Poppy Seed Braid Loaf November 11, 2011

 

 

Combine:

1 T yeast

1 c warm water

1t sugar

Let these set until the yeast is proofed (bubbly).

Stir in:

1 egg, beaten

1/4c oil

1t salt

Add:

4-5 c flour

Stir in 3 cup of the flour beat well.  Add in as much of the remaining flour as you can with the spoon. Then knead in remaining flour. Knead for about 8-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.

Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled (about 1 1/2 hours).

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Punch down dough and gently knead for 2 minutes.  Split into 3 pieces and make into 15” ropes.  Braid.  Let rise 30 minutes.  Brush loaf with milk and sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Bake at 425 for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

(recipe taken from The Secrets of Jesuit Breadmaking)

Stuffed Green Peppers November 10, 2011

If your like me, this time of year makes you want to cook! I love that about autumn. The cool temperatures that make your cheeks pink, the gray skies that make you light candles, the fact that your spending a bit more time indoors than out.  All these things make me want to whip up big batches of bread, baked goods, and my favorite winter time meals.

Pure Comfort!

One of my favorite fall recipes is:

 

Stuffed Green Peppers

 

4-5 large green peppers

1 lb of ground sausage, ground venison or ground beef (I use a combination of sausage and venison)

1/2 c  onion, chopped

1 15oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 c  long grain rice

1/2c  water (or enough to make 1 c liquid when combined with tomato juice)

1/2 t  salt

1/4 t  pepper

1 T  Worcestershire sauce

3/4 t  dried basil, crushed

3/4 c  shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack

 

Halve peppers lengthwise, remove stems and seeds.  Immerse peppers into boiling water for 3 minutes.  Remove, sprinkle insides with salt. Invert on paper towels to drain well.

In skillet cook meat and onion to brown. Remove any fat.  Stir in undrained tomatoes, uncooked rice, Worcestershire, basil, water, salt and pepper.  Bring to boil; reducing heat. Cover and simmer for 15-18 min. or till rice is tender. Stir in 1/2c of the cheese.  Fill peppers with meat mixture. Place in greased 9×13 pan with any remaining meat mixture.

Bake 375 for about 15 minutes or till heated through.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/4c cheese. Place back in oven till cheese is melted.

Serves 6

(altered from recipe in Better Homes in Gardens New Cook Book)

Blackberry Pie July 29, 2011

This is the most Scrumptious Blackberry Pie! My whole family LOVED it!

adapted from Michelle Verdiere’s recipe on Allrecipes

• 5 1/2 cups fresh blackberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter sliced
• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• Extra sugar

1. Combine 4 cups berries with the sugar and flour. Place bottom pie crust in pie plate and brush with beaten egg. Spoon berry mixture into pan. Spread the remaining 1 1/2 cups of berries on top of the sweetened berries. Place butter on top of berries and cover with the top crust. Seal and crimp the edges. Brush the top crust with milk, and sprinkle with the extra sugar.
2. Bake at 425 degree F (220 degrees C) for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes.

Veggie Pitas with Herb Bean Spread July 29, 2011

 

These hot summer days require food that is easy to prepare and won’t heat up your kitchen.  Veggie Pitas are my solution.

Items needed for assembly:  1) Pita bread store bought or homemade.  2) Your choice of veggies: sliced cucumber, sliced tomato, lettuce, sliced carrots, avocado, etc. and 3) Herb Bean Spread.

 

Herb Bean Spread

1 clove of garlic

1 can Northern Beans, drained and rinsed

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1 Tablespoon water

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon fresh basil or lemon basil, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

With motor running drop garlic into food processor or blender.  Add beans, juice, water, and oil. Puree until smooth.  Add basil, salt and pepper.  Pulse until incorporated and herbs are coarsely chopped.

 

Spread the bean spread on the inside of the pita and layer in the veggies or your choice.  Super simple and good for you to boot!  And if your children don’t like the idea of just vegetables with their pita, like a few of mine do, these make a great substitute to a hamburger bun.

Brazilian Lemonade One Cup at a Time July 29, 2011

I love the uniqueness of Brazilian Lemonade, but to make a whole pitcher can be a bit much.  Authentic Brazilian Lemonade is made by pulsing the whole lime and then straining.  It does not store well, because it turns bitter the longer it sits.  Since I am the main drinker of this summery drink, it was a bit foolish of me to make a whole pitcher and then gorge myself on it.  So, I came up with a simple substitute that suits me just fine.

 

2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice (or from concentrate)

1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice (or from concentrate)

1 teaspoon sugar

2 Tablespoon sweetened condensed milk

10 ounces cold water

4 ice cubes

Add juices, sugar and sweetened condensed milk into a large glass.  Add half of the water and stir until well combined. Add remaining water and ice.  Garnish with fresh berries if desired.

