Sunday, October 17, 2010

Barley and Lentil Soup

2 boxes (32 oz each) Beef Broth (8 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed
4 large carrots, sliced (about 3 cups)
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 c. dried lentils
1/2 c. uncooked barley

Mix broth, garlic, oregano, carrots, onion, lentils and barley in a 3 1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 8 to 9 hours or until tender. (Or on high for 4 to 5 hours)

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

1/2 c. chopped red pepper
1/2 c. diced tomato
1 can (8 3/4 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-in. pieces
1 can (10 3/4 oz) Campbell's Condensed Chicken Verde Soup
1 1/2 c. water
2 corn tortillas cut into strips
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (2 oz)
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Place pepper, tomato, corn and chicken in 3 1/2 quart slow cooker. Mix soup and water. Pour over chicken mixture. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. Add tortillas, cheese, and cilantro. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Serve with additional cheese if desired.

Peach Crumb Pie

Notes: I used frozen peaches, so I did not have the liquid from the drained, canned peaches. I used 1 cup of water for that liquid & I left out the other 1/4 cup of water.

1 Pillsbury refrigerated unbaked 9" piecrust
4 cups (two 16 oz. cans) peaches, packed in fruit juice, drained, and 1 cup liquid reserved
1/4 cup water
1 (4-serving) pkg. JELL-O vanilla cook and serve pudding mix
1 (4-serving) pkg. JELL-O peach gelatin
6 tbsp. Bisquick Reduced Fat Baking Mix
2 1/2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. margarine
1 tbsp. (1/4 oz.) chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place piecrust in a 9" pie plate and flute edges. In a large saucepan, combine peach liquid, water, dry pudding mix, and dry gelatin. Mix well to combine. Coarsely chop peaches. Stir peaches into pudding mixture. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and starts to boil, stirring often. Spoon hot peach mixture into piecrust. In a medium bowl, combine baking mix, sugar, and margarine. Mix well using a fork until mixture becomes crumbly. Stir in pecans. Evenly sprinkle crumb mixture over peach filling. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Place pie plate on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Cut into 8 servings.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Caramel Peanut Butter Apple Dip

Caramel Peanut Butter Apple Dip from Real Mom Kitchen

* 3/4 cup caramel sauce (I used caramel apple dip from the produce department in place of the caramel sauce)
* 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
* 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
* 1 Tbsp chopped peanuts as garnish (optional)

1. Combine the caramel sauce and peanut butter until smooth.
2. Fold in the marshmallow fluff. Spoon dip into serving bowl and top with optional chopped peanuts.
3. Serve with sliced apple.

5 Minute Artisan Bread

5 Minute Artisan Bread from Real Mom Kitchen

- Notes: Probably one of the best breads I've ever made. It's really crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I did store it in the fridge and make it later, and it worked like a charm! I baked it on a stone. Update: I made this again 10/11/2010 and I didn't even let it rise fully either times..about an hour and a half for the first rise and 10 mins for the second, and it was awesome.

3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (1.5 packets)
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt or other coarse salt (or 1 tsp table salt)
6 1/2 cups flour, unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose (not strong)

1. Preparing Dough for Storage:

2. Warm the water slightly. It should feel just a little warmer than body temperature. Warm water will rise the dough to the right point for storage in about 2 hours. With cold water it will need 3-4 hours.

3. Add the yeast to the water in a 5 quart bowl or, preferably, in a resealable, lidded (not airtight) plastic food container or food-grade bucket. Don’t worry about getting it all to dissolve.

4. Mix in the flour – kneading is unnecessary. Add all of the flour at once, measuring it in with dry-ingredient measuring cups, by gently scooping up the flour, then sweeping the top level with a knife or spatula. Don’t press down into the flour as you scoop or you’ll throw off the measurement. Mix with a wooden spoon, a high-capacity food processor (14 cups or larger) fitted with the dough attachment, or a heavy duty stand mixer fitted with the dough hook until the mixture is uniform. If you’re hand mixing and it becomes too difficult to incorporate all the flour with the spoon, you can reach into your mixing vessel with very wet hands and press the mixture together. Don’t knead, it isn’t necessary. You’re finished when everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches. It takes a few minutes, and will yield a dough that is wet and loose enough to conform to the shape of its container.

5. Allow to rise. Cover with lid (not airtight or it could explode the lid off). Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse (or at least flattens on the top), approx 2 hours, depending on room temperature, and initial water temperature Longer rising times, up to 5 hours, won’t harm the result.

6. You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Fully refrigerated dough is less sticky and easier to work with than dough at room temperature.

7. On Baking Day:

8. prepare your loaf tin, tray, or whatever you’re baking it in/on. Sprinkle the surface of your refrigerated dough with four. Pull up and cut of a grapefruit-size piece of dough (c 1 lb), using a serrated knife.

9. Hold the mass of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won’t stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all 4 sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Most of the dusting flour will fall off – that’s fine, it isn’t meant to be incorporated. The bottom of the loaf may appear to be a collection of bunched ends, but it will sort itself out during resting and baking.

10. The correctly shaped final product will be smooth and cohesive. The entire process should take no more than 30 – 60 seconds.

