Day 5: S'mores Brownies

This was my first time doing a dessert in my dutch oven. I was a little nervous at first, but I am finding that dutch ovens are very forgiving. I feel like I am beginning to see just how versatile dutch ovens are. I think that with some more experience, I could adapt just about any recipe to use in them. But for the next little while, I am going to use tried and true dutch oven recipes. I am still learning a lot every time I cook, but I don't think I am ready to start making my own creations or using more complicated recipes. I hope that by spring that will have changed. One thing that I have noticed about dutch oven recipes is that they all seem to be heavier kinds of comfort foods. I hope that I can learn to adapt some non-traditional recipes for dutch oven use.

I think that today's recipe may quite possibly be perfect. I don't care where you cook it, you can't go wrong with marshmallows and peanut butter cups melted on a brownie. This is my version of manna from heaven. This recipe is from "101 Things to do with a Dutch Oven".

S'mores Brownies

1 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/2 cup cocoa

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 t. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 cups flour

3/4 cup chopped pecans (I left these out)

1 cup mini marshmallows (I used 2 cups)

1 cup chopped peanut butter cups (I used 2 cups)

In a bowl, whisk butter and cocoa together. Add eggs one at a time, whisking between each. Add sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and flour. Pour into dutch oven sprayed with nonstick spray containing flour (I just coated mine with vegetable oil and didn't have any problems, you could also line your oven with foil). Sprinkle pecans over the top. bake at 400 degrees using 18 coals on the bottom and 12 on the top. Bake 12 minutes and then remove heat from the bottom, but continue baking with top heat 15-20 minutes longer. Remove lid and sprinkle with marshmallows and peanut butter cups. Replace lid and remove all coals. Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving. Makes 12 servings.

The Finished Product

What I learned

I learned that I should trust my first instinct when cooking brownies. I looked at the cooking times and thought "No way". In my oven with a constant temperature, even a small pan of brownies takes almost an hour. When I make this recipe again I will start checking for doneness after 20 minutes of top and bottom heat, and it will probably be almost ready after 30 minutes, then I will take it off the bottom heat and finish up with about 20 minutes of only top heat. This is a recipe that you will want to keep a close eye on. I also left the coals on the lid while the marshmallows and peanut butter cups were melting to speed up the process.

The Review

As I said before, this was manna from heaven. It is a very rich dessert and I probably didn't need all the calories so soon after Christmas, but I have to admit, it was worth it. The cooking times were a big problem, but even with having to stop cooking to wait for more coals to be ready they were still almost perfect. One spot in the center was a little done on the bottom but they were still sinful. You should really make these. Go to the store. Now. You won't be sorry, and you will be thanking me and singing my praises by the time you are through.

Day 4: Teriyaki Barbecue Chicken

Do you remember when you were in about the eighth grade and you would giggle every time you walked into your English class because you knew that cute boy or girl that you had a major crush on would be there? Well...I think I have a crush on my dutch oven. Every time I think about cooking something in it I want to giggle. I have had a permanent grin on my face because cooking with my dutch oven is just so DANG much fun! Now granted, it is not without it's own unique challenges and I realize I am only on day four. The real test will come when I hit day 186 and I am wondering why in the world I decided to do this. But for now I'll just enjoy the giddy feeling my dutch ovens give me. I think I need a shrink!

On to today's recipe, Teriyaki Barbecue Chicken. This one was really easy and really yummy. My 7 year old said I could make it for dinner every day. The flavor was unique and the chicken was tender. I served it over rice (that I cooked in the kitchen). The recipe comes from the book "101 Things to do with a Dutch Oven" by Vernon Winterton.

Teriyaki Barbecue Chicken

14" dutch oven (I used a 12 and it worked fine)

1 18 oz. bottle barbecue sauce

1 18 oz bottle teriyaki sauce

6-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 12 oz can lemon-lime soda

Pour the sauces into the dutch oven and add chicken. Pour soda over the top. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees using 12 coals on bottom and 16 on top. Chicken is done when internal temperature reaches 170 degrees or when pierced with a fork, the juices run clear. Makes 6-8 servings.

The Finished Product

What I Learned

One of the hardest things for me is that everything takes a long time to cook in a dutch oven. But I am starting to think that some of the problem is the cold temperatures and the wind. These Utah winters are cold, and this one has been really cold. I am learning to adjust the heat of the oven to compensate for the air temps. For this chicken I had to put a few extra coals on top and bottom to keep it cooking the way I needed it to.

The Review

This was yummy. It had a unique flavor that really caught your attention and it smelled delish! My kids loved it and I had a hard time saving some for my hubby. I pounded the chicken flat with a meat mallet so the chicken was tender and cooked faster. It took about an hour to cook, rather than the 30 minutes indicated in the recipe. I will make this one again.

