Another Year of Turkey and Thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope that you all had a wonderful and delicious Thanksgiving dinner.  It's a day revolving around food, tradition and family.  We pass on old traditions and create new ones. 

Every year we spend Thanksgiving Day at my parents home.  My mom creates a fantastic dinner and others make their usual contributions to the meal.  My sister makes the green bean casserole, my aunt makes the sweet potatoes and fruit fluff, and my other aunt makes the pies. 

My mom plans to teach techniques and cooking ideas to my sister and I next year.  She is going to gradually pass the "Thanksgiving Dinner Torch" off to us.  And we are pretty excited to learn from a talented woman that has spent over 20 years making some awesome food on this holiday.

As I reflected on tradition and food... it made me wonder what other families do for this particular holiday.  So I have created a survey and will display results in a couple weeks.  This survey is intended to ONLY collect data and not for "selling email addresses" or spam.  It was created by me and is purely just for fun.  Please take 2 minutes to answer the 6 questions in my Thanksgiving Poll 2011.  I really appreciate your participation.

Have a great holiday season!

We could all use a hint of more time!
Copyright 2011 A Hint of Thyme.  All rights reserved.

*Free photo at top from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images.

Cooking With Wine - Chicken Dumpling Soup

A couple weeks ago we attended a weekly church group gathering.  During the discussion about food, some of the women in our group had expressed their love for a local restaurants' "dumpling soup".  They said that it did not have chicken but was undoubtly delicious.  I was intrigued.

Several days later I decided to create my own "dumpling soup", but would definitely include chicken.  This recipe is the perfect winter meal.  I also created it as a thank you dinner for my dear friend, Danielle (read about the soup that she made for me).

The soup is inspired by Paula Deen's recipe.  I was a bit cautious at first - considering how much butter she uses.  With numerous changes... I am able to call this soup my own.  I hope that you enjoy it as much as we did.  My husband said it was a "home run".  In man terms, I'll take that as pretty-gosh-darn-good!

Prepare time = 30 minutes

Cook time = 2 hours

Chicken Vino Dumpling Soup

Liquids:

- 6 cups of chicken stock

- 4 cups of white wine (I recommend Sauvignon Blanc. Note: I only spent $3 on the wine)

- 1 TBSP of butter

Meat/Vegetable:

- 2 cups of shredded chicken (Tip: I used a store-bought rotisserie chicken and still had some left over)

- 3 celery stalks, diced

- 3 peeled carrots, diced

- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1/2 cup of frozen peas or corn

- 1/4 cups fresh parsley, chopped

Spices:

- 1/2 TSP ground nutmeg

- 2 TBSP tarragon

- 2 bay leaves

- 1 TBSP thyme

- Ground pepper to taste

- Kosher salt - approx. 1 1/2 TBSP

Dumplings:

- 2 TBSP butter

- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

- 2 large eggs

- 1/2 TSP ground nutmeg

- 1 cup of milk

- Salt and pepper

Instructions:

Prepare all vegetables and meat before adding liquids to a large cooking pot.  Add the liquids to the cooking pot.  Gradually begin to add the chicken and all vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper.  Taste.  Then add all the spices.  Cook on medium-low heat for 1.5 hours, stir occasionally. 

In a medium sauce pan, heat the butter and milk to a slow simmer.  When it begins to slowly bubble, add the flour.  Remove from heat and add the eggs.  Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Whisk until dough is thick.  Use a tablespoon to from small to medium sized balls of dough.  Gradually drop dough into the heated soup broth.  Stir gently.  Cook on medium-low heat for another 30 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

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I can shamelessly admit that creating the dumplings made me a bit nervous.  Everything turned out very well though.  We used a french bread for dipping.  If you choose to make your own bread... I would recommend a dill bread or fresh dinner roll.  Pair with a crisp glass of your favorite Riesling.

This recipe will make enough for 6-8 servings.  I hope you enjoy it! 

Please leave a comment and let me know if you try it.  Have a fantastic weekend!

We could all use a hint of more time!

Copyright 2011 A Hint of Thyme.  All rights reserved.

The Other Meat - Slow Cooker White Chili

I have to be honest... I've never thought about making white chili.  As a food lover, I have subscribed to numerous food magazines and emails.  It helps to revive creativity and brainstorm new recipe ideas.

