Half Assed Kitchen

Mulligatawny

We'd never heard of mulligatawny until a year or so ago. And now that our ears are perked to the dish, it seems we're noticing word of it everywhere. For good reason. It's a thick, spicy, meaty soup that is impossible to get enough of. Believe us when we say that once you've tried it, you'll crave it.

This recipe was inspired by Cooking Light and it does require chopping several vegetables. We think chopping blows, but we'll do it for the right dish. Overall, we spent no more than 25 minutes prepping for this dish.

Here's what you need and how you do it

Olive or canola oil

1/2-1 pound boneless, skinless chicken (this a great use for a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken), shredded or cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup apple (we used Braeburn), peeled and chopped

3/4 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup carrot, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped

2 Tablespoons flour

1 Tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (less if you don't like much spice)

1/4 teaspoon salt

32 ounces chicken broth

1/3 cup mango chutney (can substitute apricot jam)

1/4 cup tomato paste

Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Heat oil in dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until done. Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat more oil in same pan. Add apple, onion, carrot, celery and bell pepper. Sauté five minutes. Stir in flour, curry, ginger, crushed red pepper and salt. Cook for a few minutes. Stir in broth, chutney and tomato paste. Bring to a boil.

Add parsley and chicken back into pot and let simmer for a while.

Makes about 4 servings.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Bleu cheese-red onion dip

We're wild about this bleu cheese-red onion dip. Perhaps, with its patriotic colors it's better suited to July 4th than December 26th, but still, it's festive for a New Years party. And it'll elicit groans of appreciation from everyone who tries it.

Also? Easy.

Here's what you need and how you do it

1 cup bleu cheese crumbles

3/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup red onion, minced

1 teaspoon garlic, chopped

Pinch of salt

Grind of pepper

Mix all ingredients (play around with the proportions to suit your taste) and serve with crackers or bread.

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Yankee girl's gumbo

We cannot call this authentic gumbo, because we didn't have okra in the house when we made it. (Yes, that's parsley sprinkled across the top.) 

Nor is it regurgitation stew, which we realize it somewhat resembles.

It's our own version of gumbo. And it's tangy, spicy and comforting, all at once.

Here's what you need and how you do it

1/2 cup flour

Olive oil

2-3 cups chicken stock

1/2 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 can kidney beans

3-4 pre-cooked sausages (we used Aidells portobello mushroom sausages), chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1-2 celery stalks, chopped

1/2 cup rice (not Minute Rice)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cajun seasoning (optional)

Hot sauce

Pour a generous amount of olive oil into stock pot or large sauce pan. Add flour and whisk. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, beans, sausages, onion, green pepper, celery, rice, salt, seasoning and hot sauce (to taste). Simmer 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally.

Makes about 4 servings. Also great the next day.

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Chocolate chip cinnamon biscotti

Need a last minute holiday gift? This biscotti is crispy, sweet and melt-in-your-mouth. It makes an elegant little dessert.

Here's what you need and how you do it

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon instant coffee

2 eggs (or egg replacer, which works, but will make a crumblier biscotti)

2 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup chopped almonds or pecans (optional)

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together first four ingredients. Add eggs. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon (or just throw it into the wet ingredients; we're easy like that.) Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and stir. Add the nuts and chocolate chips. Stir until combined.

Divide dough in half. Form each half into 10-inch by 2-inch log. Bake on lightly greased baking sheet for 30 minutes until firm.

Cool on baking sheet and then switch to wire rack to cool completely. Cut on diagonal. Put back on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Flip over with a spatula and bake for 10 minutes more.

Serve with coffee or tea.

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Puff pastry with caramelized onions and feta

We got the idea for this fabulous app when we heard a commercial on the radio. Trader Joes was advertising puff pastries with caramelized onions and feta, which could be found in their frozen foods section.

Homemade would taste better, we reasoned. And they wouldn't be hard to pull together.

So here you have our version.

Here's what you need and how you do it

2 small onions, sliced thinly

Olive oil

1-2 Tablespoons balsalmic vinegar

Feta cheese (Or any kind of cheese)

1 box Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry sheets (found in the frozen foods--desserts section of your grocery store)

Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.

Caramelize onions by sauteing in olive oil over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. They should turn golden, but not dark brown or charred. After 45 minutes, stir in balsalmic vinegar and heat for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Lay out one puff pastry sheet on lightly floured surface. Cut into small squares, about 1 inch by 1 inch. In the center of each square, place a few of the caramelized onion slices and some crumbled feta. Cut second sheet of puff pastry into small squares and lay one over each little mound of onion and feta (creating a sandwich effect).

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes. Can brush tops with butter/margarine or an egg wash (one egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water) for a more golden finish.

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Tomatoes and shallots

Here's a pizzazy little side dish inspired by our friends at Real Simple. It's quick and flavorful.

