Sunday, August 2, 2009

Zuchinni Parmesan from tasteofhome.com




Ingredients:

1/2 to 1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
In a large skillet, saute garlic in oil. Add zucchini; cook and stir for 4-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in the tomatoes, seasoned salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 9-10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and mixture is heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve with a slotted spoon. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts
One serving:1/2 cup
Calories: 81
Fat:3 g
Saturated Fat:1 g
Cholesterol:3 mg
Sodium:581 mg
Carbohydrate:10 g
Fiber:2 g
Protein:3 g
Diabetic Exchange:2 vegetable, 1/2 fat.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

baby blanket

The Addictive Baby Blanket
Jump to Comments


Designed by solmama April 2009

After knitting Mimi Davis’ One Row Blanket De La Harlot and finding out that a good number of my friends have babies on the way, I was inspired to write my own baby blanket pattern. I wanted an easy stitch pattern to remember that looked pretty with both solid and variegated yarns, so I looked at all of the beautiful ravelry FOs for my Slide Step Rib Cloth. This blanket pattern was born. Knit by my fantastic test knitter and editor Anne You can check her out on ravelry as annesknitting. She gave me the best compliment by test knitting the pattern more than once because she liked it so much. Thanks Anne!


Materials:
Bulky yarn or two strands of worsted weight held together as one
Anne knit the pictured test knit with 2 strands of Caron Simply Soft – Plum Wine held together as one. She used six 6 oz skeins to create a blanket about 38 inches by 48 inches.
US 13 circular needles 29″ long or so to accommodate for all of the stitches
tapestry needle

Special Instructions:

Slip all stitches purlwise

yif = with yarn in front

yib = with yarn in back

Directions:

Cast on 120 stitches or # of stitches divisible by 6
Do not connect in the round. Knit back and forth as you would on straight needles.

Row 1: *P3, yif, sl 1, yib, K1, yif, sl 1, repeat from * to the end of the row

Row 2: *P3, K3, repeat from * to the end of the row

Row 3: *P3, K1, yif, sl 1, yib, K1, repeat from * to the end of the row

Repeat these 3 rows until desired length.

BO on a Row 2 in pattern.

Weave in Ends.

Anne’s decorative edge edit:
cast on 122 stitches
every row – slip first stitch purl-wise, work in pattern to last stitch, knit last stitch.

Enjoy!

Pictured below is the version I knit with Hobby Lobby I Love this Yarn! in Meadow Ombre. I used six skeins.

baby blanket

Skill level: Beginner
Designed by Marilyn Coleman.
Cute as a button and soft as a cloud. Easy knit afghan is the perfect gift to wrap your little one in snuggly warmth and comfort.

Search For Retailers
Buy Materials Online



free pattern instructions (pdf)




supplies


RED HEART® “Baby Clouds™”, Art. E710 (6 ounce/148 yard solid color and 4½ ounce/110 yard multicolor skeins): 18 Ounces No. E710.9638 Baby Green.

Knitting Needles: 10mm [US 15].
Yarn needle to weave in ends.

abbreviations


* : repeat whatever follows the * as indicated
K : Knit
mm : millimeters
P : purl
rep : repeat

Stst : Stockinette stitch (K 1 row, P 1 row)

st(s) : stitch (es)
tog : together

yo : yarn over





sizes


Blanket measures approximately 36½" square.

gauges


8 sts = 4"; 15 rows = 4" in pattern. CHECK YOUR GAUGE. Use any size needles to obtain the gauge.

instructions

Cast on 73 sts.
Marking first row as the right side, work in pattern as follows:
Rows 1, 2, 3, and 4: Knit.
Row 5: K3, * yo, K2tog; repeat from * to last 2 sts; K2.
Repeat Rows 1-5 until approximately 36" from beginning, end by working pattern Row 5.
Knit 4 more rows.
Bind off.

Hints& Tips:
Use a short length of contrast color yarn to weave into the first row of stitches to “mark” that row as the right side.
- The pattern row (Row 5) is alternately worked on right and wrong side rows to keep the blanket square: first the pattern row is worked on a right side row, then 4 rows later it is worked on a wrong side row.
- To keep track of the number of rows you have worked between pattern rows, count the number of ridges formed by the knit rows – there should be 2 ridges above the pattern row on both sides of the blanket; then you are ready for the pattern row.

baby blanket

FREE PATTERN Heaven Mini Baby Blanket


Materials: 4 balls Heaven
Size: approx. 24 x 24”
Gauge: 8 sts = 4” over g st. Needles: Size US 15 circular needle, 24” or longer.

With size 15 needle, loosely cast on 4 sts. Knit 2 rows.
Increase row: K2, *yo, knit to end.
Repeat increase row to 62 sts Work 1 row as: K1, k2tog, yo, knit to end.
Decrease row: K1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, knit to end.
Repeat decrease row until 5 sts remain.
Last decrease row: K1, k2tog, k2. Knit 1 row even.
Bind off. Weave in all ends.