An email from AllRecipes.com highlighted a fantastic White Chili recipe.  I thought it would be great for our food budget and a 4-day meal plan.  So I researched different white chili recipes and here is what I came up with...

Mara's Slow Cooker White Chili

Meat

- 1/2 lb of ground pork

- 1/2 lb of lean ground beef (You may substitute with 2 chicken breasts or ground chicken)

Liquid

- 3 cups of chicken stock

- 3 cups of beef stock (you may substitute with vegetable stock... but this does give great flavor)

- 2 cups of water

Thickening

- 2 cans of Pinto Beans

- 2 cans of Northern Beans

- 1/2 cup flour

- 1/4 cup corn starch

Vegetables

- 2 bell peppers, roughly chopped (any color of your choosing... I suggest going for a color variety)

- 1/2 medium red onion, chopped

- 3 to 4 stalks of celery, chopped

- 1 clove garlic, minced

Spices/Seasoning

- 1 TBSP dried oregano

- 1 TBSP ground cumin

- 1/2 TBSP chili powder

- 1/2 TBSP chili 3000 from Penzey's (try smoked paprika as a substitute)

- 1/3 TBSP dried tarragon

- 1/3 TBSP dried or fresh rosemary

- 1/4 TBSP freshly grated nutmeg

- Crushed red pepper (Optional: Season to taste)

- Salt and pepper to taste

Optional side

- 1 or 2 cups white rice

Phew!!  I know this seems like a lot of ingredients but putting them all together is relatively quick and easy.  Just combine and let the slow cooker do the rest!

Directions
Add the beef stock, chicken stock and water to the slow cooker. Heat on high for 10 minutes.  When the liquids become warmer, begin browning the meat.

Brown the meat in a skillet.  Season with salt and pepper.  When the meat is brown, add the flour and corn starch.  The stock and water should be hot, but not boiling, by this point.  Combine the meat with the hot liquid and continue stirring. 

Gradually begin to add the vegetables - onions, peppers, celery and garlic.  Continue stirring.  Add the seasoning little by little.  Be sure to taste the chili - you can always add more seasoning but you cannot take it away. 

When all ingredients have been combined, set the slow cooker to low and walk away.  Stir occasionally for 2 hours.  Turn to warm when it becomes thick.  While the chili is on warm, boil 1 cup of rice with 2 cups of water.  Fluff with a fork and set aside.

Add the rice to the bottom of a bowl and ladle chili on top.  The best topping for this particular chili is Asiago cheese and red onion.  You can also try Colby Jack and chives. 

For those of you outside of Wisconsin, we like to mix our chili with a form of starch.  Regular red chili is typically combined with pasta here.  We wanted to change it up and try rice instead.  It is a very pleasing combination.

I made the white chili on a Saturday afternoon and it fed 2 of us for 4 more days.  Although it's a slow-cooked meal... a slow-cooker is not needed.  This can also be cooked in a large pot on low heat for the same amount of time.  Perfect for cooking on weekends!

We hope that you enjoy this as much as we did.  Have a great week!


We could all use a hint of more time!
Copyright 2011 A Hint of Thyme.  All rights reserved.

Quick Fix Meat Tips

When I was growing up, eating any kind of red meat was an absolutely revolting thought.  Beef... not a fan.  Pork... maybe.  Ham... forget it.  Up until I met my husband, it was very rare for me to eat or even cook some sort of red meat.

After we got married and moved in together, it became apparent that I was going to be cooking red meat.  It was also apparent that I would have to eat the red meat ..... or possibly go hungry.  Just kidding.  I definitely cook healthier meats, such as fish and chicken, more often.

So what happens on the days when a time consuming pork or steak recipe is not option?  You know... the days when your dog needs to be walked, the kids need homework help, your neighbor stops by at random and the dishes aren't washed.  Suddenly a 90-minute braised pork recipe begins to look less and less likely.

Fear not... there are plenty of quick fix options that will still create a delicious dish.

Quick Fix Ideas:

1.) 10-Minute Breaded Pork Chops:  1 cup of garlic bread crumbs, 1/4 TBSP of onion powder, 1/4 TBSP of Thyme, salt and pepper.  I don't bother messing with the flour and egg prior to the bread crumb dunk.  This will still give you a crispy, tasteful crunch in less time.  If you don't have garlic bread crumbs, then add a 1/3 TBSP of garlic powder to the mixture.  Mix thoroughly in a small bowl.  Evenly coat the boneless pork chops in the bread crumbs.  Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 425. 

