No-Knead Bread

Last Sunday Supper Club, Michele made this yummy No-Knead Bread.
I made it last week. It turned out great and I know I messed up on a few of the steps. The recipe is very forgiving.

Toast the Tigers

Erika and I showed our Tiger Pride by attending the “Toast the Tigers” fundraiser for the class of 2007’s senior overnighter. We tasted some great wines.

My favorite winery was “Barrister” All of their red wines were distinctly unique, rich and vibrant. Their wines are well balanced with seductively rich mid palates and ending with delicious flavors that linger on the finish. Bonus points for the friendly, knowledgeable winemaker pouring the wine.

Sweet Tender Bay Scallops

Last night I made Sweet tender bay scallops sautéed with garlic and served with parsley and lemon. I found this recipe on Cooking Light. I used spinach fettuccine.

I thought it was a really good recipe. I added more garlic and more olive oil, no margarine. I hate margarine.

Sautéed Scallops on Lemon Fettuccine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
1 pound sea scallops
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons margarine
1/3 cup vodka or dry white wine
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
6 cups hot cooked fettuccine (12 ounces uncooked)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip top heavy-duty plastic bag. Add scallops to bag, and seal; shake to coat. Heat oil and margarine in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add scallops; cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and done. Remove scallops from pan; keep warm. Reduce heat to medium; add vodka, lemon rind, lemon juice, and garlic, and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; add pasta, and toss gently to coat. Divide pasta mixture evenly among 4 individual plates; top with scallops. Sprinkle each serving with 1-tablespoon cheese and 1-tablespoon parsley.
Yield: 4 servings

Sunday Night Supper Club Light

For our last Sunday Supper Club we went with this Cooking Light theme. I made the brined Cider Roasted Chicken and the Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes. I decided to use chicken thighs instead of a whole fryer. Other than spilling raw chicken juice mixed with brine all over my counters and clogging up my disposal with sweet potatoes peelings, I think it turned out pretty good. Jennifer made the Pumpkin Orange Cake, Michele brought yummy home baked bread, Kate did the beet soup, and Faythe made the Red Pepper dip. Be sure and check out Faythe’s photos on her blog.

Oven Fried Chicken and Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes

Oven Fried Chicken (from Cooks Illustrated)

Serves four

Be careful not to overcrush the Melba toast; crumbs that are too fine will leave the chicken wanting in crunchiness. If you own a spray bottle for oil, skip the step of tossing the Melba toast crumbs in oil. Instead, once the chicken is coated with crumbs, spray the pieces evenly with oil.
· 1/4 cup vegetable oil
· 1 box (about 5 ounces) plain Melba toast, placed in a heavy-duty freezer bag and pounded with a blunt, heavy object to a sand and pebble texture ( I used the food processor)
· 2 large eggs
· 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
· 1 teaspoon dried thyme
· 3/4 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
· 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
· 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
· 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
· 8 chicken legs, skin removed, and patted dry with paper towels
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line sheet pan with foil and set large flat wire rack over sheet pan.
2. Drizzle vegetable oil over Melba toast crumbs in a shallow dish or pie plate; toss well to coat. Mix eggs, mustard, thyme, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, and optional cayenne with a fork in a second shallow dish or pie plate.
3. Working one piece at a time, coat chicken on both sides with egg mixture. Set chicken in Melba crumbs, sprinkle crumbs over chicken, and press to coat. Turn chicken over and repeat on other side. Gently shake off excess and place on rack. Bake until chicken is deep nutty brown and juices run clear, about 35 minutes.

Wicked Awesome Painting

My favorite Christmas present was this wicked awesome painting done by Spokane artist
Tom Kliewer, from his “indirect reflections” series. I like the warm light reflections contrasting with the cool tones of the snow bank. I think it's a fabulous addition to my home!