ABBREVIATIONS: K = knit, P = purl, sts = stitch(es), g st = garter st, k2tog = knit 2 sts together, yo = yarn over.



Designed by Anita Closic

baby warmers

1.15.2008
Legwarmies



Legwarmies
by Alana Dakos


These are the perfect cool weather accessory for the "little legs" in your life. I love to put my 2 year old in those cute short skirts and dresses for spring, but I worry about her little legs being too cold. These are great for chilly mornings because they are so easy to slip off when the sun comes out. She also wears them over tights for added warmth on an extra cool day.
Legwarmies are practical and a fun and funky fashion statement. You can knit them to match all your favorite outfits. They make great last minute gifts because it only takes a weekend to whip up a pair. Legwarmies stretch to fit most children from about 3 months to 3 years old. This yarn is wonderfully soft and warm against your little ones skin and, guess what moms, you can even machine wash them!







FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Cuff Circumference: 5 inches unstretched, 10 inches stretched
Length: 9 inches (This measurement can be adjusted by lengthening or shortening St st panel.)


MATERIALS
Version A (Solid Color): Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino [55% Merino wool, 33% Microfibre, 12% Cashmere; 137yd/125m per 50g skein]; color: #600, Dusty Pink; 1 skein
Version B (Thin Stripe): [MC] Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino [55% Merino wool, 33% Microfibre, 12% Cashmere; 137yd/125m per 50g skein]; color: #503, Apple Green; 1 skein [CC] Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino color: #013, Grape; 1 skein
Version C (Wide Stripe): [MC] Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino [55% Merino wool, 33% Microfibre, 12% Cashmere; 137yd/125m per 50g skein]; color: #007, Magenta; 1 skein [CC] Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino color: #101, Off White; 1 skein
#1 set US #3/3.25mm double-point needles
Stitch Marker
Tapestry Needle



GAUGE
28 sts/36 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch



PATTERN NOTES
2x2 Rib (Worked over a multiple of 4 sts)
Round 1: [K2, p2] to end.
Every round is the same.

Elizabeth Zimmerman's Sewn Cast off:
(This produces a nice stretchy cuff that won't be too tight and cut off circulation!)
Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread tail onto tapestry needle. Insert needle purlwise into first stitch then move it to be the last stitch on the final needle. It will then become the final stitch to be cast off. This gives a neater finish to the end of the round. Continue with the following instructions:
*Sew purlwise (right to left) through 2 stitches, leave the stitches on the needle. Sew knitwise (left to right) through the first stitch and then remove stitch from the needle. Repeat from * for the entire circumference. You will have one stitch remaining. Insert needle purlwise into last stitch and remove from the needle.







PATTERN
With [MC] loosely cast on 44 stitches. Divide stitches evenly between 3 double pointed needles. (15 stitches on needles 1 and 2, 14 stitches on needle 3.) Join into a round being careful not to twist your stitches. Mark first stitch for beginning of round. Work 6 rounds in 2x2 Rib.
Version A (Solid Color): Switch to St st and work until piece measures 8 inches from cast on edge. Work 6 more rounds in 2x2 Rib. Loosely cast off using Elizabeth Zimmerman's Sewn Cast off method.
Version B (Thin Stripe): *Drop [MC] switch to [CC] and work 2 rounds in St st. Drop [CC], pick up [MC] and work 2 rounds in St st. Repeat from * continuing in this manner until you have 35 stripes total ending with a [CC] stripe. Cut [CC] leaving a long tail to weave in the end. Pick up [MC]. Knit one round. Work 6 rounds in 2x2 Rib. Loosely cast off using Elizabeth Zimmerman's Sewn Cast off method.
Version C (Wide Stripe): *Drop [MC] switch to [CC] and work 4 rounds in St st. Drop [CC] pick up [MC] and work 4 rounds in St st. Repeat from * continuing in this manner until you have 17 stripes total ending with a [CC] stripe. Cut [CC] leaving a long tail to weave in end. Pick up [MC] Knit one round. Work 6 rounds in 2x2 Rib. Loosely cast off using Elizabeth Zimmerman's Sewn Cast off method.


FINISHING
Weave in ends using a tapestry needle. Block lightly.







By the way, my daughter has been wearing these a lot lately and they look super duper cute on her and everyone comments on them!


Posted by NeverNotKnitting at 10:47 PM
Labels: Legwarmies

Friday, April 17, 2009

Instant Potato Soup

Cooking with Basic Food Storage: Delicious Instant Potato Soup Recipe
from PREPAREDNESS MATTERS by Kerri
I promised that I would provide more potato flakes recipes and this one's a keeper:

INSTANT POTATO SOUP
• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1 carrot, sliced fine
• 2 ribs celery, chopped fine
• 1 (10 ½-ounce) can chicken broth
• 2 ½ cups milk (or equal parts milk and cream)
• 1 ½ cups instant mashed potato flakes
• Salt and pepper
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

Place the bacon in a 2-quart Dutch oven or saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onions, carrots and celery; cook over low heat until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally.

