About Carrie Zinnecker

Posts by Carrie Zinnecker:

Artichoke Spinach Dip

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My Aunt Susan gave me an incredible recipe for artichoke dip a few years ago when we were visiting relatives in Richvale, California.  I had a craving for it this week, but couldn’t find the recipe.  After making this dip I was putting some things away in the study and I miraculously found Susan’s recipe!  Life is funny that way.

This recipe is more complicated and time consuming than Susan’s, so when I need a quick dinner party appetizer I will definitely be making hers.  This recipe makes A TON of dip, has a fresher flavor than the mayo based artichoke dips a lot of people make, and re-heats really well.  This would make a great addition to a Christmas party buffet, and if you have more than one to attend you could divide the dip between 2 dishes, bring one to one party, keep the other in the fridge and use it later!  I do not think they would freeze well, but you could give it a try.  Let me know how that goes.

11-10-2009

I loved the big, yummy chunks of artichoke in this dip and the use of fresh instead of frozen spinach makes for a better flavor.  The vegetables in the dip make me feel as if I am eating something somewhat healthy.  However, this dip is really not too terrible for you, or so it seems by the ingredient list.  Milk, I used 2 %, and just 1 cup of cheese total…but then there’s the vegetable oil.  Oh well.  It’s yummy.  I served this dip with tortilla chips, but it would be good with pita chips or some whole wheat crackers.

Artichoke and Spinach Dip (courtesy of Emeril)

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • Salt
  • Cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack (about 2 ounces)
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 1 (10-ounce) bag fresh spinach, stemmed, rinsed and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and julienned

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Combine 1/4 cup of the vegetable oil and flour in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly 5 to 6 minutes for a blond roux. Whisk in the milk and bring the liquid up to a boil. Season the liquid with salt and cayenne. Simmer the liquid for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the liquid is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the cheeses. Set the sauce aside.
  3. In a saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in handfuls of spinach at a time, until all the spinach is incorporated. Add the garlic and artichoke and saute for 2 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt and cayenne. Remove the vegetables from the heat and turn into a mixing bowl. Fold the cheese sauce into the vegetables. Turn the mixture into a baking pan. Bake the dip for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
  4. Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips or crackers.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

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This dish can go horribly wrong.  I have nightmares of eating this at a bridal luncheon a few years ago.  Tough, dry chicken, ham with a strange texture, and fake tasting, rubbery cheese.  I still have a sneaking suspicion that the “caterer” was the frozen food section at Wal-Mart.  So, why make it for dinner, then?  Because chicken cordon bleu can be delicious.  And it was, oh, so very delicious.

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I looked at quite a few recipes, but this one from Bobby Flay sounded the best.  Gruyère cheese.  Yum.  While it is not imperative to use gruyère cheese I highly recommend it.  Go for it.  You will be rewarded for your cheese purchase.  But if you still don’t feel like taking the plunge, swiss cheese will work.

I used slices of black forest ham instead of the prosciutto called for in the recipe.  Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly.  Well, not exactly.  I didn’t pound the chicken breasts quite thin enough, so measure them if you need to and pound all the way to the 1/4 inch thickness instructed.  I had to secure my rolls with toothpicks, which turned out to work very well.  CAUTION:  Tell your husband that there are toothpicks in his chicken before he scarfs it down.

I loved the panko crumb crust.  If you cannot find panko, then dry bread crumbs is a fine substitute.

I served the chicken with a creamy parmesan sauce.  Some chicken cordon bleus are served plain, without a sauce, but I planned to serve the chicken with egg noodles and thought it needed a sauce.  It was perfect with the chicken and with the noodles.  Creamy and subtle with just a hint of cheese.

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Cardamom Pound Cake

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In Waco, our HEB had a bulk section where I could purchase just enough of a spice I needed for a recipe and pay a measly $0.27 for it.  Here, I have to purchase an entire jar of a spice when I only need 2 teaspoons, and pay $5.99.  A jar of cardamom was such a purchase, so I decided to use some of it instead of neglecting it in the spice cabinet and letting my $5.99 go to waste.

This recipe is from Martha Stewart.  In addition to the cardamom, the use of semolina flour and almond flour drew me to this cake because I had both of those ingredients.  What are the chances?  These were purchased as specialty ingredients in other recipes and I was glad to be able to use them.

The cake is dense and rich, as a pound cake should be.  The texture is more complex than your everyday plain pound cake, which is to be expected due to the use of the coarse almond flour.  The cardamom is definitely noticeable, but not overwhelming.  When a recipe says “room temperature” you should have those ingredients at room temperature.  This is an easy task.  Just leave them out of the fridge for a few hours.  It does make a difference in a pound cake, and most recipes.  The ingredients come together much more easily, and the texture seems better.  I know there is some science behind it, and I have even read an article about it, but I can’t explain all of that to you.  I just know that I’ve done it both ways and having your butter, eggs and other wet ingredients like milk, buttermilk, sour cream, etc, makes for better cakes.

