2009 August — Cooking During Stolen Moments

My Adventures In Artisan Bread Making…the 5 Minutes A Day Method

August 31, 2009 By Kate 10 Comments

Have you heard of this incredible book called Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day? The concept is pretty self explanatory but pure genius!

I first read about this book on a blog some months ago. (Long enough that don’t even remember which blog it was.) I fell in love with the idea, but I just didn’t feel brave enough to give it a try.

Then last week, Lynn from Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures posted about the challah recipe from that book and my interest was renewed.

A quick google search later, I found the base recipe and was good to go.

I love this recipe! I love it’s convenience in that it keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. I love that it is so easy to put together. I love how fancy it looks with such little fuss.

(I made some rolls to go with our Loaded Baked Potato Soup the other day. Definitely a winning combination!)

And most of all…I love how it tastes! Could there be a more stolen moments friendly recipe?

I predict I will have batches of this dough in my refrigerator at all times for the next few years.

Seriously, if you cook or bake nothing else this week, please try this bread. You can thank me later!

Stop by 5 Minutes For Mom for more tackles.

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Loaded Baked Potato Soup

August 30, 2009 By Kate 74 Comments

It’s official…fall is here. Well, maybe not officially, but on a day when it doesn’t get above 70 and a week ahead that promises much of the same, I call it open season on soup. Honestly, I just couldn’t wait any longer.

Potato soup has always been my favorite of all the soups. It’s what I order at restaurants when it’s available. There even used to be times when I’d choose a certain restaurant just because I loved their potato soup. I’ve been making it for a few years, but it took me a long time to get it right. My versions used to always lack either the right zip or the right consistency. I can’t tell you how excited I was when I finally got it right.

So here is my Loaded Baked Potato Soup, developed after years of falling short!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

1 lb. bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
5 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 c. chicken stock
3 T. butter
3 T. flour
1 1/2 c. milk
3 green onions, sliced
3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 t. black pepper
Sour cream for garnish, optional

1. In a large stock pot, cook bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain and set aside. Drain all but 2 T. of bacon grease from the pot. Cook the onions in the remaining bacon grease for about 5 minutes, until tender.

2. Add potatoes and chicken stock to pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer about 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. With a slotted spoon, remove a few scoops of potatoes. Place in a bowl and mash with a fork. Set aside.

3. In a small sauce pan, melt butter. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk, bring to a boil and simmer until thickened. Slowly stir in to stock pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer. Stir mashed potatoes back into pot.

4. Add 1/2 c. shredded cheese, three-fourths of the bacon and half the sliced green onions to pot. Add pepper. Stir to combine. Cook an additional 5 minutes.

5. To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls and top with some shredded cheese, bacon, green onions and optional sour cream.

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This post is being linked to:

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace
$5 Dinner Challenge at $5 Dinners
Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

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Chicken with Leeks and Apples

August 28, 2009 By Kate 1 Comment

It was a chilly, rainy day around here today and I wanted to make something to suit the weather. This chicken with leeks and apples is the perfect blend of fall flavors.

This was the first time I’ve ever cooked with leeks. I’m not really a big onion fan, although I’ve gotten much better about it over the past year. So I always avoided leeks for that reason. I was pleasantly surprised. Leeks have a unique taste and although they’re similar to onions, I definitely could tell a difference. Our 10 year old, who will not go near onions, even ate the leeks and thought they were very good.

Chicken with Leeks and Apples

1 T. olive oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 leek, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. dry rosemary
1 T. sugar
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
2 apples, peeled and sliced
1 c. chicken stock

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Cook until both sides are browned, about 3-5 minutes per side. Remove chicken and keep warm.

2. Add leeks, garlic, rosemary and sugar to skillet. Cook until leeks are tender, about 5 minutes. Add cider vinegar and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.

3. Return chicken to skillet. Add apples and chicken stock. Bring to a slow boil and cook an additional 10-12 minutes, until liquid is reduced by half and chicken is fully cooked.