2.) 10 minute marinade:  1 1/2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 TBSP oregano, 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 TBSP of soy sauce, 1 TBSP Italian dressing, salt, pepper and a pinch of crushed red pepper.  Mix together and add to a large plastic zip bag.  Add the pork or beef to the bag.  Make sure the meat is evenly coated.  Set aside or in the refrigerator for 10 or 15 minutes.  Grill or bake for 15 - 20 minutes.  It's just that easy.

Quick fix ideas are very helpful on days when dinner is a last minute thought.  Do what ever you can to avoid running out to the local fast food restaurant or ordering a pizza.  Although, I am plenty guilty of doing this too.

Jon and I are blessed to have an ice chest freezer in our basement.  I usually watch for meat sales at the local grocery store and stock up when we can.  Typically, I will have a lot of fish, chicken and pork in stock.

Hopefully these quick fix tips are helpful to you and your family.  Take care, readers.  Have an excellent week. 

Coming soon: Flashback Friday - Chili


We could all use a hint of more time.
Copyright 2011 A Hint of Thyme.  All Rights Reserved.

A Taste of Fall - Butternut Squash

Welcome to the Fall season!  This is my favorite time of year.  Apples, pumpkins, cider, squash, cranberries!  I cannot get enough apple cider or tastes of fall on my dinner plate.

Last night, I attempted to make something new.  My husband is big fan of butternut squash. 

Well........

Butternut Squash - 1
Mara - 0

I must admit that butternut squash has officially defeated me in the kitchen.  My Mom gave me an extra squash and it was the first time that I prepared it myself.  I've watched my Mom cut and prepare it.  How hard could it be?  I think I realized why she was so eager to give it away.

It seemed as though I had lost all culinary abilities as I stared blankly at the squash.  Where do I even start?  I grabbed a parring knife.  Too small.  I opted for the larger butcher knife.  Too large.  It was the most amateur display of knife cuts that I've ever done. 

Despite my lack of squash cutting talent, the recipe turned out fairly well.  I have also tried this recipe with sweet potatoes.  I hope you enjoy it... and that the squash cooperates with you.

Autumn Spiced Butternut Squash
- 1 butternut squash (or 4 medium sized sweet potatoes, if you prefer)
- 1 TBSP of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 TBSP of honey
- 1/4 TBSP of cinnamon
- Freshly grated nutmeg (just a few times up and down the microplane - a little goes a long way)
- Course black pepper and salt

Cut the squash into cubes (if you're making sweet potatoes... cut them into long french-fry-like strips).  Spread evenly over a baking sheet.  Cover with the remaining ingredients.  The easiest way to mix all ingredients thoroughly is to use your hands.  Make sure that all pieces are evenly coated.  Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.  It's quick and easy ... if you know how to cut it! 

I also prepared boneless pork chops to go with the squash.  Simply apply an even distributition of dried thyme, Worcestershire sauce, EVOO, granulated garlic, salt and pepper over the pork.  Bake at 425 for 25 to 30 minutes.  It was quite tasty!

I wish you all a delightful Fall season! 


We could all use a hint of more time!
Copyright 2011 A Hint of Thyme.  All rights reserved.

El Beso - A Tribute to Friends and Birthday's

Ah, September.  The month of 8 million births! Admit it... you know at least 15 people born in the month of September.

I am very happy to share the same birthday with my good friend, Valerie.  To celebrate another year of life and friendship, we had dinner and margarita's at a new restaurant in Milwaukee. 

El Beso, in Greenfield, is a new Mexican restaurant in the Milwaukee area.  This place wins "A Hint of Thyme Award" for the best renovation of a building.  El Beso took over the abandoned Champps Americana and has transformed it into a Mexican hacienda and bar.  Unlike some other building-takeovers that have failed to reinvent the venue, these owners have completely redesigned the building to be unrecognizable as the former Champps restaurant.  It's incredible.

There are hand painted murals on almost every wall.  Every intricate detail of a Mexican paradise is creatively woven into the floor, ceiling, desert bar, and band.  I was in awe of the beautiful paintings and, I must admit, feeling a bit ADD as I looked around to take it all in.

