Cheddar and Parsley Biscuits

I made these delicious biscuits last weekend. I was flipping through a William's Sonoma baking book that I got from Chad's aunt for Christmas, and it just stood out to me. It really didn't take long at all (maybe 30-40 minutes start to finish), and was very simple to assemble. I modified the original recipe by using parsley instead of the recommended chives. I really think the original recipe could be modified a bunch of different ways to accommodate your taste.

I don't have a biscuit cutter (which with all the gadgets I do have makes me wonder why I don't own this) so I used a glass to cut the 3 inch circles.

I made some turkey sausage patties, and we enjoyed a cheddar parsley biscuit sandwich. Very yummy!

Cheddar Parsley Biscuits

(adapted from William Sonoma's Food Made Fast)

2 Cups All purpose Flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 cup cheddar cheese (or use your favorite)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or chives, or other herbs)

6 Tbs. unsalted butter cut into cubes

3/4 Cup milk (I used 2%)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt cheese and parsley. Use a pastry blender or 2 knives and cut in the butter cubes. Mix until coarse crumbs form (the size of peas). Add milk and stir until evenly moistened and uniform.

Lightly flour a work surface and turn out the dough. Knead a few times and shape into a ball. Pat it into a circle about 3/4 of an inch thick. Using a 3 inch biscuit cutter (or glass like I used) cut out as many biscuits as you can.

Take the scraps and form another ball and pat to 3/4 inches thick, repeat the cutting, using as many as the scraps as you can. This should give you about 12 biscuits.

Put biscuits on baking sheet about 1 inch apart, and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until they are golden. Let cool slightly and EAT!

Cheesy Baked Grits Casserole

I never had grits growing up. Even when I moved to New Orleans, I probably only ate them a handful of times. Only when I was older, waiting tables, did I truly understand how wonderful they are.

Now I absolutely love them. With just butter, or even better, with butter and cheese. I was at a baby shower last weekend and someone made a cheese grits casserole. It was amazing. I could have easily eaten the entire dish. I asked for the recipe, and I am still waiting on it.

Not wanting to wait any longer, I decided to browse the web for a recipe. I checked out this recipe on Epicurious, and adapted it to my liking.

It didn't turn out like the one I had at the shower, but it was definitely delicious. Hopefully, soon I can get a hold of the other recipe so I can compare.

Cheesy Baked Grits Casserole

6 cups chicken stock
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 cups instant grits (white)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 lb Cheddar, (or any cheese you prefer, 2 cups divided, save 1/2 cup for top)
3 large eggs
1 cup 2% milk

2 Tbs. chopped parsley

Bring stock and 3/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy pot. (4 quarts or larger)
Add grits in a slow stream, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and gently simmer, stirring frequently to avoid sticking, until thick. It took about 10-15 minutes.

Add butter, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, and cheese, stirring until butter and cheese are melted. Lightly beat eggs and milk in a small bowl, then stir into grits until combined.
Pour mixture into a 9x13 casserole, top with the remaining cheddar and bake for an hour. Remove from oven and top with parsley, serve immediately.

Cinnamon Biscuit Rolls

So I haven't looked at my google reader, oh, in about 2-3 months. And when I started going through the posts a few stood out to me, and they were from the same blog. I didn't remember adding this particular blog, but as I read through the most recent posts laughing, and enjoying them I knew why I did.

I got this recipe from said blog, and oh how easy and husband pleasing! Thanks Frantic Home Cook, for a great recipe! I must remember to check my google reader more often, I'm sure I'm missing a great deal of recipes that I know I'd want to make, or just drool over.

Cinnamon Biscuit Rolls

(Frantic Home Cook)

1 can refrigerated biscuit rolls cut in thirds

1/2 stick butter (4 Tbs.)

3 Tbs. cinnamon

3 Tbs. sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

Put butter, sugar, cinnamon and maple sugar into a bowl. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir to make smooth. Roll thirds of biscuit dough in butter mixture and put in muffin tin (I used a mini tin).

Bake 20-22 minutes. Make a simple glaze of powder sugar and milk to drizzle over warm rolls.

Zucchini and Potato Tortilla

I was in the mood to cook this morning. Not something I do on Saturday mornings, but I was motivated by my hunger. I decided to make a tortilla, since that is one of the only ways I will eat eggs. I had a zucchini on hand so along with the potatoes and onion, I threw that in as well. Came out very nice, with leftovers. Now I have a bite to eat before Church tomorrow.

Zucchini and Potato Tortilla

2 smallish potatoes sliced in half moons

1/4 cup oil

1/2 med. onion diced

1 zucchini sliced in half moons and then sliced in half again

7 eggs

3 Tbs. half/half

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to broil.

