Jessica's Joyful Kitchen

My precious little “Greta” finally arrived! Gretchen Wyatt Johnstone was born at 4:32 AM on May 2, 2011 weighing 6 lbs, 10 oz and 19 inches long. I was induced the evening of May 1st at Duke Hospital and was told it could be 2-3 days until she arrived…but after only 5 hours of active laboring (without any pain medications) here she is. She is a sweetheart; a calm little being that completely fills me with an enormous amount of joy.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts Broccoli florets, oil, s&p 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons orange marmalade 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 3/4 cup flour 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 3 tablespoons butter, melted Rice, for serving additional marmalade/soy mixture or Hoisin sauce Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. In a medium bowl, mix together the soy sauce, orange marmalade, wine, and crushed red pepper flakes. Toss in the chicken cubes and marinate for at least 10 minutes and up to 8 hours in the refrigerator. Please broccoli florets on a sheet pan and drizzle with oil, salt and pepper.  In another bowl or plastic bag, mix together the flour and sesame seeds. Drain the chicken cubes and blot any excess liquid, and then toss in the flour to coat lightly. Spread the chicken cubes on the p...

1 pound whole wheat pasta 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter 1/3 cup chicken broth plus 1/3 cup water 1/4 cup rice vinegar 2 tablespoons light soy sauce 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons Asian dark sesame oil 2 teaspoons peeled ginger, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 3 tablespoons sesame seeds 2 scallions, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal 1. Cook linguine in a large pot of lightly salted water following package directions. Drain, and immediately plunge into an ice water bath. Set aside. 2. Meanwhile, in medium-size saucepan, combine peanut butter, chicken broth and water, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Whisk until combined. Cook on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. 3. While sauce simmers, toast sesame seeds in a nonstick skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, shaking pan to keep seeds from burn...

  1 pound ground beef 1 large onion, chopped 1 large green pepper, chopped, optional 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained 1 can (16 ounces) chili beans, drained 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce 1 envelope taco seasoning 1 package (13 ounces) regular tortilla chips 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese In a Dutch oven, cook the beef, onions and green peppers over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes (mixture will be thin). In a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish, spoon in meat mixture. Top with chips and cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Original Recipe

For the Cookies: 1 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped 1/2 ounce milk chocolate, chopped 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup sour cream 2 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon red food coloring 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt For the Filling: 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and seeds scraped Make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the semisweet and milk chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 50 percent power until melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Whisk the melted butter, sour cream, eggs, vinegar,...

3 tablespoons   butter 1 lb  lean ground beef 1   large white onion ,  diced 8   oz   baby portobello mushrooms ,  sliced 4   cloves   garlic ,  minced ¼   cup   all purpose flour 1 ½   cup   beef broth 1 ½   cup   heavy whipping cream 2   tablespoons   Worcestershire sauce 1   tablespoon   dijon mustard salt and pepper ,  to taste ¾   cup   sour cream (170g) 2   tablespoons   chopped Parsley ,  optional Rice or egg noodles, prepared  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add ground beef and brown the beef, breaking apart with a spatula. Add onion, cooking until onion starts to soften and become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic. Cook stirring often, until mushrooms are softened, about 3-5 minutes.
 Evenly sprinkle flour into the pan, stir well and cook for 30 seconds. Add beef broth and heavy whipping cream. S...

2 cups chicken broth 4 tablespoons butter 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cups arborio rice 1 1/4 cups drained chopped canned artichoke hearts Grated peel of 1 lemon plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice Salt and pepper 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped In a saucepan, bring the broth and 4 cups water to a boil, cover and keep at a simmer. In a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the broth mixture, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Maintaining a low simmer, continue to add the broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and allowing the rice to absorb the liquid. Cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. In the last...

2 1/2 cups chicken stock A generous pinch saffron threads, about 24 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup orzo pasta or broken pieces of thin spaghetti 1 cup long-grain rice A small handful golden raisins 1 tablespoon EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1/2 pound Spanish chorizo, diced 1 large red bell pepper, chopped 1 large Spanish onion, peeled and chopped 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1/4 cup large Spanish, pimiento-stuffed green olives, chopped Salt and pepper 1 tablespoon sweet or smoked sweet paprika, a palmful 2 pinches cinnamon 1/2 cup green peas, optional About 1/2 cup dry sherry 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped 1/2 cup dry-roasted Marcona almonds or toasted sliced almonds In a saucepot, melt butter over medium heat. Add pasta and toast until deep golden brown and very nutty in aroma. Add rice, stir, add saffron stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook rice 16-18 minutes, until tender. Meanwhile, place raisins...

Several weeks ago I saw Kelsey Nixon make her own vanilla extract on her show “ Kelsey’s Essentials ” and I loved the idea. It took me awhile to make it over to the liquor store, but I finally did and with what I purchased was able to make two 16oz jars worth of vanilla extract. For the vanilla beans, I ordered them online in bulk and (wow) they are so plump and fragrant. 16 oz vodka, 80 proof (40% alcohol) 5 vanilla beans, split lengthwise Place in 16oz air tight jar. Allow to sit for 6-8 weeks in a dark place, gently shake once or twice a week. If you start to run low, top the jar off with more vodka and shake again. Also, whenever you use a vanilla bean in other recipes toss it into the jar after you’ve used it. This will continue to “feed” your vanilla extract and it should keep for years. Recipe Source