Add chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add milk. Gradually stir in instant potatoes, blending smoothly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Gently heat soup to desired temperature; do not boil. Add more milk if soup seems too thick, more flakes if too thin. Serve topped with green onion and reserved bacon. Makes 6 servings.
Per serving: 152 calories (32 percent from fat), 5.4 g fat (2.7 g saturated, 1.7 g monounsaturated), 14.9 mg cholesterol, 7.9 g protein, 18.2 g carbohydrates, 1.7 g fiber, 480.5 mg sodium.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

No-Bake Cookies

2 tbs. cocoa
2 c. sugar
dash of salt
3/4 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
3/4 c. peanut butter
3 - 3 1/2 c. oatmeal

Mix cocoa, sugar, salt, and milk in saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes on medium.

Turn off heat and stir in vanilla and peanut butter.

Add cocoa peanut butter mixture to separate bowl with oats already in it. Mix well and drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.

Makes approximately 18.

Refrigerate until hard and enjoy!

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Sprouted Wheat Bread

Sprouted Wheat Berries
Makes: 2 cups

Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw wheat berries


Directions:

Place the wheat berries in a bowl and add tepid water to cover by 1 inch. Let stand at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours.

Drain the wheat berries and rinse with fresh water.

Divide between two 1-quart jars. Cover with cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band.

Place the jars on their sides in a warm, dark place. Twice a day, rinse and drain the wheat berries with tepid water poured through the cheesecloth.

After 2 to 3 days, the wheat berries will sprout.

Refrigerate in a plastic bag for up to 3 days.





Grind in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. (I used my blender to grind the sprouted wheat berries) Do not overprocess; the berries should be chunky.





Sprouted Wheat Bread
Makes: three 8-by-4-inch loaves



Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
1 1/2 tablespoons (1 1/2 packages) active dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of ginger
2 cups whole wheat flour (I'm using freshly milled red spring wheat)
1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 cups warm water (105° to 115°)
1/4 cup honey
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sprouted wheat berries, chopped
4 1/2 to 5 cups bread flour
Wheat germ, for sprinkling
Melted butter, for brushing


Directions:

Pour the 1/2 cup warm water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast, sugar, and ginger over the water. Stir to dissolve and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.





In a large bowl using a whisk or in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the whole wheat flour, milk powder, and salt.






Add the warm water, honey, and 4 tablespoons butter.





Beat for 1 minute. Add the yeast mixture and beat 1 minute longer.





Add all the wheat berries





and the bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating on low speed until a soft dough that just clears the sides of the bowl forms, switching to a wooden spoon when necessary if making by hand.






Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until soft and spongy, 1 to 2 minutes for a machine-mixed dough and 3 to 4 minutes for a hand-mixed dough, dusting with flour only 1 tablespoon at a time, just enough as needed to prevent sticking.




Place in a lightly greased deep container, turn once to coat the top, and cover with plastic wrap.




Let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.





Grease three 8-by-4-inch loaf pans and sprinkle the bottom and sides with wheat germ.





Turn the dough out onto the work surface and divide into 3 equal portions.






Pat each portion into a rectangle and roll into a loaf shape.








Place, seam side down, into the prepared pans.





Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until level with the rim of the pans, about 1 hour.





About 20 minutes before baking, preheat the over to 350°F and position a rack in the center of the oven.





Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until crusty and golden.





Brush the tops with melted butter.





Remove from the pans to cool on a rack.




Now it's time to enjoy the finished loaf of Sprouted Wheat Bread!






Here is the loaf with a couple of slices toasted. Mmmmmmm! I could make a meal of just this bread.





I asked my youngest son to taste this bread. He said "It tastes like oatmeal bread". That's a good thing. Both of my sons love oatmeal bread. It's one of the first breads I ever made in my bread machine and it's still one of their favorites. I think we may have a keeper. I know I like it!


Thanks for visiting The Bread Experience Bread-Baking Blog. Now, all you need to do is go make some bread for yourself.



We hope you enjoyed learning how to make this bread. Be sure to check back next time when we learn how to make a different type of breakfast bread.

--Cathy

Whipped Topping -from instant nonfat milk

Whipped Topping (from back of Kroger Instant Nonfat Dry Milk box)

Mix 1/2 cup Kroger Instant Nonfat Dry Milk with 1/2 cup cold water. Beat to soft peak stage--about 4 minutes at medium-high speed on electric mixer. Add 1/2 teaspoon lemon or vanilla extract and beat 6 to 7 minutes at same speed. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and beat 1 minute at same speed. Serve as a topping instead of whipped cream.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Chili & Cornbread

Marilyn’s Real Chili Bean Recipe:
Ingredients:

1 lb. lean hamburger 2 tsp. salt
2 c. dried pinto beans ¼ tsp. paprika
8 oz. can tomato sauce 1 ½ tsp. ground cumin
1 lb stewed tomatoes 1 T. oregano
2 T. oil 1 pinch chili pepper flakes
1 large onion (chopped) 3 T. chili powder
1 clove of garlic (finely chopped) 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions: Soak beans overnight. Drain and cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours. Drain and add to crock-pot. Sauté the chopped onion and garlic in oil until limp. Stir in all seasonings. Add tomatoes and sauce and simmer for 20 minutes. Brown beef in small fry pan. Drain and add to crock-pot. Add chili sauce and 5 cups of hot water to crock-pot. Simmer in crock-pot at least 7 hours.