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Cardamom Pound Cake (courtesy of Martha Stewart)

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
  • 3/4 cup almond flour
  • 3/4 cup semolina flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 1 ¼  teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 6 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup plain yogurt, preferably Greek
  1. Preheat oven to 325. Butter two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans. Sugar the pans as you would with flour, and tap out excess. Whisk together flours, salt, cardamom, and baking soda.
  2. Beat butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Raise speed to high, and beat until smooth and glossy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with yogurt. Divide batter between pans.
  3. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 20 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen, and turn out cakes onto rack. Turn right side up, and let cool completely. (Cakes can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

Coconut Macaroon Pie

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I found this cookbook in a box of books I’ve inherited from various people’s discarded books in the last year or so.  I can’t even remember now who I got this cookbook from.  Anyway, it caught my eye this week and I decided to find something in it to make.  I wanted to make something that I’d never seen or tried before, and that I had all the ingredients for already on hand.  I chose this crust-less, coconut macaroon pie.

This budget cookbook has some good tips on freezing cookies and cakes.  There are also some great recipes for meals that use some very budget friendly ingredients.  I cannot wait to try them!

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Here is the recipe from the cookbook.  I omitted the dates and added about 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut to the pie.  I topped the cooled pie with whipped cream, toasted coconut and almonds.

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This is a rich and sweet pie.  I loved the flavor and texture.  The coconut makes the pie more like a macaroon in flavor.  The texture is already very macaroon-like with a crunchy exterior and almost gooey interior.  This a great use for your broken saltine crackers, leftover nuts and egg whites.

Any nut would work.  I think pecans would be great, but would probably use vanilla extract instead of almond.  I saw another recipe similar to this one on allrecipes.com that uses this pie as a crust and then tops the pie with a fruit filling.  Here is the recipe if you are interested.

Green Chile Mac and Cheese

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There is something wonderful about the unnatural orange color and flavor of Kraft mac and cheese, but I have become quite a fan of mac and cheese from scratch.  Simple is terrific.  Cute elbow macaroni surrounded by smooth and creamy cheddar cheese sauce.  However, dressing it up can be so much fun!  Roasted tomatoes are a nice addition to mac and cheese as is bacon or ham.  This recipe caught my eye because Ben absolutely LOVES green chiles and would put them on his cereal if it were socially acceptable…well, maybe he’s not that extreme.

This recipe came from the Southern Food section on about.com and I found it easy and delicious.  The end product is a cross between creamy mac and cheese and a casserole.  I loved the green chile flavor and the toasty breadcrumbs on top.  I served this with a little sour cream on the side and sprinkled it with some chopped cilantro.

I used half cheddar and half queso quesadilla in this macaroni with great results.  Creamy, cheesy, a bit spicy and incredibly yummy.  If you have fresh roasted green chiles, then you must used them in this dish.  I used canned and it was good, so fresh would be crazy good.  I also used a 7-ounce can of chopped green chiles instead of the measly 4 ounces called for in this recipe.

mac1Green Chile Macaroni and Cheese

  • 8 ounces elbow macaroni
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup green jalapeno salsa
  • 1 can (4 ounces) mild chopped green chile peppers
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno peppers, canned or fresh, optional
  • 8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, about 2 cups
  • salt, to taste
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro, optional
  • 1 cup fresh finely ground bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • paprika
  1. Heat oven to 350°. Grease a 2-quart baking dish.
  2. Cook macaroni in boiling salted water following package directions. Drain and rinse well.
  3. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter. Stir in flour and pepper until well blended and bubbly. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in salsa, chile peppers, and cheese. Cook, stirring, until cheese is melted. Taste and add salt, as needed. Combine with the drained macaroni; stir in cilantro, if using. Spoon into the prepared baking dish.
  4. Combine 2 tablespoons melted butter with the bread crumbs and sprinkle over the macaroni and cheese. Sprinkle lightly with paprika.
  5. Bake for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbly.
    Serves 4 to 6.

A 60’s Evening

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This past weekend was one of the best I’ve had in quite a long time.  During our time in Waco we met some of our very best friends.  There’s something about being in the trenches together that brings people closer than they would have been otherwise, and this is what I have Baylor law school to thank for!

Ben spent most of his law school days with three great guys at Baylor, and as a result I became great friends with them, their significant others, and their kids.  After graduation we moved to Amarillo along with one of the other couples, Tim and Jackie.  Jason and Carrie and their adorable girls moved to Decatur and Christian moved to Houston.  Being scattered throughout the great state of Texas makes getting together a tough endeavor.  It’s also hard to find a time that works with everyone’s schedule.  So, this weekend was a special one because everyone was able to meet up in the bustling metropolis of Decatur.  Christian brought his fiancé, so we were able to meet her, and we definitely approve.

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One of the great things about this group is our numerous shared interests.  For Carrie H and I one of those is food!  We had many incredible dinner parties in Waco, and when we get together now we usually plan a menu for one of our meals.  This weekend, Carrie also planned great breakfasts and lunches.  She is incredible.

