy. It was fantastic (yes, there was fighting over it at the table). Serve with some mashed or oven roasted potatoes (which will taste great with the gravy!).

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup cider

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tbsp butter

2 tsp Wondra

1/4 cup chicken broth

Preheat oven to 400 and spray a small glass baking dish. Place the chicken breasts in it and pour cider over them. Sprinkle onion powder, rosemary, salt and pepper on chicken and dot with butter. Bake for 25 minutes until the breasts are cooked (165 degrees with a meat thermometer). Remove the breasts and heat the pan over a burner. Whisk in Wondra and broth until thick. Serve over chicken.

Super simple, but with a very complex flavor!

I was making a really quick dinner recently but was just craving something that felt slow cooked. I came up with this moist, delicious chicken recipe that has a cider infused gravy. It was fantastic (yes, there was fighting over it at the table). Serve with some mashed or oven roasted potatoes (which will taste … Read more →

I used halibut in this dish, but any firm white fleshed fish will work. The parsley I used came from my bunch of parsley root, which I blogged about on my other food blog.

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

2 6-ounce halibut fillets

1/2 bunch parsley

1/8 small onion

1/4 cup light sour cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

8 baby carrots

2 tablespoons skim milk

1/4 teaspoon dried dill

Preheat oven to 400. Cut a 25 inch piece of parchment and place the rice in the center, roughly the size of the two pieces of fish. Top with fish. Place all the other ingredients in a small food processor and process until pureed (or you can chop the parsley, onion, and carrots and mix other ingredients with them). Pour the sauce over the fish. Fold the parchment (see Technique page of this site) and bake for 20 minutes.

The parsley gives this dish an amazing vibrant and slightly spicy flavor. It’s tastes so fresh and alive that it will wake you up!

I used halibut in this dish, but any firm white fleshed fish will work. The parsley I used came from my bunch of parsley root, which I blogged about on my other food blog. 1 1/2 cups cooked rice 2 6-ounce halibut fillets 1/2 bunch parsley 1/8 small onion 1/4 cup light sour cream 1 … Read more →

I love cooking with pumpkin. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin muffins are in my fall and winter rotation. Sunday mornings are when we have our “big breakfasts” at my house – pancakes, waffles, or French toast with bacon and/or sausage. It’s infinitely complicated because some people need their bacon practically raw, while others prefer it very, very well done. Mr. MarthaAndMe always has bacon duty and it is a toss up if it will burn – we buy organic uncured bacon which somehow goes from raw to black in the microwave in an instant. Don’t get me started on the sausage either. We have to make two kinds – those frozen little ones and fresh apple maple chicken sausages – to please everyone.

Pancakes aren’t always a slamdunk. Plain goes over well, as do my oatmeal pancakes. Mr. MarthaAndMe and I like blueberry pancakes and I adore buckwheat pancakes, but the kids won’t touch them. I would never in a million years eat chocolate chip pancakes but the kids love them. So, you can see that breakfast isn’t a simple task.

This past Sunday I decided to put together some pumpkin pancakes, thinking that everyone would eat them since the kids love anything with pumpkin. Silly me. Dude Martha complained that he liked pumpkin, just not in his pancakes, and would not try them. 3 out of 4 of us did eat it and loved it.

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 flour

1 egg

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (from a can)

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ginger

pinch nutmeg

Mix and cook on a griddle or in large pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Try to spread the batter out when you pour it. If the pancakes are very thick, they take much longer to cook through. Makes 10-12 pancakes. Serve with maple syrup.

I love cooking with pumpkin. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin muffins are in my fall and winter rotation. Sunday mornings are when we have our “big breakfasts” at my house – pancakes, waffles, or French toast with bacon and/or sausage. It’s infinitely complicated because some people need their bacon practically raw, while … Read more →

Rapini is also called broccoli rabe.  I love trying new and different veggies, so I was excited to give this a try. In this recipe, I’ve made it into a meal by including tuna and beans. Grate some Parmesan cheese over this if you like.

Half bunch of rapini

1 can tuna in water, undrained

7.5 ounce can of chickpeas, drained

3 sundried tomatoes, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons chicken broth

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cut about a 40 inch piece of parchment paper (if you want to use a standard size piece -see Technique page on this blog- then you need to cut the rapini in half before placing on the parchment). Place the rapini on the parchment. Pour tuna and water over the rapini. Add the beans and tomatoes. Sprinkle minced garlic on top. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle olive oil on top. Mix chicken broth and cornstarch and pour on top. Fold the parchment (see Technique page) and bake for 20 minutes, or until rapini is tender. Serves 4.

This recipe feels very hearty and is great with some Italian bread.

Rapini is also called broccoli rabe.  I love trying new and different veggies, so I was excited to give this a try. In this recipe, I’ve made it into a meal by including tuna and beans. Grate some Parmesan cheese over this if you like. Half bunch of rapini 1 can tuna in water, undrained … Read more →

There was a recipe for stuffed acorn squash in October Everyday Food. I was interested, but didn’t like the stuffing, so I decided to make my own.