Here's what you need and how you do it

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1-2 shallots, quartered or diced (could also use an onion, in a pinch)

1 pint grape tomatoes

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 Tablespoon capers

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, until a few of the tomatoes begin to burst. Add the wine and cook until nearly evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the capers.

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Cinnamon rolls

There's a holiday tradition in our family that goes a little something like this: Block out one whole day for baking cinnamon rolls, spend entire 12-hours in kitchen, cover every surface with sticky cinnamon and sugar, and a scattering of flour for good measure, deliver all eleventy trillion rolls to friends and neighbors, collapse.

And with that rousing endorsement, I want to introduce you to our cinnamon rolls. They really are fantastic. And if you just make two dozen, it's not a big undertaking.

Please. Don't be afraid of the yeast. Working with yeast is not hard. It just takes a couple of steps.

Here's what you need and how you do it

3 teaspoons dry active yeast

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 cup warm (but not hot) water

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon oil or cooking spray

1-2 cups sugar

3 Tablespoons cinnamon, adjusted to suit your taste

3 Tablespoons melted butter or margarine

Combine warm water and sugar in small bowl, add yeast and stir. Allow to proof for 10 minutes.

In heavy duty mixer with dough hook, or with a large spoon, combine yeast mixture with flour, nutmeg and salt. Knead with dough hook or turn out on board and knead until smooth and elastic. Transfer to oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until double, about 1 hour.

Melt butter or margarine in bowl. Combine cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

When dough has risen, punch down and divide into strips about 4 inches long. Dip each strip in butter, then in cinnamon-sugar. Tie strip into a knot and place in greased baking dish (we use cake pans). Cover lightly with a dish cloth. Allow to rise 1/2 to 1 hour.

When risen, bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve warm. These reheat nicely in the microwave too.

For a printer-friendly version, click here.

Updated: My half-assery has been put to shame by this great looking recipe for pan cinnamon buns that require only 15 minutes of rising time. Yum!

Cassoulet

When you're in the mood for chili, but want something a little more exotic, this simple french stew is hearty and GOOD.

Here's what you need and how you do it

5 to 6 slices bacon

1 to 2 chicken breasts

3 mild, sweet Italian sausages

1 large onion, chopped

1 Tablespoon garlic, minced

1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes

2 cans beans (white, kidney, etc.)

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon thyme

1 bay leaf

1 cup chicken broth

Place chicken breasts and sausages in a large stockpot and brown. Do not drain the fat. Shred the chicken and chop the sausages. Cook the bacon, then dice. (You can cook bacon in same pan as other meat, but for us, this was too much fat. So we cooked it separately then got rid of the drippings.)

Saute the onion and garlic in chicken/sausage fat. Add tomatoes, beans, wine, salt, thyme, bay leaf and chicken broth. Add meat back into this mixture and simmer for an hour or two.

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Sugar and nut glazed brie

We used to make this scrumptious app for holiday parties back in the 90s. Before we had kids with nut allergies, before we started to worry about the fat content of brie and before Paula Deen did it on the Food Network.

We don't know anyone who can resist this. And, did we mention, it's EASY?

Photo courtesy Food Network

Here's what you need and how you do it

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup broken walnuts, pecans, almonds or hazelnuts

1 Tablespoon Brandy (or whiskey...you all have some of that in your cupboards, don't you?)

1 14-ounce round of Brie cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Stir together sugar, nuts and brandy (or whiskey). (You can cover this and chill it up to a week ahead of time.)

Place brie on a pie plate. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes.

Sprinkle sugar mixture on top of brie. Bake 2 to 3 minutes more, until sugar is melted and cheese is heated through but not melted.

Serve with apples (brushed with lemon juice to keep them from browning) and crackers.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here.

Salted caramels

These caramels rock our world. And they're so simple. Who knew? Not us, until a few days ago when we decided we HAD to have homemade caramels, did some research, tried a couple recipes and chose this as being the simplest and most mouth-wateringly addictive. (It's inspired by Gourmet.)

Here's what you need and how you do it

1 cup milk, soy milk or heavy cream

5 Tablespoons butter or margarine

1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling on top

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup water

(You'll also need a candy thermometer)

Grease 8x8 baking dish, set aside.

Measure all ingredients into a sauce pan, heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer on medium low for about an hour. Stir occasionally.

We like to let it go a little past the soft ball stage (to around 255 degrees), almost to the hard ball stage. Much less than that and we found that the caramels didn't hold their shape well.

When the caramel has reached 255ish degrees, pour into greased baking dish. Sprinkle the top liberally with sea salt. Let cool for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. If you can, slide a spatula under the whole shebang and transfer it to a cutting board. Divide into small squares. Wrap squares in waxed paper.

These make yummy, inexpensive gifts. If you can avoid gobbling them all up yourself.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here.