The only negative comment about El Beso is that the high ceilings do create some extra noise.  It's very hard to hear all the people at your table without yelling.  If the band is near your section it's even more difficult to hear.  Word of advice... do not use this venue for an important meeting or talk.  However, lunch time might be different and not as crowded.

El Beso's menu is much like any other Mexican restaurant in the area.  It has the average selection with a few exciting options.  They have a great bar menu and the Bahama Mama's were fantastic!  I elected to try the Sopes for an entree.  Unfortunately, I had filled up with the free chips and salsa prior to the entree. 

I have read a few reviews about the restaurant will say that the food isn't very "authentic".  Honestly, I don't feel it necessary to whine about it's "lack of authenticity".  We very much enjoyed the food and it won't get much more authentic this far north of the Mexico border.

Valerie and I were subjected to 2 birthday songs.  The band, Trio Expucta de Oro, first sang a Spanish song that was unknown to us.  Then they sang happy birthday in Spanish - which was a real treat.  The band was fantastic and their harmonies were perfect.  The other servers came by after dinner with 2 pieces of chocolate cake and sombrero's for me and Val.  They all sang "Happy Birthday Cha-Cha-Cha".  It was probably the first time in my life that I didn't mind someone singing happy birthday to me because it was so fun!  

September birthday's indeed, the servers were busy singing "Happy Birthday" about every 3 minutes to a different person.  It was definitely a night of celebrations.

El Beso was a great place to celebrate our birthday's together.  Great pick, Val!

Valerie and I with chocolate cake and sombrero's

Sopes at El Beso

Copyright 2011 Hint of Thyme.  All rights reserved.

A Jolly Good Time - Caribbean Style

My husband and I had the opportunity to attend a marriage seminar in Madison, Wisconsin during the month of August.  The event was sponsored by Jon's military branch and it gave us the opportunity for a weekend getaway.  There were several military couples at the event... some married many years and some recently married.

The second night of the seminar afforded all couples the opportunity to have a date night.  And yes, it was mandatory.  As you may have noticed from many of the posts on Hint of Thyme, Jon and I enjoy trying different restaurants and typically avoid the big name chains.  Since we are not from the Madison area it was difficult to find a place to have dinner.

Word of mouth is always the best advertisement.  A fellow seminar attender is from Madison and suggested that we check out a Caribbean restaurant.  Jon and I thought the idea is brilliant - especially since we were married on the beautiful islands of the Bahamas. 

We started our date night at a place called "Jolly Bob's" on Madison's east side.  The restaurant was small but perfectly decorated in Caribbean style.  They were only serving on the patio for dinner and we were seated outside.  The back patio had a large mural of the ocean and the only thing it was missing was palm trees and a reggae band. 

The menu had a great selection of drinks and food.  I opted to try a Raspberry Blast and Jon went with a traditional Bahama Mama.  Although the menu did not mention that my drink was blended... I still gave it a try.  I am not the biggest fan of blended drinks and ended up switching with Jon shortly after.  He's such a good husband!

For an appetizer we ordered one of our favorite snacks from the Bahama's ... Conch Fritters!  If you have not tried one before, we highly recommend it.  I have to admit that they tasted better while on the beach but Jolly Bob's fritters were still delicious.  It brought back some happy memories from our wedding. 

Conch Fritters

The entrees were served with a salad and Caribbean dressing.  It was served very elegantly on white plate with a bundle of lettuce in the middle and fruit surrounding.  The blend was fantastic together.

Dinner Salad with Papaya Dressing

My entree was the "Chicken Well Curry".  The menu states that it is spicy Jamaican chicken served over rice.  I was surprised to see how many other ingredients were included; such as papaya, peanuts, onion, carrots, egg, potatoes, and raisins.  Although the combination seems odd.. it was surprisingly delicious.  My only criticisms would be that the dish would have been a little better with some kind of sauce or gravy.

Jolly Bob's - Chicken Well Curry

Overall it was a very pleasant experience and the food was fantastic.  The servers were very accommodating. 

A few tips if you are interested in trying this restaurant - bring cash and bring a lot!  Although the meal was great... it was definitely over priced.  There were also no visible signs about being "cash only". 

Regardless, we had a very memorable meal and happy to share the experience with you! 


We could all use a hint of more time!
Copyright 2011 Hint of Thyme.  All rights reserved.