Jennifer's Corn Dogs

I made these Friday evening. The most time-consuming part was waiting for the dough to rise. I had super fun with this though, because I got to use my stand mixer again! I made 2 changes - used skim milk because that's what I had and used all-purpose flour, not whole wheat. Also, I didn't need a whole egg for the brushing. I actually doubled the recipe and used various hot dogs - regular, jumbo, and reduced fat. Oh, and didn't put them on skewers, because I forgot to buy them. Next time, I think I'd put more salt in the dough and switch the amounts of flour and cornmeal so that there was more cornmeal - I like the gritty corn taste.

Jennifer's Chicken Enchiladas

I made these about a week ago. I agree with Kathleen - they were super easy to put together (especially with my mom taking apart the chicken, pulling the cilantro leaves off, etc.). To save time, I bought canned red enchilada sauce and used that. (Andrew said that it tasted more "authentic" than last time which was Trader Joe's brand enchilada sauce.) My family voted for no feta cheese, so I just sprinkled some remainder mozzarella cheese on top. Next time, I'd stuff the enchiladas more. I thought I was since it was bursting, but I think it would've tasted better with more filling.

Kathleen's Chicken Enchiladas

I'm not a fan of green sauce but I am a huge fan of chicken enchiladas so I decided to make this recipe halfway and replace the sauce part with canned red sauce. And it was great! It was really quick, I think the part that took the longest was picking the chicken. Besides changing the sauce, the only other thing I changed was the cheese. My store only had huge blocks of queso fresco so I just sprinkled the same cheese I used on the inside (Mexican blend from Costco) on top. Oh, and I forgot to put the cilantro inside the enchiladas so I just sprinkled a bunch on top. And has anyone ever heard of "culantro"??? Because that's what I accidentally bought today and it's fabulous! It's basically cilantro with different (read: better) shaped leaves. As someone who meticulously pulls the leaves off any herb so as to not get any stem, this worked out in my favor in a big way. Here's what the package says: "Truly a great 'find' CULANTRO explodes with the same distinctive flavor as Cilantro (leaf form of coriander) but holds up longer in the refrigerator or in the garden." huh. Anyway, that's why my cilantro looks like basil. It's the way superior culantro. I'm a believer! And these enchiladas were super quick and tasty. I would definitely make them again =)

**also, I didn't measure, just used the all the chicken from one rotisserie chicken and it ended up making 13 enchiladas!

Kathleen's Homemade Baked Corn Dogs

I made these last week and I'm not sure if I did it right. I followed the recipe pretty closely, the only changes I made were milk powder instead of milk, instant yeast instead of dry active, no sesame seeds, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne and paprika (because I couldn't choose which one to use). The recipe said that they had to add extra flour because their dough was too sticky, but I had the opposite problem. My dough was dry dry dry. To the point where my dough hook wouldn't catch the dough properly while kneading. But there was no way I was going to stand there and knead by hand so I just said screw it and oiled the bowl and let it rise the way it was. Needless to say, it didn't really rise at all. So I am not sure what it was supposed to be like, but it rolled out okay and baked up just fine. They were yummy and "healthy." Oh, I also boiled the hot dogs to make me feel like I got rid of some extra fat. And a bit of advice, don't eat them all before you photograph them. A picture of a single corn dog doesn't look...right.

Jennifer's Fettuccine Alfredo

I made this for my family last Friday. This was my second attempt at making Fettuccine Alfredo (in my life). It definitely turned out better this time! I did make a few changes - I had to use linguine, the one in the box (because TJ's was out of fettuccine), I didn't use FRESH nutmeg, I added shrimp and calamari (my dad loves seafood), and I added more salt than the recipe suggested. I liked that this recipe was simple - simple ingredients and simple steps. Next time, I'd cut back on the nutmeg. I was a bit too generous with it, not knowing how strong it would be. I also made too much linguine and not enough sauce (even though the recipe was doubled: 4 normal people + Andrew and Brian = definitely double everything), so it was a bit dry. I had some parsley so used that for presentation and made some garlic bread to go with the meal... who needs vegetables?