Better Than Jiffy Cornbread Recipe:
Grind: ½ cup of popcorn kernels to make ¾ cup cornmeal
Combine: ¾ c. cornmeal, 1 ¼ c. flour (I used whole wheat), ¼ c. sugar, 2 tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. salt
Add: 1 c. milk, ¼ c. veg. oil, 1 large egg, beaten; stir until dry ingredients are moist
Bake: At 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean

Monday, March 30, 2009

Cream of Chicken Soup made with Beans

Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup Recipe:
• Grind: 4 T of any white bean (lima, navy, etc.) to make 5 T bean flour
• Combine: 5 T bean flour, 1 ¾ c. water , 4 t chicken bouillon into a saucepan
• Cook: On stovetop at medium temperature until thick and delicious (whisk frequently).The soup should cook in 3 minutes! (this may be longer if your grinder makes a very coarse flour).

Use this with cooked veggies and or meat for a complete meal. You can also add this to recipes calling for cream of chicken soup cans (I have found this replaces a can plus the water or milk in recipes).

Monday, March 23, 2009

No Knead English Muffin Bread

3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
cornmeal, to sprinkle in pan

Directions
1) Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl.

2) Combine the milk, water, and oil in a separate, microwave-safe bowl, and heat to between 120°F and 130°F. The liquid will feel very hot (hotter than lukewarm), but not so hot that it would scald you. As a reference point, the hottest water from your kitchen tap is probably around 120°F (unless your tap water is so hot that it burns you).

3) Pour the hot liquid over the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl.

4) Beat at high speed for 1 minute. The dough will be very soft.

5) Lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, and sprinkle the bottom and sides with cornmeal.

6) Scoop the soft dough into the pan, leveling it in the pan as much as possible.

7) Cover the pan, and let the dough rise till it's just barely crowned over the rim of the pan. When you look at the rim of the pan from eye level, you should see the dough, but it shouldn't be more than, say, 1/4" over the rim. This will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour, if you heated the liquid to the correct temperature and your kitchen isn't very cold. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F.

8) Remove the cover, and bake the bread for 20 to 22 minutes, till it's golden brown and its interior temperature is 190°F.

9) Remove the bread from the oven, and after 5 minutes turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.



Recipe summary
Hands-on time:
8 mins. to 12 mins.
Baking time:
20 mins. to 22 mins.
Total time:
1 hrs 28 mins. to 1 hrs 34 mins.
Yield:
1 loaf

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Oatmeal Bread


Oatmeal Bread
Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

4 to 4 1/2 cups flour (approx.)
1 pkg yeast
1 3/4 cup water
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp shortening
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 cups rolled oats (quick or regular)

In your mixer add two cups of flour and the yeast, stir and set aside. On the stove top, put water, brown sugar and shortening in a sauce pan and warm over medium heat until the shortening starts to melt. Turn off stove and remove from heat. You are going to add this to your yeast/flour mixture so make sure it's not too hot by sticking your finger in it. If it's too hot, let it sit for a minute to cool. Putting water or any liquid that is too hot into a yeast, will kill the yeast and it won't rise and your bread will be flat. Horrible.

Add your warm (but not hot) liquid into your mixer and turn it on low. Mix for about 30 seconds then stop the mixer and scrape down the sides with a spatula. Then turn on the mixer again and mix for about 3 minutes. Add the oatmeal and then the flour, adding a cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides and middle of the mixer (like the whole wheat bread here). When the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the mixer, stop the mixer and put the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise for an hour or so until it doubles.

Punch down dough, when you come back, and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half, then cover and let rest for ten minutes. When the ten minutes is up, shape dough into loaves, using loaf pans, or simply shape into a round and place on a cookie sheet, lightly greased and sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise 30-45 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

When the dough has almost doubled, place in the preheated oven and cook for 35-40 minutes. When the bread had only cooked for 20 minutes it started to smell done, but I knew it was too early, so I loosely covered the cookie sheet where both my dough rounds were, with a layer of foil.

It's DELICIOUS!
Posted by Abs at 11:03 AM
Labels: Bread, oatmeal

Friday, March 13, 2009

Granola

This Granola was so good!

