Winner of the Culinary Smackdown Battle - Hand Held Meat "Pies"

Thank you to all who participated in the Culinary Smackdown Battle - Hand Held Meat "Pies" for linking your recipes! They all looked delicious but only one could be crowned the winner.

Mr. Sideline Chef was the inspiration behind the theme for the Battle. He had requested that I try my hand at Jalapeno Cheddar Sausage Kolaches. I figured his request for a meat filled pocket would make for a perfect challenge. I wanted to select a winning entry based off of his taste preferences and something that he would love.

Our original idea was to make our favorite entry and then blog about it today but our laptop crashed and now I am writing this post on a brand new laptop. Thank you Mr. Sideline Chef for saving the day. I have been without Internet for two days and didn't realize what a lifeline having it is. How does one get through a day without it? Since we had no Internet I ran out of time and couldn't get to the winning recipe to make a grocery list and print off the recipe. Such is life.

We have no doubt that the winning recipe would be delicious. The photos are incredible!

The winner of the Culinary Smackdown Battle - Hand Held Meat "Pies" and a $10.00 gift card to Barnes and Noble is Amy with her recipe for Prosciutto di Parma with Smoked Gouda Crescent. Please email me your full name and address so I can get you your gift card!

CONGRATULATIONS AMY!

Looking forward to what you'll come up with for the month of March! Copy and paste the badge and have fun with it! Thank you all once again!

Garlic-Dill Crackers

If I had to choose my favorite spice it would come down to garlic and dill. You can imagine how giddy I was when I came across this recipe. Oyster crackers are coated with a vegetable oil spice mixture and then baked until dry.

These crackers on their own are delicious and flavorful. When I added these crackers to my tomato soup for lunch it took an ordinary bowl of soup to a whole new level!

Garlic-Dill Crackers

MyRecipes.com and Cooking Light, July 1996

Makes 4 1/2 cups (Serving size = 1/4 cup)

Stars of the Show:

• 1 1/2 tbsp dry ranch dressing mix
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp dried dill
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp lemon pepper
• 1 (11 oz) package oyster crackers (about 4 1/2 cups)

And Action:

Preheat oven to 175°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Add the oyster crackers and toss to coat. Spoon mixture onto a baking sheet.

Bake at 175° for 30 minutes stirring frequently. I stirred my batch every 10 minutes. Cool completely and then store in an airtight container. Add to soups, salads, or grab a handful.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 90 (34% from fat)

Fat: 3.4g (sat 0.3g,mono 0.5g,poly 1.3g)

Protein: 1.4g

Carbohydrate: 14g

Fiber: 0.0g

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Iron: 0.1mg

Sodium: 338mg

Calcium: 5mg

Tomorrow is the last day to link your recipe to the Culinary Smackdown Battle. I will be announcing the winner the morning of February 28, 2011. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

Cream Cheese Roll with Powdered Sugar Glaze

Itty bitty and I have been down with a cold the past couple of days and I've had zero motivation to get in the kitchen and put something together. Even Paula Deen's English Peas joke of a recipe seemed like to much of a hassle. I woke up this morning missing the kitchen. The pile of dishes was a bit of an eye sore though but I made it through the chiseling off of food from the plates and scrubbing the counter tops from the science experiment that was beginning to grow. I only joke. Kinda.

Head congestion and all I made a Cream Cheese Braid Cream Cheese Roll. Oh hell. This is why the Pretend Chef shouldn't make anything more complicated than a cup of hot tea when she's sick. When will I ever learn to read a recipe through? 8 hours for the dough to chill, not understanding how to roll the dough after the filling was spread, marking the dough with Xs, and a powdered sugar glaze with no vanilla extract. So I fumbled a bit.

The 8 hours of chilling time for the dough proved to be the easiest part for me. The rolling of the dough made absolutely zero sense. I normally would have Googled a "how to" video but my motivation to do so just wasn't there. I couldn't even figure out how to score the Xs to get that braided look. Needless to say, what I ended up with was a roll with cream cheese filling that oozed out, a hot mess, and a powdered sugar glaze that had no flavor thanks to running out of vanilla extract.

The end result was surprising tasty and moist. Next time the glaze will taste better with the vanilla extract. The cream cheese provides a subtle tang while the dough and glaze provide a sweetness to balance out the "roll".

Cream Cheese Braid

MyRecipes.com and Southern Living, December 1997

Makes 4 (12-inch) loaves

Stars of the Show for the Dough:

• 1 (8 oz) container sour cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 (1/4 oz) envelopes dry active yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 4 cups all-purpose flour

And Action:

Heat the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan until the butter melts stirring occasionally. Cool to 105° to 115°.