11. Rest the loaf and let it rise in the form, on the tray/pizza peel, for about 40 minutes Depending on the age of the dough, you may not see much rise during this period. That’s fine, more rising will occur during baking.

12. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450°F Place an empty broiler tray for holding water on any other shelf that won’t interfere with the rising bread.

13. Dust and Slash. Dust the top of the loaf liberally with flour, which will allow the slashing knife to pass without sticking. Slash a quarter inch deep cross, diagonal lines, or tic-tac-toe pattern on top using a serrated knife.

14. After a 20 min preheat you’re ready to bake, even though the oven thermometer won’t be at full temperature yet. Put your loaf in the oven. Pour about 1 cup of hot water (from the tap) into the broiler tray and close the oven to trap the steam.

15. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch.

16. Store the rest of the dough in the fridge in your lidded (not airtight) container and use it over the next 14 days. The flavour and texture improves, becoming like sourdough. Even 24 hours of storage improves the flavour.

17. This is the standard bread. There are loads of variations – both savory and sweet – in the book. Makes 4 (1 lb) loaves.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies - From Annie's Eats

Yield: about 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
½ cup vegetable or canola oil
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; whisk to blend. In a the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and light in color, about 1 minute. Blend in the oil, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until well combined. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Gently fold in the butterscotch chips with a spatula.

Drop mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets (I used a medium-sized dough scoop), spacing them a few inches apart. Bake, rotating the sheets halfway through baking, until the tops feel set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 14-16 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheets 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Grandma Werner's Homemade Noodles

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. top milk (can substitute evaporated milk)
1 egg, beaten
hot broth

Combine egg, salt & milk. Add flour gradually. Roll very thin. Cut and let dry for a couple of hours. Drop into hot broth and cook very slowly - 30 - 45 minutes.

Sweet-Potato Chips

Sweet-Potato Chips
Ingredients

* 2 medium sweet potatoes
* 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray.

2. Wash potatoes. Cut into thin slices, and place in large bowl. Pour oil onto the palms of your hands. Gently rub oil onto sweet-potato slices, tossing to combine. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, tossing in bowl to coat evenly.

3. Place slices in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Turn chips over and bake until slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate; cool 5 minutes and serve.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe

Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe - From here

1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock or bouillon
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar

Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half (this is called making a roux). Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls

Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls

I made the full batch of these this weekend. So easy! And SO GOOD. Bad for you, but delicious. I froze 3 uncooked pie pans to see how they turn out. I would also cut them a little thicker than 1 in. I also baked them at 375 not 400 and left the coffee out of the frosting.

*Update* I just tried baking the rolls that I had frozen, and they flopped. :( I think next time I'll bake them and then freeze.

Link - http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/cinammon_rolls_/

Ingredients

* 1 quart Whole Milk
* 1 cup Vegetable Oil
* 1 cup Sugar
* 2 packages Active Dry Yeast
* 8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
* 1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
* 1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
* 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
* Plenty Of Melted Butter
* 2 cups Sugar
* Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
* _____
* MAPLE FROSTING:
* 1 bag Powdered Sugar
* 2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
* ½ cups Milk
* ¼ cups Melted Butter
* ¼ cups Brewed Coffee
* ⅛ teaspoons Salt

Preparation Instructions

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.

Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 400 degrees (see note below) until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don’t skimp on the frosting.

CPK’s BBQ Chicken Pizza

CPK’s BBQ Chicken Pizza (From the Pioneer Woman - Link)

- Notes: Crust was delicious. I skimped on the red onions and used shredded mozzarella instead of the real stuff. I would add more of both next time.

* 1 whole Recipe For Pizza Crust (see below - PW's Makes Two Crusts)
* 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
* ½ cups Barbecue Sauce
* Olive Oil, For Drizzling
* Salt For Sprinkling
* 16 ounces, weight Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Sliced Thinly
* ½ whole Red Onion, Cut In Half And Sliced Very Thin
* Chopped Cilantro, to taste

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Salt chicken breasts on both sides, then place in an ovenproof dish. Pour BBQ sauce over the breasts and turn them over to coat. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Remove from oven and cut into a fine dice. Set aside.

Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees.

Roll/stretch out one pizza crust. Lay it on a sheet pan drizzled with olive oil. Drizzle a little olive oil on the crust, then sprinkle on a little salt.

Spoon a couple of tablespoons of extra BBQ sauce on the crust and spread it evenly. Top sauce with half the sliced mozzarella. Sprinkle on half the diced chicken and thinly sliced red onion.

Sprinkle again with a little salt, then bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and toppings are bubbly.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle on plenty of chopped cilantro. Cut into squares and serve immediately. Repeat with other crust and other ingredients, or save for another time.

Basic Pizza Crust

* 1 teaspoon Instant Or Active Dry Yeast
* 1-½ cup Warm Water
* 4 cups All-purpose Flour
* 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
* ⅓ cups Olive Oil

Preparation Instructions

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water. Let stand for a few minutes.

In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined, and the dough comes together in a sticky mass.

Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set it aside for 1 to 2 hours, or store in the fridge until you need it.

Note: it’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days is even better.