Homemade granola
from Cookbook Catchall

6.5 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
2.5 cups unsweetened, desiccated coconut (I used basic sweetened coconut because I had it on hand)
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried cranberries
1 1/4-1 1/2 cups sliced almonds (or whole, chopped, slivered or a combination - I used slivered)
1 1/4 cups pecans (whole or chopped to the size you like)
1/2 cup high-quality honey
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup flax seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well to distribute oil and honey evenly. Spread a thin layer of mixture on two rimmed baking sheets (half sheet pans) lined with parchment paper (I used my silpat liners). Bake for 15-20 minutes stirring mixture and rotating sheets half way through until mixture is an even golden brown. Be careful to watch granola: it will quickly turn from golden to burnt and will continue to cook as it cools when you take it out of the oven. Mixture will be moist when it comes out of the oven but will crisp and clump as it cools. Keeps for 1-2 weeks.

Variations:
• Substitute any of the nuts for other nuts such as cashews, walnuts or peanuts (it's nice to leave some of the nuts whole as it varies the texture)
• Add additional dried fruit such as apricots or dates
• Add 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• For extra-nutty granola increase proportion of nuts

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Speedy multi-grain Tuscan Bread

Speedy Multi-Grain Tuscan Bread

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons each sesame seeds, flax seeds, millet seeds, & corn grits (plus additional for top of loaf)
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons instant yeast (that’s 1 packet plus an additional 3/4 teaspoon)
oil as needed

1. Combine flours, seeds, grits, yeast, & salt in a large bowl. Add 1-1/2 cups water & stir until mixed. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, & let dough rest about 4 hours at warm room temp. Meantime, mix about a teaspoon or 2 each of the seeds & grits to use as topping for the bread (I mix a lot of this, put it in an old jam jar, & use for several loaves); set aside until next step.

2. Take plastic wrap off bowl & spread on work counter; lightly oil the plastic wrap. Place dough on it roughly in a rectangle about 5 or 6 inches by 10 or 12 inches. Fold dough in thirds from each end to make a very loose roll (the plastic wrap is most helpful in this endeavor). Spread the mixed seeds & grits over the top; cover with plastic wrap & let rest in a warm still spot for at least 30 minutes more. At the same time, heat the oven to 450F; put heavy covered pot in the oven as it heats. When 30 minutes have passed, carefully remove pot from oven & take the lid off. Roll the dough over on to your hand (plastic wrap again helpful here), & plop it into the hot pot, seam (& seed) side up. Shake the pot a bit, replace the cover, & return covered pot to the oven immediately.

3. Bake with lid on for 30 minutes; remove the lid & bake another 12 to 15 minutes, until loaf is a gorgeous brown & sounds hollow when knocked on bottom.

I hope some will try this–it really is splendid–tasty, fragrant, & altogether satisfying fresh or toasted.
— Leslie Brennan

Quicker No knead bread

(Quicker) No-Knead Bread
makes 1 loaf

3 cups bread flour
3/4 teaspoon regular yeast (not instant)
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water

Mix all the ingredients in the morning before you go to work. This should take about 3 minutes and leave you with a thick, slightly goopy dough. Mark Bittman calls it "shaggy." Cover with a towel or some plastic wrap and leave it in the warmest spot in your kitchen. It should get a 6 to 8-hour rise.

When you come home from work lightly mist a counter or baking sheet with spray oil and turn dough out on it. Shape it roughly into a ball, mist with oil again, and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Let proof for about an hour, or however long you have. (You can also proof your dough a little faster in the microwave!)

Heat the oven to 450°F. Put a Dutch oven (or one of these alternatives) in the oven to heat. When the dough has doubled in size, put it in the pan. You may have to pour it, pry it off the baking sheet, or just roll it in - the dough is very wet. Don't worry if it looks a mess. Cover the pot with a lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake for another 15 minutes to let it brown.

You can be really sure that the bread is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the side of the loaf reads 210-220°F.

MORE BREAD LINKS
• Tip: Proof Bread Dough Faster in the Microwave
• Recipe: DIY Butter
• Cooking Tools: Serrated Bread Knife
• Recipe: Herb Butter
• The No-Knead Bread Phenomenon

(Image credit: Faith Hopler for Apartment Therapy)

No-time Bread

No-Time Bread
1 loaf

4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (two packets)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups water
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer put the yeast, sugar, and water and let it sit.

Heat the oven to 450°F. Put a Dutch oven (or one of these alternatives) in to warm as the oven heats. Get out your flour, salt, vinegar, spray oil, and anything else you need.

Now that the yeast has had a few minutes to bubble up, add 3 cups of the flour as well as the salt and vinegar and beat for several minutes with the paddle. Add the last 1/2 cup of flour and switch to the dough hook and beat for seven minutes. Alternately, knead vigorously for five minutes, or until the dough becomes extremely elastic. This will still be a wet dough, but not goopy. The dough will clear the sides of the bowl but still stick to the bottom

Oil a microwave-safe bowl and transfer the bread dough to it, rolling it in the oil. Cover the bowl with a very wet towel. Cover the whole thing with a dry towel and put in the microwave for 25 seconds.

Let rest in the microwave for about five minutes.

Microwave for another 25 seconds, then remove.

Let rest and rise for another 15 minutes.