Combine yeast and warm water in a large bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream mixture and eggs. Gradually stir in the flour. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours.

Divide the dough into fourths and turn out onto a heavily floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times.

Roll each portion into a 12x8-inch rectangle and spread each rectangle with one fourth of the Cream Cheese Filling (recipe below) leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Roll up starting starting at a long side, press the seam, and fold the edges under to seal. Place seam side down on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cut 6 equally spaced Xs across the top of each loaf. Cover and let rise in a warm (85°), draft free place, for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Bake at 375° for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned. Drizzle the warm leaves with the Powdered Sugar Glaze (recipe below).



Cream Cheese Filling

MyRecipes.com and Southern Living, December 1997

Makes 2 1/2 cups

Stars of the Show:

• 2 (8 oz) containers cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

And Action:

Beat all ingredients in a mixer at medium speed until smooth.



Powdered Sugar Glaze

MyRecipes.com and Southern Living, December 1997

Makes about 1 cup



Stars of the Show:

• 2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

And Action:

Stir all ingredients together.

Don't forget about the Culinary Smackdown Battle. You have 6 days left to link your recipe! Entries must be received by February 27, 2011. The winner will be announced the following morning. Best of luck!

For a chance to win a 4-pack of 8-inch GlassDharma Straws check out Smart Girl Reviews and enter now! Tell her the Pretend Chef sent you! Thank you!

Paula Deen's English Peas

It's Monday and we all know what a drag it can be. I was sick all weekend with a cold and Mr. Sideline Chef hosted a movie marathon one day and let me indulge in trashy TV show reruns and celebrity magazines the next. No new recipes were whipped up but a clue to check out Paula Deen's English Peas recipe reviews were presented to me in one of my magazines. If you are looking for a few good laughs to perk up your drag ass Monday morning than I suggest you give a few of these hilariously sarcastic reviews a read. How can this even qualify as a recipe? It's like me telling you how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Don't forget that February 27, 2011 is the deadline for linking your recipe to the Culinary Smackdown Battle. The winner will be announced the following morning. Best of luck!

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

So long packets of apple cinnamon oatmeal. This recipe for Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal is part of the 21 Day Vegan Kickstart . I'm not following this diet but have it bookmarked because I read that with trying to lose the last 10 pounds my body is holding onto I need to switch up my eating and try a more vegetarian approach. Mr. Sideline Chef only eats Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal and remembering that this recipe was on that diet meal plan I decided to give it a try. It was a nice change to plain oatmeal for breakfast. Nice to know that this bowl of oatmeal was creamy and delicious and will be satisfying when I do commit to the eating plan.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

21 Day Vegan Kickstart

Makes 2 Servings (Serving size = 1 cup)

Stars of the Show:

• 1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
• 2/3 cup apple juice concentrate - I used Mott's for Tots Apple Juice with 40% Less Sugar.
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup raisins or currants (optional) - Raisins are a cringe worthy food to me. I left them out.

And Action:

Combine oats, apple juice concentrate, water, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the raisins, if desired. Let stand 3 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information: Per 1 cup serving

Calories: 312

Fat: 2.9 g
Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
Calories from Fat: 8.4%
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Protein: 7 g
Carbohydrates: 66 g
Sugar: 32.9 g
Fiber: 4.7 g
Sodium: 29 mg
Calcium: 51 mg
Iron: 2.8 mg
Vitamin C: 2.1 mg
Beta Carotene: 0 mcg
Vitamin E: 0.3 mg



Chris Mooney's Sardine Tartines Platter

As my prize for winning January's Culinary Smackdown Battle - Salmon for my Smoked Salmon Cardamom Spread I received a copy of French Taste: Elegant Everday Eating by Laura Calder. You can imagine how giddy I was when this cookbook finally made it's way into my hands. That very moment I put everything else on hold and set out to bookmark recipes I just had to try.

"Sardines are what you wanted to try first?" I'm sure that's what you are thinking. Being that I am easily overwhelmed when a decision comes down to more than two choices I normally make the first recipe that I've bookmarked. Maybe someday I'll break my habit and select a recipe from the middle of the book. Just the thought alone makes me shutter at this very moment.

Chris Mooney is no one to me. I don't personally know the guy but Laura Calder does. It's a friend of hers from Paris and he had invited her to dinner at his home one night and served sardines on a platter in a tin. Laziness or just breaking the norm she thought of him as a "culinary Kate Moss".