1 acorn squash

2 ounces pancetta

1/2 cup diced sweet onion

1/4 teaspoon thyme

salt and pepper

2 cups of packed kale leaves

2 slices whole wheat bread, torn into 1 inch pieces

2 tablespoons cream

1 tablespoon chicken broth

1/4 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Cut the squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for an hour and 15 minutes, until the squash is soft.

Cook the pancetta. Remove it, leaving the drippings. Cook onion over medium high heat until soft and translucent (about 3-4 minutes). Add thyme, salt and pepper. Stir in kale, reduce heat to medium and cover for about 3 minutes, until kale is softened. Stir in bread, cream, broth, pancetta, and cheese and stir until combined. Stuff into squash and bake at 400 for 10 minutes until slightly browned on top.

I really liked this. I like acorn squash to begin with, but this added color and flavor to it in a big way. You don’t even realize it has kale in this (good if you have kids). The pancetta and cheese add a lot of nice flavor to it. Definitely something worth making!

There was a recipe for stuffed acorn squash in October Everyday Food. I was interested, but didn’t like the stuffing, so I decided to make my own. 1 acorn squash 2 ounces pancetta 1/2 cup diced sweet onion 1/4 teaspoon thyme salt and pepper 2 cups of packed kale leaves 2 slices whole wheat bread, … Read more →

Here’s a great little salmon dish that has lots of veggies and lots of flavor. And it’s incredibly easy to make in parchment!

1 salmon fillet (about 6 ounces)

1/2 cup cooked or frozen broccoli

1/2 cup frozen artichoke heart quarters, thawed

1/4 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons ranch dressing

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon lime juice

2 pinches Old Bay Seasoning

Place the salmon on the parchment and top with the broccoli and artichoke hearts. Mix other ingredients in a small bowl, then pour over salmon and vegetables. Fold the parchment (See Technique page on this blog) and bake for 15-20 minutes (depending on thickness of your salmon) at 400.

Here’s a great little salmon dish that has lots of veggies and lots of flavor. And it’s incredibly easy to make in parchment! 1 salmon fillet (about 6 ounces) 1/2 cup cooked or frozen broccoli 1/2 cup frozen artichoke heart quarters, thawed 1/4 cup plain yogurt 2 tablespoons ranch dressing salt and pepper 1 teaspoon … Read more →

This week’s project was chosen by yours truly: Chocolate Beet Cake (from November Living, not online yet). Wow! The gold standard for chocolate cake in my house is my grandmother’s Miracle Whip cake and this was just as good. It was incredibly moist and you would never know there were beets in it. It just tasted like a delicious, very moist chocolate cake – it looked just like a chocolate cake too.

I don’t know how often I would make this though, because beets are just a pain to work with! You have to peel them, then cut into pieces then boil then puree. I have an off-white Corian sink and was totally paranoid about it getting stained. I was able to find a pair of medical gloves to wear so I didn’t stain my hands. I peeled the beets on top of newspaper. I drained them out in the yard to avoid the sink issue entirely.

Other than the beets, the cake was easy to make and had an easy chocolate glaze, only one layer which I appreciated. It was so good I sent it away with Mr. MarthaAndMe this morning – can’t have that in the house AND the Halloween candy!

As you can see, I took it out of the oven a smidge too early – the very center didn’t quite cook all the way. I took it out with5 minutes remaining because it seemed done. I should have tested it with a cake tester.

I’m wondering if this would work with roasted beets (where you roast them whole, then just rub the skin off with a paper towel), or even canned beets so you wouldn’t have to cook them yourself at all.

This week’s project was chosen by yours truly: Chocolate Beet Cake (from November Living, not online yet). Wow! The gold standard for chocolate cake in my house is my grandmother’s Miracle Whip cake and this was just as good. It was incredibly moist and you would never know there were beets in it. It just … Read more →

It’s been a while since I tried a recipe from Martha’s show. Recently she made apple dumplings with the author of The Apple Lovers’ Cookbook. I had to make this one.

For several years, we rented a cottage each summer in New York state’s Finger Lakes region, on Cayuga Lake. One of our favorite things to do was visit Sauder’s Store in Seneca Falls (the town that Bedford Falls in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” was modeled after). Sauder’s was smaller then than it is now (now they sell woodcrafted items and plants outside), but it had a huge bulk section and lots of Mennonite and Amish made baked goods. There were always Mennonites shopping in the store when we were there, which my kids were fascinated by.  There is a bookstore section that sells Mennonite and Amish cookbooks and other books. We always purchased birch beer (similar to root beer) here, a treat we always enjoyed at the fair each summer, but which you could not find in stores at that time. There was a meat case and I always bought Lebanon bologna, a cold cut that looks exactly like salami, but tastes like sweet bologna.

The baked goods were the highlight (whoopie pies, breads, pies, cookies) and apple dumplings were one of our favorites. I’ve never tried to make this and really forgot about it until I saw it again on Martha’s show!

