Buttermilk Biscuits

Whenever I make Fried Chicken I makes biscuits too. But usually I just bake the Pillsbury Biscuits that you can find in the freezer section of the store.

Well... my last Fried Chicken dinner was almost ready and I was ready to bake the biscuits when I discovered that I didn't have any!

Yikes! Now what?

I figured I could make some. I don't typically have buttermilk in the house; but since I was making fried chicken, I had some. Ok... just need to find a recipe.

Ahhh... Alton Brown! He never lets me down!



Southern Biscuits
2 C flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 TBLS butter
2 TBLS shortening
1 C buttermilk, chilled

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.

Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first.)

Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

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Ok... combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Then, using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into it.


Until it looks like crumbs.


Do it fast, so you don't melt the butter and shortening.

Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk.


Combine just until dough comes together.




Turn the sticky dough onto floured surface.


Dust the top with flour and gently fold the dough over on itself 5 or 6 times.


You can kinda watch the sun set while I'm making the biscuits! The shadows are getting longer and longer!

Press dough into a 1 inch thick round.


Cut out biscuits with a 2 inch cutter, be sure to press straight down through the dough. I couldn't find my biscuit cutters, so I just used a can.


Place biscuits on a baking sheet so they just touch.


Reform scrap dough and cut more biscuits. Work the dough as little as possible.




Now into the oven, preheated to 450F for 15 to 20 minutes, until they're tall and golden.




Wow! These came out awesome! And they were wicked easy to make!!

Why do I buy frozen ones again??? Oh yeah... I usually don't have buttermilk... but I think I'll try to plan ahead to be ready to whip these up on a whim!

Tall and golden...


With melty butter...


Or honey...


Someone couldn't wait for dinner...


I definitely won't make Biscuits and Gravy without actually making the Biscuits from scratch!

So I was just looking to link to my Sausage Gravy recipe... and guess what?? It's not here!!

I see Biscuits & Gravy for breakfast in our very near future!

Stay tuned for the recipe!

Have some Buttermilk Biscuits while you wait!

Cheese Sticks Two Ways

I had been seeing people making cheese sticks by wrapping string cheese in wonton wrappers for quite awhile. It took some time, but I finally got around to trying it. I'm so glad I did!!

I've seen them both ways, fried and baked. So I tried both!



Cheese Sticks
String Cheese
Wonton Wrappers
oil for frying (if you're frying!)
Dipping Sauces

Cut each string cheese into thirds.
Roll into wonton wrappers.

Now either fry in oil heated to 350F until golden.

Or...

Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, spritz with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and bake at 400F for 15 minutes or until golden.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauces.

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First you need these...


Cut the string cheese sticks into thirds


Place a wonton wrapper on plate or cutting board in front of you as shown below.

Moisten the tip of your finger with water and trace around the edge of the wonton wrapper.

Place a piece of cheese near the bottom of the wonton wrapper.


Fold up the bottom of the wrapper over the cheese.


Fold in the sides.


Roll it up tight.


Repeat until you run out of cheese or wrappers or until you have as many as you'd like.



Now for baking, lay them out on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Spray them with oil olive. Then sprinkle with kosher salt. Or whatever salt you like!


Into the oven, preheated to 400F for 15 minutes. Turn them half way through.

But pay attention to them, they might leak a little.


Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauces!


Now if you're frying... heat your oil to 350F and fry a few at a time.

Be sure to not overcrowd the pan.


Drain on a paper towel



And serve with your favorite dipping sauces!


At first I was thinking that the baked ones would be really lame.

But both were really good!!

Fried of course is amazing, because everything is really good fried. They're crispy and melty and gooey. Totally delicious!

But the baked one were also wicked good. They're chewy and salty and creamy. So good!

The kids swarmed on these and devoured both kinds in a matter of minutes.

Try them both ways and see which way your family prefers!

Hot Dog Pepperoni Pizzadilla

So this is probably one of Bob's favorite things to eat. It's the Hot Dog Pepperoni Pizzadilla.

Many of you will be horrified by this concoction. But I know some of you... ok... probably not many people who actually 'read' my blog... but some of them will know a teenager who would LOVE this!



Hot Dog Pepperoni Pizzadilla
1 burrito sized flour tortilla
1 cheese dog, sliced
20 pepperoni slices, or enough to cover your tortilla
a big handful or two of shredded cheese

Sprinkle enough shredded cheese for a generous covering on the tortilla.


