Apple Cinnamon Mini Scones

It's the weekend, and as usual I had a hankering for warm delicious baked goods. So here we have it:


Apple Cinnamon Mini Scones, adapted from Simple Scones.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda cinnamon and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in apple.
3. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.
4. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)
5. Split dough in half. Place one half on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 3.5- to 4-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Repeat with other half of dough. Bake until golden, about 12 to 14 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

I just love the pastry-like scones with apple and cinnamon. Very light and flaky. I made these half the normal size so I can indulge with just a little less guilt.

Call for links

I'm slowly creating a links list on the right. If you have a source for your OAMC recipes, or a tag on your blog for recipes that freeze well, or anything else you've found helpful in once-a-month or freezer cooking, leave me a comment so I can add it.

Also, feel free to link to me from your blog.

Chicken in Enchilada Sauce

I live in the frozen plains of Canada, and so the luxury of enchilada sauce from a can is unknown to me. As is the proper method of making enchiladas.  I know I could learn, but my lazy version is pretty good in the meantime.

Just shred 3-4 cooked chicken breast, and add enough of the following sauce to make it look good. Freezes and thaws extremely well. Serve in/with tortillas.

Ten Minute Enchilada Sauce 

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons self-rising flour
• 1/4 cup New Mexico or California chili powder
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion salt
• salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and chili powder, reduce heat to medium, and cook until lightly brown, stirring constantly to prevent burning flour.
2. Gradually stir in tomato sauce, water, cumin, garlic powder, and onion salt into the flour and chili powder until smooth, and continue cooking over medium heat approximately 10 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt.
   

Monkey Bread

Cinnamon rolls are one of my favorite things in the world... but they take a lot of effort. Monkey Bread is the lazy cook's cinnamon roll. This recipe uses dough made in the bread machine, but you can easily use a mixer with a dough hook or just do it up by hand.

Monkey Bread II

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons margarine, softened
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup margarine
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup raisins

DIRECTIONS

1. Remove baking pan from machine. Place yeast, flour, ground cinnamon, salt, white sugar, 2 tablespoons butter and water in the order that is recommended for the bread maker. Make sure that no liquid comes in contact with the yeast. Select dough cycle and press start.
2. When dough is complete, place dough on floured surface and knead 10 to 12 times.
3. In a medium saucepan on low heat, melt one cup of butter, stir in brown sugar and raisins ( 1/4 cup of chopped nuts is good too!). Stir until smooth. Remove from heat.
4. Cut dough in one inch chunks. Drop one chunk at a time into the butter sugar mixture. Thoroughly coat dough pieces, then layer them loosely in a greased Bundt or tube pan, staggering layers so you're plopping each dough chunk over a space between two below. Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until dough is just over the top of the pan, 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F (190 degree C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes or till golden brown. Remove from oven, place a plate face down in top of the pan and, using oven mitts to hold plate on pan, turn over both until bread slides out onto plate. Serve warm...and enjoy.

I cut the sauce (margarine, brown sugar, raisins) in half, and I shouldn't have. It sounded like too much, but it would have been even ooier and goier with more caramel. This is actually my first try at monkey bread, and I think it's already my go-to "wow" recipe for a bake sale or office potluck.

Why OAMC rocks (Carmelized Pear and Walnut Salad with Orange Vinagarette)

Part of what makes Once a Month Cooking fabulous is that when the main course is taken care of, it's much easier to put some effort into a great side dish, like this salad. I served it with a previously made ham and cheese quiche.

Salad with Prosciutto and Caramelized Pears and Walnuts

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 2 cups fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon white wine
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 pears - peeled, cored and cut into wedges
• 1 cup walnut halves
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 pound prosciutto, cut into thin strips
• 2 romaine hearts, rinsed and torn

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, heat orange juice over medium-high heat, whisking often, until it is reduced by 1/4.
2. Add to a blender, along with the vinegar, onion, sugar, wine, salt and pepper, and process until smooth. Then, while blending on a low speed, remove cap and slowly drizzle in the olive oil to emulsify (thicken) the dressing. Chill until ready to use.
3. Melt butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Saute pears and nuts in butter for 3 minutes. Add sugar and water and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown and caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4. In a large bowl, combine prosciutto, lettuce and the pear and walnut mixture. Add vinaigrette and toss to coat. Serve on a large Italian platter. Enjoy!

I scaled this down to just two servings and omitted the prosciutto. I also added a little feta cheese. I've been dreaming of this salad since I saw something very similar on a local-access cable cooking show months ago. It was worth the effort, as carmelized anything always is.

Chicken Souvlaki Dump Chicken

Chicken Souvlaki Dump Chicken
4 chicken breasts, cooked, cut into large chunks
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oil
1/4 cup lemon juice

Combine spices and oil. Add lemon juice. Place (or "dump") chicken in freezer container or bag, pour marinade over. Freeze.

To serve, heat in microwave in glass dish. Drain off excess mainade. Serve with baked potatoes and a veggie side, such as carrot sticks or steamed broccoli.

To prepare without freezing, place raw chicken in marinade for at least 30 min (up to a day). Thread onto skewers; broil or barbeque until done, approx. 5 min on each side.

We've already eaten both containers of Chicken Souvlaki, and it was one of the best chicken recipes I've made. Supper was on the table in less than 15 minutes, with only about 5 minutes of actual active work. I will be making this again. The same marinade also works with beef or venison; cubed round steak is perfect.