I followed the instructions on this recipe to a “T”, but I think the problem was that my apples were too big. It’s really hard to find small apples here in NY state, where our apple crop is a big deal and sellers pride themselves on selling big, ripe, beautiful apples. I ended up cutting an inch or so off the tops of my apples, but they were still too big to fit in the dough squares. I ended up rolling the pieces of dough out to be larger and I still had to smush them to get them to cover most of the apples.

Other than, that it went well. The cider sauce is simple and it was all much easier than I imagined. This was really delicious. I think I might make regular pie crust next time instead of this dough recipe. I will definitely make this again. The entire family loved this.

It’s been a while since I tried a recipe from Martha’s show. Recently she made apple dumplings with the author of The Apple Lovers’ Cookbook. I had to make this one. For several years, we rented a cottage each summer in New York state’s Finger Lakes region, on Cayuga Lake. One of our favorite things … Read more →

I was dying to try making my own sauerkraut after seeing Martha’s article on it in October Living. It sounded so easy! My mom remembers her German grandmother making homemade sauerkraut, which she kept in a crock on the kitchen counter. My mom says she just remembers it smelling awful. I wasn’t afraid (and mine actually did not smell at all).

To start you thinly slice up a head of cabbage and mix it with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon caraway seeds. You let it sit for about 5 minutes then you are supposed to squeeze the cabbage to release the juices. This was not easy! I kept squeezing and squeezing, and didn’t get much. Next you’re supposed to put it in a jar and cover it with a cabbage leaf and put a lid on it, opening it each day to let the air out. I decided to follow the method in a book I have, DIY Delicious, and instead covered the jar with a cloth attached with a rubber band. You were supposed to make sure the cabbage was covered in the liquid. It was, but barely. You leave it out on the counter for several days until it reaches the sourness you like. I left mine out for 5 days and it did not get very sour, but that was ok with me. (Next time I will let it sit a little longer, just to experiment with the level of sourness).

The problem I did have was that the liquids evaporated a bit and it grew kind of a white crust on top (which I scooped out) after a few days. I checked with some friends who said that was ok – and also that I probably should have added some water if the liquid went down (I’ll do that next time).

I put my jar in the fridge for a few days, then decided it was time to use it in a dish, so I came up with this hearty supper:

4 bone-in pork chops

1 small shallot, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

4 slices bread

3 corn muffins

salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon sage

1/2 teaspoon thyme

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cups sauerkraut

4 apples, cored

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

salt and pepper to taste

Spray an 8×12 pan with cooking spray. Cut a deep, wide pocket in each chop. Rip up the bread and muffins and mix with shallot, garlic, sage, thyme, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Add water until the stuffing is moist enough that it holds together. Stuff the chops and place them in the pan. Season them with salt and pepper.

Distribute the sauerkraut around and on the chops. Cut each apple into 4 slices and place on top of the chops. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours, or until the chops are completely cooked. Be sure to spoon some of the liquid from the pan onto your chop and stuffing when you serve it.

This was fantastic. First of all, the kraut. It wasn’t very sour at all, but it had a little bite. It tasted so much fresher and sweeter than kraut I’ve purchased in the past. I will definitely be making this again, particularly since you can keep it in the fridge for months. And this time I’ll add a little water.

The chops baked up very moist, which pork chops often do not do when they are baked. The kraut and apples added moisture and lots of flavor. The stuffing had interest because of the corn muffins. The apples were tender and pretty and tasted delicious with the chops and kraut.

This was the perfect fall meal! I want to make it again soon because I just could not get enough of it!

I was dying to try making my own sauerkraut after seeing Martha’s article on it in October Living. It sounded so easy! My mom remembers her German grandmother making homemade sauerkraut, which she kept in a crock on the kitchen counter. My mom says she just remembers it smelling awful. I wasn’t afraid (and mine … Read more →

To celebrate the publication of my new book, The Parchment Paper Cookbook, I’m giving away a copy. To enter, leave a comment on this post.

You must enter by midnight ET on Wednesday October 26. I’ll randomly and blindly select the winner by random number drawing (numbers assigned in order of comments here). Sorry, offer limited to U.S. addresses only and entrants age 18 and up only. One entry per person. Winners notified by email given when entering, not responsible for email transmission problems. You are responsible for notifying me of your correct mailing address if you are selected as a winner. Contest closes at midnight Eastern time on 10/26/11. Prize is nontransferable and may not be redeemed for cash. NoPotCooking reserves the right to announce the name of the winner on the blog.

And if you’re feeling lucky, you should also enter to win a subscription to Everyday Food Magazine on my MarthaAndMe blog.

To celebrate the publication of my new book, The Parchment Paper Cookbook, I’m giving away a copy. To enter, leave a comment on this post. You must enter by midnight ET on Wednesday October 26. I’ll randomly and blindly select the winner by random number drawing (numbers assigned in order of comments here). Sorry, offer … Read more →