Shape into a ball and plop into the preheated pan. Quickly slash the top with a knife. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the internal temperature hits 210.

See also:
• No-Knead Bread
• No-Knead Bread in a Hurry

Quicker no knead Bread

25.

I have been making a hybrid NTY/WSJ whole-grain no-knead loaf every few days for the last year. I began with Bittman’s original method, but I wanted a whole wheat version that I could use for my son’s sandwiches. Last Thanksgiving, the WSJ ran the following recipe for a whole-grain no-knead loaf from Art Smith, Oprah Winfrey’s personal chef.

1 package active dry yeast
11/2 cups warm water (100 degrees to 110 degrees)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup uncooked mixed-grain cereal or uncooked old-fashioned rolled oats
Nonstick pan spray

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk the yeast into the warm water until it dissolves. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for about 15 minutes (the mixture should become slightly foamy on top and cloudy throughout).
Pour the yeast mixture into a large bowl and stir in the all-purpose flour, honey, melted butter and salt until well incorporated. Mix in the whole-wheat flour and the cereal, place a clean kitchen towel over the top of the bowl and place the bowl in a warm place away from any drafts to double in size, about 1 hour.
Fold the dough with a spatula to deflate it. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with the pan spray and transfer the dough to the pan. Cover with the kitchen towel and set aside until the dough has doubled in size, about 25 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake until browned and until the loaf sounds hollow when the top is tapped, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and the pan and cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

I noticed that the recipe’s dry/wet proportions were similar to Bittman’s, so I decided to use Smith’s recipe, but Bittman’s technique (hot oven with hot covered pot). I am very happy with the results and love that I can make the bread in the evening after work.

I eventually bought a vintage Glasbake (i.e., Pyrex) loaf pan with a lid on Ebay; whole grain does work better in a loaf pan. I highly recommend a covered loaf pan. Has Bittman tried his whole-grain version in a covered loaf pan?
— Amy Silliman

blender pancakes

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Best ever rolls

1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup potato pearls, dry
2/3 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast or 2 tablespoons dry yeast
2 eggs, well-beaten

Bring 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup milk to a boil. Pour into large mixing bowl. Add potato pearls and beat with whisk or fork until blended. Heat remaining milk in same saucepan and pour over potatoes, margarine or butter, sugar and salt. Cool until lukewarm. Soften yeast in first mixture with eggs and 3 cups of flour. Beat with either wooden spoon or electric mixer until light and smooth. Stir in enough flour by hand to make a dough firm enough to knead. Turn out on floured board and knead 10 minutes or until elastic. Put in greased bowl and turn greased side up. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. When ready to bake, shape as many rolls as desired in preferred form (Parker house, cloverleaf, etc.) Brush with melted margarine/butter and let rise in a warm place 1 hour or until light. Bake in hot oven 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Makes 3 1/2 dozen medium rolls

How to make cake flour

HOW TO MAKE CAKE FLOUR:

Take 1 cup all-purpose flour, and remove 1 tablespoon flour and replace with 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Mix well together and sift. It is now ready for baking.

Ground Beef Cracked Wheat Casserole

1 lb. hamburger
1/2 onion or 2 tablespoons dried onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup cracked wheat, uncooked
1 can tomato soup
dash of pepper

Pour boiling water over cracked wheat. Brown onions and meat in a fry pan, using a little more fat if necessary. Add salt and pepper. Add soaked wheat. Add soup and poultry seasoning and mix thoroughly. Place in a greased casserole dish and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Testing comment: My kids loved this. Next time I will double the recipe. Be sure not to drain the water off the wheat. It cooks out in the oven.

Wheat Scones

2 packages yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/4 cups warm buttermilk
2 slightly beaten eggs
6 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
6 1/2 to 8 cups whole wheat flour

Mix yeast and sugar in warm water and set aside until bubbly. Mix remaining ingredients (except flour) together; add yeast mixture. Add enough whole wheat to make a medium soft dough. Dough should leave the sides of the bowl. Mix well and let rise one hour. Then cover and refrigerate from 1/2 day to 4 days. Punch down as needed. Remove from fridge 10 minutes before using. Knead slightly. Pinch off golf ball size pieces and pat or roll out 1/3 to 1/2-inch thick on lightly floured surface. Fry in one-inch of hot oil.

Whole Wheat Blender Muffins

1 cup cooking oil
2 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons soda
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix all ingredients except flour in blender. (Hold out some milk if it is too much for the blender.) Pour in 4 cups whole wheat flour. Stir until well-mixed. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 2 1/2 dozen muffins.

For a healthier version, use 1/2 cup oil, 2 egg whites, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 6 tablespoons regular powdered milk, 2 cups water, 1/2 cup applesauce or cooked squash or pumpkin, and salt, soda, and vanilla as above.

Testing comment: Good. It's even better with butter and honey.

