Simple Scones

Snack time! Want something sweet but not too sweet? Scones are perfect! Best when served fresh out of the oven.

Simple Scones
Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
24 tbsp butter (3 sticks) COLD, cut into cubes
1 1/4 milk
1 large egg, beaten, with 2 tbsp milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover two baking pans with parchment paper.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and cut it (*) into the flour until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Do not work the dough too much (ingredients should still feel cold)

Add the 1 1/4 cup buttermilk and mix until just combined and the dough begins to stick together. Add additional milk, 1 tbsp at a time if the dough seems too dry.


Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll or pat it into 2 6inch rounds about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut each round in half, then cut each half into 3 triangles. Separate the wedges slightly and brush the tops with egg wash.

Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch: 30-35 minutes.

(*) Cutting in the butter can be done in a few different ways: with two knives (cross your wrists in an X and pull knives towards each other, being very careful not to snick your fingers), with a pastry cutter (a metal half circle with slits on the bottom that usually has a wood or plastic handle and is pressed into the dough repeatedly), or with a food processor (blend in pulses, not a constant run since the constant speed will warm the dough)

Citrus Fettucine

This is one of my all-time favorite dishes and a big one with Cath and Britt any time we get together. Make sure to use a big pan!

Citrus Fettucine

Ingredients:
1 box fettucine (or linguine)
1 large lemon
1 orange
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half and half*
2 tablespoons creme de menthe
leaves from 4 springs of fresh mint, shredded
1 1/2 cups grated parmessan and/or romano cheese

*If you don't have half and half, increase heavy cream to 1 1/2 cup and use 1/2 cup of whole milk

Directions:

Set a large pot of water to boil over high heat.

Gently scrub the lemon and the orange under warm water to remove any wax from the peel. Pat dry, then zest.

Combine cream, half and half, and citrus zests in a large skillet over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon and cook until reduced by about 1/4 (10 or so minutes) Add the creme de menthe and cook another 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and let cook until desired texture is achieved (about 10 minutes for a little softer than al dente)

Using tongs or a spaghetti scooper, transfer the pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Add cheese and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens (about 1 minute) Plate the pasta and garnish with shredded mint.

Serves 4-6 people

A note of warning: this recipe does not reheat well. The oils from the dairy products separate out.

Info Post

Just a heads up: Hubby recently gave me my own domain for V-day. SimplysimplewithSasha.com is currently in progress. Will let you know more once we have it up and running

Barbeque Chicken

Another quick, simple recipe. Very good with some green beans and coleslaw

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1 cup barbeque sauce (Not Ketchup, in my case)

Directions:

(For the oven)Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a 9x9 pan, cover the bottom with sauce. Place chicken on top of sauce, then pour on the rest of the sauce. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake 30 min-1 hour (more time won't hurt it) To ensure that the chicken is done, pull back the foil and cut down the center of a breast. The inside should be white.

(For the crockpot) Same directions as above except in a crockpot and on medium heat.

Crockpot: Vegetarian Chili

Quick, easy, and delicious, this meal usually costs less than $1 a serving.

Ingredients:
2 cans black beans (I prefer low sodium)
1 container of fresh salsa, flavor and heat of your choice.

Directions:

Dump all ingredients into a crockpot. If you aren't going to eat for 4+ hours, put on your lowest setting. Otherwise set on medium. Ready to eat as soon as it's warm. I like it with sour cream and cheddar cheese.

Grandma's Ambrosia

Have you ever had that marshmallow filled cherry confection that little old ladies like to make at every picnic/church function/family reunion ever? Noticed that it's really hit and miss: sometimes delicious, sometimes like munching on pink socks?

Following is my family fool-proof recipe for delicious Ambrosia (for that is what my grandma called it) Feel free to play with the amounts until you get what's just right for you.

Ingredients:
1/2 c heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp sugar
4 oz sour cream
1 1/2 c mini-marshmallows
1/2 c well drained mandarin oranges
1/2 c crushed pineapple
1/2 c coconut flakes
1/2 c pecan pieces
1/2 c drained maraschino cherries (don't drain too well: the juice gives this dish the signature pretty pink color)

Directions:
Whip cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Add sour cream and whisk to combine. Add everything else and stir well until completely combined. Transfer to a glass or melamine bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is best)

Fascinating Substitutions: Sour Cream

So I set about making coleslaw the other day only to find out my sour cream had gone bad. A lesser person might have said "Forget this" and tossed the lot. I, however, hopped on google and researched until I found out...

6 oz cream cheese+3 tbsp milk= sour cream

Skeptic that I am, I couldn't believe it would taste right, but I tell you it made the best coleslaw I've ever had. Just make sure you whip the tar out of it to get the lumps out.

Crockpot Week: Chicken Noodle Soup

Being sick isn't fun. Getting to eat chicken noodle soup can be, though. This has way more ingredients than my average recipe. It also makes more and can be frozen with minimal damage (the veggies get squishy when you reheat)

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

1-2 chicken breasts or thighs (Basic difference: thighs are fattier. They're what you see in your campbell's soup. In my opinion, they make the better soup)

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 tbsp pepper, preferably freshly ground

2 cups chicken stock

half a bag of egg noodles.

Directions:

Put chicken and stock in crockpot. Cook on high for 2-3 hours. Take a fork to the chicken and break it up into whatever size pieces of chicken you prefer. Add the celery and carrots, drop temperature to low and cook for another hour or until a fork can easily pierce the carrots. Add pepper to taste. 10 minutes before serving, add in the egg noodles. Add enough water to ensure that everything is covered and you have the amount of broth you want. (Make sure not to overfill! A crockpot filled to the lid is not going to cook well)

Dish out and enjoy!