October Recipes

Happy October and welcome back BSC. We had some recent family changes so we're currently one (wo)man down, but it works out since we may need a little adjustment period to ease back into things. So ladies, notice that the first recipe isn't posted until next week. Have fun!

Fettuccine Alfredo - October 10-16

from The New Best Recipe

1 2/3 cups heavy cream, preferably not ultrapasteurized

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

salt

1 recipe Fresh Egg Pasta, cut into fettuccine (or Buitoni brand fresh fettuccine)

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (1 cup)

ground black pepper

pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil in a large pot.

Combine 1 1/3 cups of the cream and the butter in a saute pan large enough to accommodate the cooked pasta. Heat over low until the butter is melted and the cream comes to a bare simmer. Turn off the heat and set aside.

When the water comes to a boil, add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta to the boiling water and stir to separate the noodles. Cook until almost al dente. Drain the pasta and add it to the saute pan. Add the remaining 1/3 cup cream, the Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste, and the nutmeg. Cook over very low heat, tossing to combine the ingredients, until the sauce is slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve the fettuccine immediately in heated pasta bowls.

Serves 6 as an appetizer.

Chosen by Jennifer.

Homemade Baked Corn Dogs - October 17-23

from Kohler Created

1 cup reduced-fat milk

1 package active dry yeast

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1 cup fine yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 cups all-purpose (whole wheat) flour, plus more for dusting and kneading

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baked soda

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or paprika

1 package reduced-fat hot dogs

1 large egg, beaten

1 tablespoon black sesame seeds (optional)

Warm milk to 110 degrees in a small sauce pan and add yeast, stirring gently. Allow it to sit for two minutes to soften. While this is going, add olive oil, brown sugar, cornmeal into a bowl or mixer. Add the milk to this mix.

Stir in the flour, salt, baking soda, and cayenne pepper and mix into a sticky dough. You may need to add more flour if the mix is too sticky. We found that the recipe was a little off and needed a bit more flour.

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead it out for a couple minutes. Shape it into a ball and place it in a lightly oiled container and cover it with a towel (We always put ours in the microwave with a towel over it so it stays at a good temperature). Let dough sit for 1 hour. While this is rising, prep your hot dogs by inserting sticks or skewers about 1-2 inches deep and set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out thin. We rolled ours to about 1/4 inch or less. The more dough you will have around your dogs, the thicker they will obviously be, so it's up to you!

Cut the dough into 1-inch strips that are about 10-12 inches long. Begin rolling the dough around the dogs, holding the dogs at an angle so that you are not overlapping the dough more than 1/4-inch. Pinch together ends or any open areas to seal.

Place on greased/sprayed baking sheet and brush with beaten egg. Add sesame seeds if desired.

Bake in oven for 15 minutes and then enjoy with your favorite dipping sauces!

Serves 6-8.

Chosen by Kathleen.

Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas - October 24-30

from Food Network Magazine

1 small red onion, halved

1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed

1 to 2 serrano chile peppers, stemmed and seeded

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

kosher salt

pinch of sugar

8 corn tortillas

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella and/or Monterey Jack cheese

1/3 cup fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing

3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese

Preheat the broiler. Slice half of the onion into thin rings and set aside. Place the other onion half, tomatillos and serranos on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil until the vegetables are soft and slightly brown, 7 to 10 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer the vegetables and any liquid to a blender, add the broth and puree. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the sugar.

Meanwhile, stack the tortillas, wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave just until warm and soft, 1 minute; keep covered. Toss the chicken with 2 cups shredded cheese in a bowl. Spoon a portion of the chicken mixture down the middle of each tortilla. Add a few cilantro leaves and roll up. Place the enchiladas side by side in a lightly oiled 9-by-13-inch baking dish and brush with the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Broil until crisp and golden, 3 minutes.

Pour the tomatillo sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Return to the oven and broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Garnish with the onion rings, queso fresco and any remaining cilantro.

Serves 4.

Chosen by Judy.