Red Quarantine Cookbook: Part 1

Tired of making the same boring recipes? Spice up your recipe repertoire with Red Branch Media’s Quarantine Cookbook! We have combined the Brancher’s favorite recipes into a series worth drooling over.

We’d love to see what you cook up! If you try one of our recipes take a picture and tag @RedBranch.

Looking to spice up your #quarantinecooking game? Check out @RedBranch’s first Quarantine Cookbook and stay tuned for more! Share on X

MAREN’S CHICKY CHICK AND DUMPLINGS

INGREDIENTS:  

Flour

Salt + Pepper

Roast Chicken

Oil

Onion

Carrots

Celery

Garlic

Stock

Wine

Sugar

Bay Leaves

Peppercorns

Baking Powder

Milk

Butter

Parchment Paper

Herbs

PREPARATION:

In a shallow bowl, mix 1/2 cup flour, salt, and pepper. Add chicken pulled from a roaster, 1 piece at a time, and toss to coat; shake off excess. In a 6-qt. stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown chicken in batches on all sides; remove from pan.

Add 1 onion, 4 carrots and 3 celery chopped to the same pan; cook and stir 6-8 minutes or until onion is tender. Add a tablespoon of garlic; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Stir in 1/4 cup flour until blended. Gradually add stock, stirring constantly. Stir in wine, sugar, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Return chicken to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 20-25 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

For dumplings, in a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk milk and melted butter until blended. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened (do not overmix). Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet; set aside. (can add lots of herbs to these and a pinch of sugar)

Remove chicken from stockpot; cool slightly. Discard bay leaves and skim fat from soup. Remove skin and bones from chicken and discard. Using 2 forks, coarsely shred meat into 1- to 1-1/2-in. pieces; return to soup. Cook, covered, on high until mixture reaches a simmer.

Drop dumplings on top of simmering soup, a few at a time. Reduce heat to low; cook, covered, 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of dumplings comes out clean (do not lift cover while simmering). Gently stir in cream, parsley, and thyme. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

MACKENZIE’S BOUJEE BLT’S

INGREDIENTS:  

Bread

Applewood Bacon

Arugula

Brown Sugar

Cherry Tomatoes

Remoulade Sauce

Olive Oil

Basil

PREPARATION:

Coat bacon with brown sugar on both sides and cook

Half cherry tomatoes and stir in olive oil and basil

Toast Bread Slices

ASSEMBLE :

Rub remoulade sauce on toasted bread

Top with tomato, olive oil, and basil mixture

Add your desired amount of arugula

Add the brown sugared bacon

If you’d like, cut into smaller pieces and add a toothpick to serve as an appetizer

JEN’S CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS:  

Olive oil (2 tbsp)

Minced garlic (4 cloves)

Cumin (½ tsp)

Salt (½ tsp)

Freshly cracked pepper (10 grinds)

Red pepper flakes (a pinch)

2 limes

Cilantro (½ bunch), chopped

Chicken tenderloins (5-6) OR chicken thighs (5)

PREPARATION:

1. Combine the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (about 10 cranks of a pepper mill) in a small bowl.
2. Zest one of the limes and then squeeze the juice. You’ll need 2-3 Tbsp juice, so if needed, juice half of the second lime. Cut the remaining lime into wedges to garnish the chicken once cooked. Roughly chop the cilantro.
3. Add 1 tsp of the lime zest, 2-3 Tbsp of the lime juice, and half of the chopped cilantro to the marinade. Stir to combine. (The remaining cilantro will be added fresh after cooking the chicken.)
4. Place the chicken in a shallow dish or a large ziplock bag. Add the marinade and toss the chicken to coat. Allow the chicken to marinate for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours (refrigerated), turning it once or twice as it marinates.
5. When you’re ready to cook the chicken, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until well browned and cooked through. My chicken had enough of an oil coating from the marinade that I did not need to add any extra to the skillet.
6. Top the cooked chicken with more fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Serve with any extra lime wedges.

Serve with your favorite rice (and throw in extra cilantro/lime for added flavor)!

Check our @MarenHogan’s special chicken and dumplings #recipe in the first edition of @RedBranch's Quarantine Cookbook. Share on X

ANDREA’S PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:  

½ cup butter softened

½ cup Peter Pan creamy peanut butter

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup honey

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS:

In a large mixing bowl beat butter with peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until combined. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and honey. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Mix in the baking soda and baking powder, then the flour a little at a time until fully incorporated. If necessary, cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Shape dough into 1” balls (I use a melon baller scoop for consistency). Roll balls in additional granulated sugar until lightly coated. Place balls 2: apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the tines of a fork, flatten balls by making criss-cross marks on the top. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Rest on cookie sheet for about 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack, let cool. Makes about 36 cookies.

TIPS:

Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

These can easily be used for peanut butter blossoms, use an extra ¼ teaspoon of baking soda and skip pressing them with the fork, bake them in balls. When you take them out of the oven, immediately press 1 Hershey kiss candy into the center of each cookie. Then transfer them over to a wire rack.

Check out our COVID-19 Swipe File with important resources, including The Beginner’s Survival Guide to Working from Home and Virtual Company Culture Building.