Day 3: Chicken Enchilada Soup

Before I begin, I have a confession to make. I have an unhealthy obsession with Mexican food. If I were stuck on a desert island and could only eat one kind of food, it would probably be Mexican food. It doesn't matter if it is mild or if I breath fire after every bite, it is never bland and always has such a great mix of flavors that keep my palate very happy. So today's recipe really hit the spot. Chicken enchilada soup has long been a family favorite. My kids have a parade through the house when they find out that it is on the menu. It is easy to make, and comes together easily in the kitchen, but I think it was a little ambitious to try it in the dutch oven so early in the year. I have so little experience with outdoor cooking that it was a challenge. I may revisit this recipe in a month or two, if you don't mind. So, without further delay, here it is!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

12"dutch oven

1 Tbs. oil

1 lb. diced chicken

1/2 c. chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic

4 c. chicken broth (I used bouillon cubes)

1 c. Masa corn flour (available in the baking aisle)

3 c. water

1 10 oz. can red enchilada sauce (I like medium)

1 lb. Velveeta, cubed

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

Cook chicken, onion and garlic in the oil in a 12" dutch oven. I used about 18 coals with bottom heat only. Be sure to preheat your oil in the dutch oven before putting chicken in. When chicken is cooked through, add broth, flour and water. Whisk until smooth. Stir in all remaining ingredients except the chicken. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Add the chicken, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. At this point I used 10 coals on the bottom and 14 on top and just "baked" the soup. Spoon into bowl and garnish with olives, salsa, guacamole, cheese and corn chips.

What I learned

I am starting to believe that you actually CAN make anything in the dutch oven. This was kind of a challenge because I wasn't sure how many coals I would need to saute chicken and onions. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I just had to make sure the oven and the oil was nice and hot before I put the meat and veggies in. I can tell you that it was WAY to cold to be frying chicken and onions outside!

The Review

We love this soup. It is hot and filling and my kids love being able to add all their favorite toppings. This is one meal where I never get any complaints about what's for dinner. This also makes a great dip. Just cut the water in half so it gets really thick.

Day 2: Ham and Cheese Potato Casserole

This was a great recipe. It comes from one of my favorite blogs, http://www.realmomkitchen.com/. Not only was it hot and comforting on a windy winter night, but cooking it in a dutch oven, it smelled like camping feels. While it was cooking, I felt like I should be up in the mountains in the cool night air, listening to the campfire crackle and pop and watching it shoot sparks in the air. This recipe would be a great one to try on a camp out. It is simple, which is a must when you are cooking in the outdoors, and has great flavor. So here it is!

Ham and Cheese Potato Casserole

10" dutch oven

1 can condensed cream of celery soup

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup water

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 28 oz. pkg O'Brien hash browns, thawed

8 oz. velveeta cheese, cubed

1 1/4 cup cubed fully cooked ham

In a large bowl, combine soup, sour cream, water and pepper. Stir in the potatoes, cheese and ham. Transfer to a dutch oven and cook with 8 coals on the bottom and 12 coals on top for 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. 6 servings

What I learned

When it is windy outside like it was today, it takes longer to cook. The wind takes the heat away from the dutch oven. I had to add a few more coals to the top and bottom to keep the heat where it needed to be.

The review

This was a great dish. It was cheesy, creamy and yummy. Even my picky 15 year old loved it. This is one I will probably make again, and I will for sure take it camping this summer. Mine turned out a little too runny so next time I will leave out the water and I think it will be perfect.

Day One: Fast and Easy Cookie Cobbler

Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2010 is great for one and all!

So here I am, outside in 25 degree weather, 4" of snow on the ground and the wind is blowing. Not a banner day to be cooking outside. I guess I will count my blessings that it isn't raining cats and dogs! Now that the patio is shoveled and my gear is assembled, I am nervously ready to go. I'm just not sure that I can get this right. I love to cook, and I am pretty handy in the kitchen. There isn't much I can't cook. But I am not ashamed to say that cooking in a dutch oven terrifies me. I can't just push a button and have the temperature exactly where I need it. This is going to take some courage on my part. In the kitchen, if a recipe flops I can usually salvage it enough to make it edible, but in the dutch oven, I'm not so sure. So for my first dutch oven meal in about 5 years (or longer), I decided to try something that I can't possibly screw up. This recipe has only 2 ingredients, and should be a big confidence booster for me (in theory, anyway). the recipe is called Fast and Easy Cookie Cobbler. It is from a book by Marla Rawlings called "The Beginner's Guide to Dutch Oven Cooking".

Fast and Easy Cookie Cobbler

10" dutch oven

1 16 oz. package refrigerator sugar cookie dough

2 cans any flavor pie filling (I used apple)

Pour the pie filling into the oiled dutch oven. If you oiled your ovens after the last time you used it you don't need to re-oil it. Slice the cookie dough and place it on top of the filling. Cover and cook with 8 coals on the bottom and 12 coals on top for 30-40 minutes. (Remember take the size of dutch oven and subtract 2 for the number of bottom coals and add 2 for the number of top coals.) Rotate lid and oven while cooking to ensure even heating. I rotated mine every 10 minutes.

The finished product.

What I learned

I have to admit this was easier than I thought it would be. Using the formula for adding coals was easy. I did learn that you do not put coals on the center of the lid or under the center of the oven because they seemed to cause a hot spot and the cookie dough browned faster in the center. Once I moved the coals to the outside it was fine. It is a good idea to put aluminum foil on the ground under the coals. I keeps the coals from staining the concrete. I also learned that it really does take 30-40 minutes to get the coals going. I need to plan ahead better.

The Review

This recipe was pretty good. I mean what can you expect from two ingredients. I was too sweet for me, but my kids ate it up--literally. It definitly needed the cool whip or ice cream, and I still washed it down with milk. This recipe is great for kids, and boy scouts would probably love it. I think there are better recipes out there, and I think I will find them before I give this one a try again.

Come back tomorrow for a yummy Ham and Cheese Potato Casserole.