Corn Tortilla

1 cup wheat flour or white
1 cup cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
2/3 cup warm water

Combine all ingredients and knead several minutes. Divide dough into 12 balls. Roll the tortillas out thin. Heat oil in skillet to 350 degrees. Fry one at a time for 40 seconds each.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

No Knead Ciabatta Bread

4 cups flour
1/4 tea. yeast
1 1/2 tea. salt
2 cups warm water

Stir with spoon or hands, dough will be sticky, let sit in the bowl on the counter covered with foil 18 hrs. With a spatula punch down & fold dough into the center on top of itself going all around the bowl. Spray a counter with water put plastic wrap over it."the water holds the saran wrap down." then put the dough on the plastic wrap and stretch it into oblong shape. Oil a cookie sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal using the plastic wrap to help place the dough on the cookie sheet roll the dough onto the cookie sheet. if the dough mis-shapes just stretch back to the oblong shape and then sprinkle with flour. Cover with a towel and let rise for 2 hours. Place in a preheated 425 oven and bake 35 to 45 minutes until

Creamy Bean Soup


carrots

1 onion

1/2 of an 8 oz. pkg. of low fat cream cheese

Storage Ingredients

2 cups dry pinto beans

1/2 cup mild salsa or taco sauce

salt to taste

Rinse off 2 cups of dry pinto beans and soak in 2 quarts of water overnight. Drain all the water, rinse beans thoroughly, and place in crock-pot. Chop the vegetables and add to crock-pot with beans. Cover with 2 quarts of fresh water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the beans are fully cooked and soft. Remove 1 cup of the broth and set aside. Add the cream cheese, salsa, and salt. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Add some of the reserved broth to achieve the desired consistency. Serve with warm tortillas or corn chips and additional cream cheese and cilantro if desired.

If, for any reason, I was not able to purchase fresh ingredients from the grocery store, this soup recipe would still provide a viable meal for my family. I would simply substitute dehydrated carrots and onions for the fresh vegetables and then add 1/2 cup of dry powdered milk to replace the cream cheese that’s originally called for.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Pita Bread


1 package of yeast, or quick rising yeast (2 1/4 teas.)
1/2 cup warm water
3 cups all purpose flour (can use Wheat flour
1 1/4 teapsoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar (can use 1 Tbl. honey)
1 cup lukewarm water
Preparation:
Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until water is frothy.

Combine flour and salt in large bowl.

Make a small depression in the middle of lour and pur yeast water in depression.

Slowly add 1 cup of warm water, and stir with wooden spoon or rubber spatula until elastic.

PLace dough on floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes. When the dough is no longer stick and is smooth and elastic, it has been successfully kneaded.

Coat large bowl with vegetable oil and place dough in bowl. Turn dough upside down so all of the dough is coated.

Allow to sit in a warm place for about 3 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

Once doubled, roll out in a rope, and pinch off 10-12 small pieces. Place balls on floured surface. Let sit covered for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 500 deg F. and make sure rack is at the very bottom of oven. Be sure to preheat your baking sheet also.

Roll out each ball of dough with a rolling pin into circles. Each should be about 5-6 inches across and 1/4 inch thick.

Bake each circle for 4 minutes until the bread puffs up. Turn over and bake for 2 minutes.

Remove each pita with a spatula from the baking sheet and add additional pitas for baking.

Take spatula and gently push down puff. Immediately place in storage bags.

Storing Pita Bread

Pita bread can be stored for up to a week in a pantry or bread box, and up to a month in the freezer. Be sure to use freezer bags when storing in the freezer.
User Reviews

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Delicious!!, February 5, 2009
By thgink


"My first try at making pitas was a success! It is easy, but time consuming. Allow at least 4-5 hours and then no distractions once you start to bake the pitas. I used a pizza stone to bake them on. Make sure it is hot as the directions say.

The only thing that was different than in the directions, was the raising time. I let the dough raise 2 hours, less than the directions said, because it was ready.

It made 8 nice sized pitas. Make sure you follow the storage bags directions the minute they come out of the oven. Have 4 bags ready, 2 in each bag."

Navajo Tacos--Scones

Makes 3 tacos. Increase amounts per persons to be served.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup water
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons shortening
1 serving refried beans (1 cup reconstituted)

Mix flour, salt, water, and baking powder. Knead and let sit 10 minutes. Heat shortening. Divide dough into 3 balls and pat or roll each piece to about 5-6 inches in diameter. Deep fry until golden brown. Top with refried beans and hot sauce, if desired.

Hot sauce for Navajo tacos:
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried onion
1/8 teaspoon cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix and serve over Navajo tacos.