I would have served the sardines in the tin for the sheer reason that I wouldn't want to clean more dishes than necessary. In fact, I prepared this Sardine Tartines Platter as my lunch. A fantastically light lunch it was. I've only recently expanded my canned fish repertoire since starting this blog beyond tuna in water. Anchovies and now sardines. Sardines rank highest on my list in the canned fish category. Less bony than the anchovy and much more flavorful than the tuna.

Courtesy from the back of my Wild Planet's Wild California Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil box: Sardines provide "three times more calcium and phosphorus than milk, more iron than cooked spinach, as much protein as steak, and as much potassium as bananas."

The Sardine Tartines Platter had the drained sardines surrounded by toasted baguette slices, lemon wedges, cold butter, Fleur de sel, and pepper. I tried the suggested serving and decided that the butter was lost or not even needed. The sardine is the star. The baguette provides a great vehicle for the sardines and the squeeze of lemon and a slight sprinkling of Fleur de sel was all that was needed. While eating this I felt like I was transported to a bistro in Paris without the scarf and beret. A light lunch but perfect as an appetizer as well.

 Chris Mooney's Sardine Tartines Platter

French Taste: Elegant Everyday Eating

Makes 4 to 6 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 2 tins sardines packed in olive oil
• 1 baguette, sliced and toasted
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• cold butter
• pepper
• Fleur de sel

And Action:

Open the tins of sardines and drain off the oil. Set the tins in the center of a large platter. Arrange the toasted baguette slices and lemon wedges around the sardines. Serve with the cold butter, a pepper mill for grinding over the top, and a dish of Fleur de sel. Provide knives so everyone can dive in and assemble their own sardine tartines.

For a chance to win a SHEEX Travel Pillow check out Smart Girl Reviews and enter the giveaway. Be sure to let her know the Pretend Chef sent you! Thank you in advance.

For a chance to win a Quart of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil-Certified Organic check out Smart Girl Reviews and enter the giveaway. Be sure to let her know the Pretend Chef sent you! Thank you in advance.

For a chance to win a large assortment of snacks check out this blog.

Don't forget to link your recipe for the Culinary Smackdown Battle. You only have 11 days now to do so. Get that entry in by February 27, 2011. Mr. Sideline Chef and I will be announcing the winner the following morning. Best of luck!

Campbell's® Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

Our Valentine's dinner wasn't anything fancy schmancy. It wasn't of the finest quality of ingredients or top dollar spent. What our Valentine's dinner was, was a chance to have Mr. Sideline Chef by my side in our small kitchen bumpin' elbows as he helped prepare the noodles and broccoli while I browned the chicken and made the sauce. It was the quality time, although short since dinner was on the table in a snap, that makes our tight knit bond that much stronger. We don't need a day marked in the calendar to tell us when to do something extra special for each other,  although I'm not complaining about my rather large Victoria's Secret gift card. My point is every day with Mr. Sideline Chef is special and I cherish my time with him everyday. I make it a point to tell him and most importantly I show him.

Enough of the sappy crap for another year. On second thought there will be more of it since our 4 year anniversary will be coming up and the fact that I love him more and more every day. Okay. Okay. Enough.

As for the Campbell's® Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo this is a hearty meal that is perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Linguine is mixed with sauteed chicken breasts pieces and broccoli coated in a rich Alfredo sauce. No, I'm not trying to endorse a product here. I just came across the recipe after Mr. Sideline Chef had requested it the other night for a later date.

The original recipe has variations for other protein choices and flavor profiles such as Asian or for a Mexican flair. I can see adding garlic and more Parmesan cheese to the original recipe for more flavor but without the additions this recipe is perfect as wrote. It is sure to become a meal that will make your family's rotation.

Campbell's® Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

MyRecipes.com and Campbell's Kitchen, December 2008

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 8 oz linguine
• 1 cup broccoli flowerets
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

And Action:

Prepare the pasta according to the package directions adding the broccoli to the pot the final 4 minutes. Drain the linguine and broccoli.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it's well browned, stirring often.

Stir in the soup, milk, cheese, black pepper, and the linguine/broccoli mix into the skillet. Heat, stirring occasionally, until it starts bubbling. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

I'm marking #13 off my "Stir The Pot" page. 4 down 20 to go.

Just another reminder that the Culinary Smackdown Battle is still open. There are a handful of entries so far and I'd love to see what else will be submitted. You have until February 27, 2011 to get those recipes linked! Best of luck!