Heat oil in a medium sized oven proof skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes and cook until tender, do not fry!! While potatoes are cooking mix together the eggs and half and half, salt and pepper. Remove potatoes and set aside. Pour out oil leaving a Tbs. remaining. Add onions and zucchini and cook until onions are soft. Add the potatoes back to the pan and stir so everything is mixed evenly around the pan. Add egg mixture and let cook for about 5-8 minutes. Put skillet in the oven to cook the top of the tortilla. When the top starts to brown, take it out and put a large plate over the top of the skillet. Flip the tortilla and cook on the stovetop a couple minutes more.

Breakfast for my Husband

With the time change I got up pretty early this Sunday morning. When I realized what time it really was I decided that I would make breakfast for Chad instead of going back to bed. While I browsed the pantry for things he likes to eat for breakfast I came across the loaf of white bread I got for a penny at Publix. I love taking advantage of the "mystery coupon" on Sunday's and Monday's but this time I felt a little guilty. The bread has been sitting untouched for a week. So I decided to make french toast and I was happy to use a little of that loaf up. I used Alton Brown's recipe for french toast because I've never gone wrong with any of his recipes. I just adjusted the amount of ingredients since I wasn't making 8 slices. I found a praline maple syrup in the pantry that I got from a local farm here in Georgia, so I was even more excited for his breakfast because this was the first time to crack that bottle open. Chad was pleasantly suprised to wake up to the smell of fresh coffee and french toast for breakfast, and devoured his plate in minutes. I think I deserve a gold star for this one. : )

French Toast (courtesy AB)

• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 Tbs. honey (heated in the microwave)
• pinch of salt
• one egg
• 1 1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter

Heat skillet over med. low heat and add butter.

Beat all ingredients together and let sit for about 10 minutes. Soak each piece of bread in the batter for a couple seconds then transfer to hot skillet. Fry a few minutes on each side. Sprinkle with powder sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans. Serve with your favorite syrup

Theme Week: Nola: Andouille Havarti Grit Cakes

I'm writing in purple today rather than the blue I usually use because I am still celebrating LSU's win against the Gators last night. What a great game! And because of that game I have a headache today, you know the kind, from too much $2 Abita beer.

For a little brunch today I was in need of something a bit greasy. Well, not too greasy, but something with lots of flavor and fried. That is when I began to browse my pantry for "brunchy" kind of ingredients. I found some quick cooking grits, and I had left over andouille sausage and a brick of havarti.

I also browsed the web and got my idea based off this recipe. This was a very simple and satisfying cake. I would probably make a sauce to accompany it next time.

Andouille Havarti Grit Cakes

• 1/2 lb. andouille sausage finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Tbs. Tony Chachere's creole seasoning
• 1 Tbs. fresh chopped parsley
• 2 cups quick cooking white grits
• 4 1/2 cups 2 % milk
• 1 1/2 cups havarti
• 2 eggs beaten
• 2 cups panko
• flour for dredging
• oil for frying

Heat pot over medium heat and saute andouille until the fat starts to render. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add butter, milk, creole seasoning and parsley. Bring to a boil and add grits. Let simmer for a bout 5 minutes and transfer to a 9x13 glass baking dish. Let firm up in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Cut in desired shape, dredge in flour, egg then panko and fry in a skillet over med. heat.

Potato and Shallot Tortilla

When I was a girl, my Papa used to make this for us on weekends. He is from Argentina, and he used to eat this when he was a boy. He learned how to make tortilla from his father, my Giddy. We call Giddi ( Jaad-di or Jeddi arabic for Grandfather) the "King of Tortillas" since nobody can cook a tortilla like him. He makes a few variations of it, and my favorite is zucchini.
I had a few yukon gold potatos that needed to be used up, and Chad and I were hungry for breakfast. We are not a big egg eaters. In fact, the only time we do eat eggs is if I make a tortilla.
I used shallots in this tortilla instead of onion because I ran out of onions with last night's dinner.

The tricky part to a tortilla is the flip so a non-stick skillet is necessary. You'll also need a large plate to fit over the skillet to flip the tortilla.

Ingredients:

• 3 Yukon gold potatoes peeled, and sliced into thin half moons
• 1 large shallot (or 1/2 onion) finely chopped
• 6 eggs
• salt and fresh pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Heat the medium sized skillet over med. to med. low heat. Add potatoes and onion and let cook until potatoes are soft DO NOT FRY! You do not want crispy potatoes, so be careful with the heat and amount of oil. You don't want too much oil either, just enough for the potatos to be partially covered but not completely.


When potatoes are soft, remove with slotted spoon and let cool. Pour off all oil into a container except for about a Tbs. Beat eggs and add cooled potatoes. Let rest for a few minutes. Heat skillet over med heat and add egg potato mixture.

Let cook through, and flip to let the other side brown.

If the egg isn't cooking through you can set oven safe skillet under a broiler for a few minutes then take out and flip.

You can serve immediately, or eat later when cooled (that is how I like it!)