this will warm your tummy

Holy smackaloni! So I have the most wonderfully tasteful recipe to share with you today. The weather has been dropping and dropping this week which makes me yearn for warm, comfort in a bowl food. I don't know what made me stop and do a double take at this stew recipe, I usually can't stand the very thought of stew. Perhaps it was the fact that there was no cheap red meat included. Whatever the reason I am sure glad I went out on a limb and simmered up a pot.

Doesn't that just look cozy? I really need to learn how to style my food better to make it look more appetizing.....but the truth is, by the time i am done cooking I want to eat, and then I don't feel like fiddling around with the leftover food to make it look pretty. Perhaps someday I will learn. Until then I will keep drooling over other bloggers pics such as this one from Picky Palate. Besides, I don't have cool spoons, napkins, or those anthropology glasses. Sigh.

Anyways....

If you are looking for the perfect balance of hearty and healthy, this stew has it all! I followed the recipe almost exactly except I added a bit more liquid, used poached chicken breasts, included some dried rosemary, and a little extra seasoning for good measure. It reminded me of a different take on a chicken pot pie, but without the pie.....until I added....BISCUITS!  I decided to make them last minute and am totally glad I did, they rounded out the meal and were dreamlike quick!

The recipe originated from Cooks Illustrated which means that it has been tested and approved multiple times. And I should also mention they are now "Kyle tested and approved" as well.....whooo, good thing.

The only thing I did differently was I chose not to brush them with melted butter, I prefer to cut them open and smear it on the inside.....but do as you wish.

Best Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
Yields: 12 biscuits ( I only got 11)

You need:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. sugar
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 1 stick + 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• parchment paper

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
2. Melt the 1 stick butter and let cool about 5 minutes.
3. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter and the buttermilk, and stir until clumps form.
5. Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients until just incorporated and the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Using a ¼ cup dry measure, scoop out and drop 12 balls of dough onto the baking sheet (this is easier if you spray the measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray).
8. Bake until the tops are golden brown, about 14 minutes.
9. Let cool on a wire rack.
10. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tbsp. butter and brush the tops of the biscuits with the butter before serving.

Notes: This recipe is from the November-December 2007 issue of Cook’s Illustrated Magazine.

You know what would have made last nights meal perfection? If I would have served this for dessert...

 

Oh yeah, you can't go wrong with a warm apple crisp topped with vanilla bean icecream and caramel drizzle.  I would make this every day if I had a never ending supply of apples. You can find the recipe here Apple Crisp. Great, now I am craving a bowl like mad......Enjoy Friends!