Katie’s Buttery Piecrust July 26, 2011

*Taken from Country Living May 2008

2 1/2 cups  flour

1/2 teaspoon  salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

3-6 Tablespoons cold water

 

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl with a fork.  Add cold butter and toss to coat.  Using a pastry blender or fingers, cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add 3 tablespoons of cold water and toss well with a fork.  Pinch to see if dough holds together. If needed, add more water, up to 6 tablespoons.  Chill one hour.

 

Love this crust and the fact that it doesn’t use any shortening!  It is super delicious!  This recipe says it will make two 9-inch crusts.  I always get 3 9-inch crusts out of it!  So I make a double crust pie and then a single crust pie that I can fill any way I like!

Homemade Pita Bread July 12, 2011

 

 

2  1/2c  warm water

2 Tablespoons oil

2 teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons sugar

3 1/2 c  all purpose flour

2c  whole wheat flour

2/3c  gluten

3 teaspoons yeast

 

Place warm water in a bowl.  Add yeast and let dissolve for about 5 minutes.  Add oil, sugar, salt, gluten and the 2 cups of whole wheat flour.  Mix well.  Add in as much of the remaining white flour as you can by hand.  Then turn out onto a well floured counter and knead in as much of the remaining flour as possible, approximately 6-8 minutes.

Place dough is greased bowl, turning once to grease top of bread. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place for about 1 hour or until double in size. 

Punch down dough and divide into 16 equal pieces.  Roll each piece out into about a 6” circle.  Cover with a towel and let rise another 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Place to of the pitas on a wire rack lightly sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake 4-5 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately wrap pitas in a damp tea towel to soften. Continue to cook the rest of the pitas.

Remove the tea towel from first set of pitas and set them on a wire rack to finish cooling.  Wrap tea towel around next set that comes out. Continue this pattern until all pitas are cooked.

 

 

This recipe can be easily cut in half, but if your family is like mine they will devour them so quickly and you’ll wish you made more!

Herbed Peasant Bread April 28, 2011

 

3 Tablespoons butter

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons warm milk (120-130 degrees)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar

1 Tablespoon sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 package of active dry yeast

3 to 3-1/2 cups flour

 

Place butter and milk in saucepan and heat up until butter almost melts. Remove from heat and let cool until around 120-130 degrees.

I just use the finger test. I dip it in and gage the temp. that way.  Just make sure it isn’t too hot or it will kill your yeast.

In a mixing bowl, add milk, sugar, salt, herbs, yeast, cheese, and 3 cups of flour; beat until smooth.  Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Punch the dough down. Shape into a long loaf and place on greased baking sheet. Make 3 or 4 diagonal slits in dough.  Cover and let rise until doubled,  about 45 minutes.

Bake 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove to a wire rack; brush with melted butter.

Cool. Yield: 1 loaf

Herbed Pork Roast with Vegetables April 28, 2011

3-3 1/2 lb pork roast

6 cloves of garlic sliced in half

fresh rosemary sprigs

salt

pepper

thyme

1 quart of chicken stock

Potatoes, quartered

Carrots

2 medium onions

Fresh mushrooms

 

Make small slits in pork slip garlic and rosemary into these slits.  Rub salt, pepper and thyme into roast.  Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.  Brown roast on all sides. Transfer to a roasting pan.  Place onion around and on top of meat.  Pour in broth and then add water until the pan is 2/3 full of liquid.

Cover and place in preheated 350 degree oven.  Cook for 1 3/4 hours. Add potatoes and carrots, cover and cook for 45 minutes.  Add mushrooms and cook another 15 minutes. Check internal temperature of pork it should be at least 170 degrees.  Remove from heat and let set 10 minutes before serving.

English Muffins January 11, 2011

English muffins are so easy to make and it is one of my families favorites. They make wonderful breakfast sandwiches when combined with eggs, cheese, ham, bacon or sausage.  Or just toasted and slathered with butter, honey, peanut butter or jelly.  Which ever way you look at it, these are just darn good!

 

1 cup milk

3 T butter, cut into pieces

2 T honey

1 c warm water (110*F)

1 pkg yeast

cornmeal

5 1/2 – 6 cups any combination of white and wheat

1 t salt

 

Combine the milk, butter and honey in a saucepan.  Warm the mixture over medium heat until the butter starts to melt. Whisk slightly and remove from heat. Allow to cool until lukewarm.

In another bowl, add yeast to the warm water and let set 5-10 minutes.

Line 2 baking sheets with wax paper, sprinkle with cornmeal

Pour cooled milk into yeast mixture. Mix well.

Add 3 cups of flour and the salt and beat well.  Beat in enough of the remaining flour so that the dough is firm enough to knead.  Knead in remaining flour about 3 to 4 minutes.

Roll our dough to 1/2” thickness.  Cut dough into 3 or 3 1/2” circles and place on baking sheets to rise.  Let rise 35-45 minutes.

Cook on 300 degree griddle 10 minutes on each side.  If cooking too quickly reduce heat.