It's Super Bowl Sunday. A weekend of sports, bets, beer, and eating things that you otherwise wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole. So, in the spirit of embracing this weekend's extremes, I made Buffalo chicken dip. I'd never heard of buffalo chicken dip before, but since I've been living in Central New York for about 4 months and have yet to eat a single Buffalo wing, I thought it was the perfect time to make this strange but tasty dip and watch some football!
Lightened Up Buffalo Chicken Dip
Serves 8-10
2 cups shredded chicken
4 oz reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1/4 cup light Ranch dressing
1/2 cup hot sauce (most recipes called for Frank's, but I used the Tobasco Buffalo flavor)
1/2 cup finely diced celery
In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, dressing, and hot sauce until they are well blended and smooth. Fold in the shredded chicken and celery, and add more hot sauce or cooling ingredients like celery or dressing to your taste.
Serve with celery sticks, carrots, and other mixed veggies.
Enjoy!
Showing posts with label savory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label savory. Show all posts
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Whole Wheat Pita Bread
I know, it's strange how much bread I've been baking in August.
Bread is my de-stresser, my therapy, my physical outlet (I firmly believe of the throwing of dough on the counter)
I made 2 different types of bread this morning-to-afternoon.
Whole wheat pita, and cranberry walnut bread, both are to be gifted away.
There's something very grandmotherly about giving somebody a loaf (or stack) of bread for a gift. Unlike brownies or cookies, nobody can assume it was made from a mix or prepackaged dough, it has a certain heft that makes me feel like it actually counts as a gift.
Now that I'm finished singing the praises of loaves of bread, let's sing about flatbread, specifically the pita.
Boy, oh, boy, the pita! Firm, bubbled, pocketed vessel of hummus.
Baked into chips, used to clean out the bowl of spicy soups, simple to make, and so fun to shape from little balls into rounds.
These hold flavors beautifully, garlic, herbs, even a little parmesan cheese can be added to the top or middle of the rounds for a more flavorful bread, but that'll be another post. For now, we'll focus on plain pita, hummus' favorite friend.
Whole Wheat Pita
Makes 16 (2 oz) pitas
3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup warm water (105-110ºF)
1 tbs dry active yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil, divided
In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the water, sugar, and yeast. Let the mixture proof for 5 minutes, or until foamy. If the mixture does not foam, repeat this step with new yeast.
In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and 1 Tbs of olive oil to the flour.
Mix with a fork until thoroughly combines (about 3 minutes)
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and continue kneading for about 6 more minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Form the dough into a ball and coat with the remaining oil. Place back in the mixing bowl, and allow to sit, covered with a warm kitchen towel, for about an hour and a half, or until doubled in size.
Once risen, preheat the oven to 500ºF and turn the dough out onto a clean work surface.
Divide the dough into quarters, careful not to press the air out of the dough.
Flatten each quarter into a square, about 1 inch thick, and cut the square into quarters.
Roll the 16 pieces of dough into balls. Cover the balls with a kitchen towel and allow to rise again until slightly risen, about 20 minutes.
After the second rising, roll the dough into 6 inch rounds on a floured surface and place on a heated pizza stone or bottom of an overturned baking sheet.
Cook the pitas for about 2 minutes, or until puffed.
Eat with hummus, bake into chips, use to soak up soup; enjoy them in whatever way you please!
Bread is my de-stresser, my therapy, my physical outlet (I firmly believe of the throwing of dough on the counter)
I made 2 different types of bread this morning-to-afternoon.
Whole wheat pita, and cranberry walnut bread, both are to be gifted away.
There's something very grandmotherly about giving somebody a loaf (or stack) of bread for a gift. Unlike brownies or cookies, nobody can assume it was made from a mix or prepackaged dough, it has a certain heft that makes me feel like it actually counts as a gift.
Now that I'm finished singing the praises of loaves of bread, let's sing about flatbread, specifically the pita.
Boy, oh, boy, the pita! Firm, bubbled, pocketed vessel of hummus.
Baked into chips, used to clean out the bowl of spicy soups, simple to make, and so fun to shape from little balls into rounds.
These hold flavors beautifully, garlic, herbs, even a little parmesan cheese can be added to the top or middle of the rounds for a more flavorful bread, but that'll be another post. For now, we'll focus on plain pita, hummus' favorite friend.
Whole Wheat Pita
Makes 16 (2 oz) pitas
3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup warm water (105-110ºF)
1 tbs dry active yeast
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil, divided
In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the water, sugar, and yeast. Let the mixture proof for 5 minutes, or until foamy. If the mixture does not foam, repeat this step with new yeast.
In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and 1 Tbs of olive oil to the flour.
Mix with a fork until thoroughly combines (about 3 minutes)
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and continue kneading for about 6 more minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Form the dough into a ball and coat with the remaining oil. Place back in the mixing bowl, and allow to sit, covered with a warm kitchen towel, for about an hour and a half, or until doubled in size.