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Croque Madame, S’il vous plait

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Such a fancy name for a such a simple sandwich.  In short, this is a dressed up grilled cheese.  How dressed up, you ask?  Well, more dressed up than church on Sunday.  More dressed up than the night you anticipate being proposed to over a candle-lit dinner.  We’re talking dressed up for Senior prom where you have been nominated for Prom Queen, and your boyfriend (the quarterback) is up for King.  This is a special sandwich.

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When I went to France in high school I was less inclined to embark on culinary adventures.  We dined at The Hark Rock Cafe, and I even ate lunch at McDonalds…more than once.  In Paris!  Crazy.  I know.  Let’s blame it on me being a naive teenager.  Let’s also blame that purchase of raspberry cigarettes on naivety.  Moving on…

One day for lunch, famished from a morning visit to the Louvre, some friends and I stopped at the first cafe we saw.  Using some of my French food vocabulary I saw “croque-monsieur” on the menu and knew that a French grilled cheese with ham was something I could definitely enjoy.  A French version of fast food.  Warm, grilled bread, melted cheese and sweet & salty ham.  You cannot go wrong with this choice.

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Pumpkin Spice Cake with Brown Butter Frosting

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Some ingredients are available all year long, but only truly acceptable at certain times.  Canned pumpkin puree is one of those ingredients.  You can buy it in July, but a pumpkin dessert just doesn’t seem like something I’d bring to a 4th of July picnic.  Since it is now November I am going to take advantage of my freedom to use this glorious non-perishable good and make something delicious.

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The cake recipe is courtesy of Martha, and the brown butter frosting is a variation on a cookie frosting I used on a pumpkin cookie last year.

I love brown butter.  It is nutty, warm, comforting and so much tastier than regular butter frosting.  The little specks of burnt butter in the frosting make me happy.  I said it.  Butter makes me happy.

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Witch Hat Cookies

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witch6Happy Halloween!  I made these cookies for the trick-or-treaters at Ben’s office.  I thought they would be more fun than little bags of candy, and too cute for words.  I also thought they would be quick and easy.  Cute, yes.  Quick and easy, kinda.

This Halloween treat can be made in a day, but I spread the preparation out over 3 days.

Day 1: Bake chocolate sugar cookies.

Day 2: Brush ice cream cones with chocolate and let set.

Day 3: Assemble & decorate hats.

My original plan was to make royal icing to decorate the hats, but as the deadline approached and a stack of about 100 papers needed grading, I broke down and bought tubes of Wilton icing in orange, black, green and purple.  As I completed the last hat I was very thankful that I’d made this adjustment.  Sometimes you just have to take shortcuts.

The Wilton icing tubes are pretty great.  You simply attach Wilton decorating tips and get creative.  It’s easy to switch out tips and the colors are nice and vibrant.  It’s often hard to achieve really vibrant color when you color your own icing, so this saves time and the stress of making the perfect color you’re looking for.

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Witch Hat Cookies

  • 24 chocolate sugar cookies
  • 24 sugar ice cream cones
  • 1 package chocolate candy coating
  • 2 large bags M&M’s
  • Various icings, sprinkles, decorations, etc.
  1. Melt chocolate coating according to package instructions.
  2. Use a pastry brush to coat all the cones with chocolate.  I found it easiest to place a few fingers in the cone to hold it while I brushed on the chocolate.  Stand up on parchment paper and let set.
  3. Fill the ice cream cone with your choice of candies.  Candy corn, M&M’s, Skittles, whatever.
  4. Use some of the frosting to pipe around the base of the ice cream cone.  Top with the cookie and flip over to set.
  5. Decorate as desired.

These are a fun treat and would make a fun party favor.  Happy Halloween!

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

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There is something very special in store for the trick-or-treaters at BMWB this Friday!  To prepare for this treat, I had to make some chocolate sugar cookies.  These cookies were easy to put together, did not require any chilling, or rolling, and tasted sweet, crunchy and rich.  They will also be the perfect shape and texture for my Halloween treats.

10-25-2009This recipe originally came from  my dear friend, Martha Stewart.  I found it on How to Eat a Cupcake.  I doubled the recipe to make these cookies and ended up with about 45 medium sized cookies.

I only needed 30 for my Halloween goodies, so I had some dough left over.  I thought about freezing it and using it later, but then I found a roll of Rolos hiding in my cabinet leftover from my candy bar blondies.  Maybe, just maybe, I could wrap the dough around a rolo and bake it to create a cookie with a nice caramel surprise inside.  Genius!

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These cookies turned out to be quite delicious.  I think that there are a lot of candies that could be hidden inside this cookie dough.  The dough is sturdy and not too sticky, so would probably be a good dough to experiment with.  I will definitely make these cookies again.  Easy, chewy, delicious and versatile.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies (Courtesy of Martha Stewart and How to Eat a Cupcake)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup vegetable shortening, melted and cooled
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 375F. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
  2. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in melted shortening (or butter). Add egg and vanilla; mix until creamy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined.
  3. Using a 1 inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are firm, 10-13 minutes.  Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.
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