The kind of cheese I use varies by what I have in the house. I always have a variety of cheddars, colby, pepperjack, mozzarella and provolone. But there could also be any other kind of cheese I have on hand too... swiss, parmesan, asiago, romano.. actually I usually have all of those too... I just depends on what's already grated!

Place pepperoni slices over cheese.


Then add sliced cheese hot dogs.


Sprinkle a little more cheese over the top.


And into the microwave for 2 minutes.


A few quick cuts with a pizza cutter. I always use a large round plate with no ridges, so it's easy to cut with the pizza cutter. But you could use kitchen scissors too. =)


I was out of hot dogs the other day, and asked if he wanted a keilbasa dog on it in addition to the pepperoni. He said yes, but as it turns out, pepperoni and keilbasa don't go very well together, at least according to Bob.

Anyway... this is definitely one of Bob's favorite snacks.

I've never actually tried it. Hmmmm... now I'm thinking I should make him one and try a slice.

Holding off on the post to give this junk food a try!

Hey I'm back!

Ok... I stole half a slice of Bob's pizzadilla... I was really surprised that I kinda liked it. But I think it really is more teenager/college kid kinda food.

Anyway... Spryte's Place is just "what's going on in my kitchen" and this is going on in my kitchen a lot!

Mexican Quinoa & Pintos Stuffed Poblanos

I LOVE poblano peppers. They're mild and delicious and I could eat them in everything!

I made Mexican Quinoa & Pintos with the intent to stuff poblanos with it... and I'm SO glad I did!!



Mexican Quinoa & Pintos Stuffed Poblanos
1 recipe Mexican Quinoa & Pintos
3 poblano peppers
1 1/2 C red enchilada sauce
3/4 C shredded colby pepperjack cheese

Cut the tops out of the poblanos and discard the seeds.
Stuff peppers with quinoa. Cover with enchilada sauce.
Cover pan loosely with foil.
Bake in oven preheated to 350F for one hour or until peppers are fork tender.
Top each pepper with 1/4 cup of shredded cheese and bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.
Enjoy!

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So start by cutting out the tops of the poblanos and discarding the seeds.


Then stuff the peppers with Mexican Quinoa & Pintos


Pour enchilada sauce over stuffed poblanos.


Cover pan loosely with foil and bake at 350F for one hour or until peppers are fork tender. (you can see my little stabby fork marks)


Mmmmm... this smells so good!!

Sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melty.


Time to enjoy!


These were so tender and tasty! Tawny and I each had one and really liked them. I sent one across the street to Erin too and deemed it blogworthy!

So there you have it!

Mexican Quinoa with Pintos

I have been dying to try quinoa, "grain of the gods" as they call it.

Out of the blue, I finally decided it was time.

I went to Giant Eagle. Even though it seems like this is a pretty mainstream kind of ingredient, my Giant Eagle isn't the best store to find anything that could be considered even slightly exotic.

After looking every place I thought it might be, with no luck. It struck me that I should check out their teeny tiny little organic section. I found it there. Almost five bucks for a little bag. I'll have to remember to look at Trader Joe's next time I'm there. I'm pretty sure it will be cheaper!



Mexican Quinoa with Pintos
3/4 C quinoa
1 1/2 C veggie stock
1 can Mexican Rotel (with lime juice & cilantro), drained
1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Salt

Pour quinoa and veggie stock into a sauce pan and heat until boiling.
Cover sauce pan and turn heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes until stock is absorbed and quinoa is translucent.
Fluff with fork.
Stir in drained Mexican Rotel and drained & rinse pintos.
Enjoy!

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So first you need quinoa.


This smells so good! Kinda earthy and nutty.

And some veggie stock.


That's also very expensive at Giant Eagle. I really need to stock up next time I'm at Trader Joe's.

So quinoa and veggie stock into a sauce pan.


Heat until boiling, then cover pan and turn heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, until stock is absorbed and quinoa is translucent.



Stir in some drained Mexican Rotel.


And some pintos.


I could have drained my Rotal a little more. A couple minutes over the heat will dry this up a bit more.

Now you have a perfect side!


Bob was totally not interested in trying this and Tawny and Jon seemed to like it. I thought it was great! I love quinoa and can't wait to try more recipes with it!