Once risen, preheat the oven to 500ºF and turn the dough out onto a clean work surface.
Divide the dough into quarters, careful not to press the air out of the dough.
Flatten each quarter into a square, about 1 inch thick, and cut the square into quarters.
Roll the 16 pieces of dough into balls. Cover the balls with a kitchen towel and allow to rise again until slightly risen, about 20 minutes.
After the second rising, roll the dough into 6 inch rounds on a floured surface and place on a heated pizza stone or bottom of an overturned baking sheet.
Cook the pitas for about 2 minutes, or until puffed.
Eat with hummus, bake into chips, use to soak up soup; enjoy them in whatever way you please!
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Soft Earl Grey Shortbread Biscuits
I don't think of myself as an elegant person. I have yet to master any sort of glide, I don't own a hair dryer, and I have been known to wear yoga pants for more than 24 hours in a row.
I have my elegant moments, though. I'm a bit of a mascara pro, I don't cry in public, and I firmly believe that you must wear heels to work.
These cookies are a bit like me. I identify with these cookies. I know that sounds super strange and possibly creepy, but I already know I have an abnormal relationship with food, so say what you please.
These cookies sound refines and elegant, but are super easy to make, and taste a bit like the crust of a PopTart (Thanks, Sis, for that observation)
They are complex in that the taste and texture are familiar, but also new, as the pepperiness of the tea sits in contrast with the simplicity of the white sugar and flour.
They're hard to explain, easy to make, and amazing to eat. They sound fancy, impress guests, but are also right at home clutched in a toddler's fist.
They're like people, they have many different moods, and sides, and they always have a place on the cookie platter.
Soft Earl Grey Shortbread
Makes about 24 cookies
4 oz cold butter, cut into cubes
6 oz flour
2 oz + 2 Tbs white sugar
2 Tbs Earl Grey Tea (from a tea bag is fine)
1/3 cup skim milk
Preheat your oven to 375ºF and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a food processor, pulse the butter, sugar and flour until they form a dough with a texture similar to pie crust. Don't worry if your butter gets too small, it doesn't make too much of a difference in this recipe.
Pour your milk and 1/2 Tbs of the tea into a small microwave safe dish and heat on high for a minute to a minute and a half, or until the milk is just about to boil.
Allow the tea to sit and steep in the milk for just about 2 minutes before adding to the food processor in a slow stream, while pulsing.
As soon as the milk is incorporated into the dough, fold in the remaining tea leaves (you may have to transfer your dough to a larger bowl and crumble it up a bit for more even distribution.)
Chill the dough on the counter overnight.
Flour a board and roll your dough out to about 1/4 inch thick. Use a 2 inch round cookie cutter (or the size of your choice) to cut the dough into your desired shapes, continually rolling out any dough scraps.
Bake on parchment lined baking sheets for about 15 minutes, or until the cookies are just getting a pale golden cast around the edges.
Enjoy!
I have my elegant moments, though. I'm a bit of a mascara pro, I don't cry in public, and I firmly believe that you must wear heels to work.
 |
| Oh so Elegant |
These cookies are a bit like me. I identify with these cookies. I know that sounds super strange and possibly creepy, but I already know I have an abnormal relationship with food, so say what you please.
These cookies sound refines and elegant, but are super easy to make, and taste a bit like the crust of a PopTart (Thanks, Sis, for that observation)
They're hard to explain, easy to make, and amazing to eat. They sound fancy, impress guests, but are also right at home clutched in a toddler's fist.
They're like people, they have many different moods, and sides, and they always have a place on the cookie platter.
Soft Earl Grey Shortbread
Makes about 24 cookies
4 oz cold butter, cut into cubes
6 oz flour
2 oz + 2 Tbs white sugar
2 Tbs Earl Grey Tea (from a tea bag is fine)
1/3 cup skim milk
Preheat your oven to 375ºF and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a food processor, pulse the butter, sugar and flour until they form a dough with a texture similar to pie crust. Don't worry if your butter gets too small, it doesn't make too much of a difference in this recipe.
Pour your milk and 1/2 Tbs of the tea into a small microwave safe dish and heat on high for a minute to a minute and a half, or until the milk is just about to boil.
Allow the tea to sit and steep in the milk for just about 2 minutes before adding to the food processor in a slow stream, while pulsing.
As soon as the milk is incorporated into the dough, fold in the remaining tea leaves (you may have to transfer your dough to a larger bowl and crumble it up a bit for more even distribution.)
Chill the dough on the counter overnight.
Flour a board and roll your dough out to about 1/4 inch thick. Use a 2 inch round cookie cutter (or the size of your choice) to cut the dough into your desired shapes, continually rolling out any dough scraps.
Bake on parchment lined baking sheets for about 15 minutes, or until the cookies are just getting a pale golden cast around the edges.
Enjoy!
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