When you are ready to make the pizza, grab HALF the pizza dough (recipe makes 2 crusts) and squeeze the dough toward the bottom to form a nice, tight, pulled ball. You can roll out the pizza with a rolling pin if you’d like, but sometimes it’s just as easy to throw it around and pull and stretch till it feels right. And when the crust is nice and thin, lay it on an oiled baking sheet or pizza pan. Drizzle a little olive oil on the dough and spread it with your fingers. Very lightly sprinkle some salt on the crust.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Top your crust with your toppings of choice. Then bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and toppings are bubbly.

Speedy Wheat Hamburger Buns

Speedy Wheat Hamburger Buns - From Here
Adapted from Recipezaar

This recipe is dairy-free (no milk, lactose, or casein), peanut-free, tree nut-free, and soy-free. You can substitute 1 Ener-G egg for a good egg-free and vegan option too (thanks Carolsue!) or you can use a “flax egg” as Melissa did here at Vegan Cooks.

2 Tablespoons Active Dry Yeast
1 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Warm Water (I used just 1 cup, and they still turned out nicely)
1/3 Cup Oil (I used grapeseed)
1/4 Cup Sugar (your choice)
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups All-Purpose or White Bread Flour
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in the oil and sugar, and let the mixture stand for 5 minutes.

Add the egg, salt, white flour, and 1 1/2 cups of the wheat flour, combining until it forms a soft dough. Add the additional 1/4 cup of wheat flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands (if you need a little more, that is okay too). Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes or so.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces, shape each into a thick disc, and place them on baking sheets about 3 inches apart.

Preheat your oven to 425ºF. Lightly cover the balls of dough and let them rest for about 10 minutes (or longer if you wish).

Pop them in the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until nicely browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Yields 8 buns

Brigadeirão

Brigadeirão - From Michelle Robinson

This is a yummy cake-like Brazilian dessert.

2 T butter
2 T sugar
1 cup cocoa
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can of cream
3 eggs

Blend eggs and butter. Add everything else and blend. Pour into well-greased and sugar-dusted microwave safe bowl. Microwave 8 to 11 minutes or until set. Chill before serving.

You can place a greased cup in the middle if you want to get a bundt-like effect. After cooking, remove the cup and invert the Brigadeirao onto a serving platter.

Feijoada

Feijoada - From Michelle Robinson

(Brazilian black beans and pork stew)

1 lb varied pork sausages (we use mild Italian)

1 lb pork (tenderloin, shoulder, etc), cubed

some slices of bacon

1 can of black beans or 2 cups dried beans

2 T vegetable oil

salt (or Tempero Completo if you have it)

minced garlic, chopped onions, bay leaves

Brazilian method:

Pressure cooker: Heat oil in pressure cooker. Fry onions and garlic in oil, then add bacon, pork, and sausage until browned. Add dry beans, bayleaves, and salt. Add water to 1½ to 2 inches above the rest of the food. Bring to to pressure according to pressure cooker instructions and cook on low or medium low (the pressure cooker should just barely be steaming) for 50-60 minutes or until beans are soft.

Rice: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, fry some chopped onion and garlic in oil in a large pan with lid. Add rice and salt (to taste) and fry rice with garlic and onion until rice turns goldenish. Pour boiling water into pan with rice; cover and cook on low for 15-20 minutes or until rice is done.

Americanized (canned beans) method:

Add canned black beans to a medium sized pot with oil, salt, garlic, onions, and about 6 bay leaves. Cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat and set aside.

In a separate pan, cook cubes of pork and slices of bacon with salt and garlic. Add the sausage and stir over medium heat until all the water is gone.

Add the cooked meat to the pan with the black beans. Cook for 10 minutes. Serve over white rice.

Pão de Queijo

From Michelle Robinson

Pão de Queijo

“Pão de queijo” is typical Brazilian and it’s a delicious snack, which can be found at every bread store in Brazil.

1 cup water

1 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 package tapioca starch (450 g)

3 eggs

200 grams grated parmesan cheese

Bring to boil in a big pan the water, the milk, the oil and the salt. Remove the pan from the heat and add the tapioca starch. Mix well with a wooden spoon and let it cool down.

P ut the mixture in a bowl, add the eggs and knead well. Add the grated cheese and keep kneading until the dough is smooth. Roll 1 tablespoon of mixture into small balls. Tip: Grease your hands with oil before making the balls. Wash your hands once in a while if necessary.

Place the balls on a baking tray greased with oil or lined with baking paper. Bake the cheese rolls in hot oven (350 degrees) for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes:

*

This recipe makes about 70 small cheese rolls.
*

Tapioca starch can be found in Asian grocery stores. It comes in a clear plastic bag, or a white paper bag, and the standard pack has either 400 or 450 grams.
*

Brazilians usually knead the dough by hand, but it is easier to use a mixer to knead the dough.
*

Formed “Pão de queijo” can be frozen and baked directly from the freezer. Place the cheese rolls on a tray lined with baking paper. Put the tray in the freezer. When the cheese rolls are frozen, put them in a plastic bag and put them back in the freezer. It works great to freeze "pão de queijo", but cooking time will be approximately double.