This is a food blog of my husbands creations in the kitchen. Though he works with wood by trade, he definitely has honed some rather wonderful skills in the kitchen. I have tried to convince him to start a food blog, but he refuses. So here I go, sharing his exploits. Please feel free to leave any comments or ask any questions, I'd love to share the feed back with him.- charissa

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Kentucky Style Fried Chicken


Kentucky Style Fried Chicken



1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
2 to 3 eggs, beaten
3 to 4 tablespoons oil for frying

Coating Mixture:
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon tarragon
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt

Mix together all the coating ingredients and place in a clean plastic bag. Dip each piece into beaten egg, then into the flour mixture in the bag. Coat the chicken completely with the flour mixture.

Place the oil in a skillet and heat. Brown the chicken in oil slowly (225ºF if you are using an electric skillet), uncovered. Cover the skillet and continue to fry at a very low heat until the chicken is fully cooked, approximately 1 hour.

Drain well on paper towels.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Double Chocolate Chip Cookie

Preheat oven to 350 C and grease cookie sheet.

In large bowl add:

1 cup softened butter, ¾ cup w. and b. sugar, 2 eggs, and 2 tsp vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.

In med bowl combine:

2 cups flour, 2/3 cups cocoa powder, ¾ tsp b. soda, ¼ tsp salt. Stir into wet mix until well blended. Mix in 2 cups of chocolate chips, and ½ cup walnuts.

Drop by tbsp onto baking sheet. Bake for 8- 10 minutes until just set. Cool slightly on sheet before transferring to cooling rack. Enjoy!!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Heavenly Scones


Great alternative to a biscuit, much more moisture!

Preheat 375 C

Mix together:

2 cups flour

¼ cup sugar ( savory) 1/3 cup sugar(sweet)

1 heaping tbsp b. powder

Than add:

1 1/3 cup and 1 tbsp whipping cream

Dash of salt

Mix together until clumps.

Than knead & fold max up to 8 times- anymore and it will ruin them and make them thick and heavy.

Roll out to about 1 ½” thick and use a glass to cut dough into circle shape.

Bake at 375 C for 20 minutes.

Examples of: Savory- salty, cheese, spices. Sweet- dried fruit, chocolate.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Cinnamon Bun Bread Pudding

Cinnamon Bun Bread Pudding

2 cups cream- add into a heavy saucepan, heat until almost boiling

Add: 4 cups cinnamon bun- that have been ripped up into pieces, ¼ cup butter. Remove from heat. Stir.

Add:

2 beaten eggs, 1/3 cup b. sugar, ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla and 1 cup raisins if desired. Optional ½ tsp nutmeg.

Pour mix into an 8” x8” casserole dish. Bake uncovered @ 350 for 45 min, until set.

Serve with vanilla ice cream. Serves 6-8 people.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Standard Pie Dough

This yields enough for 4 pie bottoms with 4 top crusts!
Combine:
4 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp baking powder
Cut in:
2 cups of margerine or lard

Now the mix will look crumbly with no lard chunks at all.

Stir in 1 cup cold water and mix with clean hands until dough is formed. Knead about 4 times. I like to roll in ball and than split dough in half and than with both sides cut in half and than once again, until I have eight balls. This makes it easy to roll out each one, and than you'll feel confident with how much dough you have as well.
Roll out balls and drape over pies plates with leaving a over hang(you'll put your filling in and than your top crust over and than you'll seal it by pinching edges- that is why you leave your overhang).

Charissa's Summer Peach Pie

16 peaches-cut in half and twist than, side with pit- cut in half and twist and the pit will pop out. Leave skin on. Cut each peach into about 8 slices.
Add peaches to a giant pot where they can stew. Turn heat to med- low/ 3-4.

Than sprinkle: 4 tbsp of flour evenly across the peaches and 1 1/2 cups of sugar across peaches and 1/2 tsp of cloves or nutmeg. Stir with a wooden spoon, especially paying attention in the first 3-5 minutes, because it can easily burn to the bottom. Now you'll see a syrup forming, turn heat to low/1-2 and stir for about another minute. Turn timer on for 20 minutes and let stew. Go back and check it about every 5 minutes and give it a stir to make sure it isn't sticking to the bottom. When timer goes off your peaches should be tender,if there not keep cooking them for additional 5 minute periods. Your mix should be boiling as well.
Take off burner. Now stir in 1tsp vanilla and 3 tbsp of butter, stir until butter is melted. Let cool to room temperature.

Once cooled add to your prepared uncooked pie shells and top pie shells with a basket style weave or lay dough over completely and with a very sharp knife cut 6 small lines 1/2 way around the pie and in the centre a small t .

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes and than reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 25-35 minutes. You'll know its done because the shell will be golden and the filling will be bubbling.

This peach pie tastes amazing with vanilla ice cream. This is my favorite, most delicious summer treat!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Candied Salmon

2 Salmon fillets
4 cups Brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup salt
1 tbsp garlic salt

Marinate fish for 72 hours, and prepare for smoker. Stir twice a day. Lay fish out on baking sheet and let a fan dry the top. Smoke in smoke house for 4 hours and after put in oven at lowest settings for at least one hour, and continue until desired dryness.

Seal or store in fridge... enjoy!

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Score Squares

These are one of our favorite Christmas treats and won't last long!!

Ingredients: 1 cup butter/margarine
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup Skor Toffee Bits
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
1 Heat oven to 350. Line a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In large bowl, beat butter with brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla until creamy. Stir in flour and 1 cup of skor bits until well combined.
2. Press dough evenly into prepared baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 min or until light brown; transfer to a cooling rack
3 Immediately sprinkle choc chips over hot cookie base, let stand for 2-3 minutes and than smooth choc chips out with a spatula across base; sprinkle remaining skor bits evenly over choc.Cool until set(chilling in the fridge or freezer will help it set up faster), cut into squares , than cut diagonally to make triangles.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Scrambled Egg Wrap

This makes 2 large breakfast wraps

Whisk the ingredients in a bowl and add to preheated frying pan. constantly stirring them.
4-5 eggs
clubhouse roasted garlic and pepper spice
Cheese whiz
diced up red peppers

Place eggs on wrap
and top with :
1/2 tomato cut up
salsa
Wrap in up and wow, your mouth will be in heaven!!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Chicken Strips

This is relatively simple. First you need to decide how many chicken breast can you personally eat. Once decided your one step closer, now decide how many breasts can your friends eat that your feeding this too. Okay so lets say your preparing 4 breasts.

Defrost.

Take about 16 croutony type crackers(like the dried bread crackers) and put them into a ziploc bag and crush with rolling pin. Add about 3-5 really good shakes of Parmesan cheese into crushed crackers, and one Tbsp of Oregano and a shake of salt. Shake bag really good so it's all mixed really nicely(it will all look like crumbs).

Cut breasts into 1.5 " strips length ways of chicken. Once all cut up, wash hands. Crack one egg and beat it until mixed, I like to use about an 8 x 8 pyrex pan with a good lip on the dish. Dump chicken in and make sure all chicken is really well coated in egg.

Place chicken into crumb bag. Once all pieces are in shake bag really well.

Place now on pan and bake.

Cook at 425 for 15min, or until liquid from chicken runs clear.