Testing comment: Our family really liked these.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Vegetarian Cowboy Beans-CrockPot


Vegetarian Cowboy Beans in the Slow Cooker
Estimated Cost: $5.00
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, very finely mined
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks of celery, peeled and chopped
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
1 small minced jalapeno
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cups dried pinto beans
2 (14 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
5 cups water
Pour oil into the bottom of the slow cooker. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker; stir, and cook on high for four to six hours, or on low for 8 to 10 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve beans with shredded cheese and corn bread if desired.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Chunky Cheesy Soup


Cheesy Soup


4 carrots, peeled & sliced
6 celery stalks, sliced
1 onion, diced
4-6 potatoes, cubed
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
2 cups chicken bouillon
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
4 cups milk
16oz Velveeta (cubed) or Cheese Whiz

Cook carrots, celery, onion, and potatoes till tender, 10-15 minutes. Add broccoli during last few minutes of cooking time. In another pot, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour till smooth. Whisk in about 2 1/2 cups of the milk. Whisk constantly over medium heat till sauce thickens and boils. Boil for at least one minute. Add to veggies. Stir in cheese and remaining milk and heat over medium low heat till cheese melts.

Curried Lentil and Rice


Curried Lentils and Rice
adapted from Fitness Magazine

2 cups rice
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp powdered onion
4 cups water
1 cup brown lentils
1 tsp honey
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt

Cook rice according to package directions. Heat oil and curry powder together in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion powder and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the water and lentils and bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 22 minutes, until lentils are soft. Remove from heat; stir in the honey, vinegar, and salt. Ladle over bowls of rice. Top with cilantro and sour cream if rotating.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Dinner Rice

Dinner Rice
Fresh Ingredients
¼ c. butter
Storage Ingredients
1 c. rice
1 can beef consume soup (10 ¾ oz.)
1 can French onion soup (10 ¾ oz.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter and mix with rice and soups in a casserole dish. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.

This yummy rice can be served as a side for beef or turned into a complete meal by adding a little cooked meat and frozen veggies. I like to stir in frozen peas and serve it with strips of sautéed steak over a bed of mixed greens for a nice summer salad.

Bean Burritos

Bean Burrito
Fresh Ingredients
2-3 c. grated Colby-Jack cheese
24 corn tortillas
Storage Ingredients
1 c. pink or pinto beans
1 c. salsa
2 cans tomato soup (10 ¾ oz.)
2-3 T. chili powder
Sort and rinse beans. Bring to boil for 2 minutes in 4 cups of water, cover, and set aside to soak for 1 hour. Drain water and rinse beans. Add 6 cups of water and simmer beans for approximately 2 hours until very soft. Drain cooking liquid and stir in salsa. In a shallow dish, mix the tomato soup with chili powder and 1 cup water to make a simple sauce. Cook tortillas in their package for 1 minute in the microwave to soften. Dip each tortilla in the sauce and fill with ¼ c. beans and grated cheese. Roll and place in a baking pan. Repeat until all tortillas have been filled. Top with any leftover sauce and grated cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

This recipe isn’t difficult, but you do have to start cooking the beans early in the day. Once that initial step is completed the recipe is easy to assemble and makes a pan of delicious bean burritos. My family likes to garnish them with fresh chopped cilantro and a little sour cream.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 13th, 2008 at 4:12 pm and is filed under Beans, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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DEseret News Special

DESERET NEWS SPECIAL
Fresh Ingredients

2 lb. ground beef, or substitute 2 cups cooked whole wheat berries for one lb. of the meat

1 medium chopped onion


Storage Ingredients

1/4 c. vinegar

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. ground pepper

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. catsup

1/2 tsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 can tomato paste (6 oz.)

1 can water

Brown beef with onion and drain fat. Add all the other ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve over hot rice and garnish with grated cheese, kidney beans, shredded lettuce or cabbage, diced celery, diced tomatoes, diced avocado, sour cream, and corn chips.

Thank you to my friend Kris for sharing this family favorite recipe. Back in the early 70’s it won a weekly contest in the Deseret News!

Easy apple crisp with dehydrated apples

Easy Apple Crisp

Fresh Ingredients
1 c. butter
Storage Ingredients
10 c. dehydrated apple slices
¼ c. bottled lemon juice
Topping

1 c. oats
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. salt
Butter a 9 x 13” cake pan. Fill with dehydrated apples and drizzle with lemon juice. Then pour in 6 cups of hot water and allow apples to soak for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. For topping, cut butter into ¼” pieces and toss with remaining dry ingredients. Carefully spoon topping onto re-hydrated apples. (Pan should be very full but will bake down.) Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour, or until lightly toasted on top. Best when served hot with vanilla ice cream.

This dessert can be prepared hours ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator, and then baked while your guests enjoy dinner. This recipe is totally foolproof, easier than apple pie, and tastes like something from your grandmother’s kitchen.

Amazing Wheat Berry Burritos

Feb 19, 2009I Dare You To Eat ItUsing your food storage doesn’t have to be scary.Home Strategies Recipes FAQ Book About

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
« LOVE FOR ELDER JOSEPH B. WIRTHLINMY CROCK-POTS ARE GETTING BIGGER »BURRITOS A-GO-GO
Fresh Ingredients

15 8″ tortillas

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced *optional

1 cup combination of celery and or onion, diced *optional

Storage Ingredients

1 cup dry pinto beans, (3 cups cooked)

1 cup leftover cooked rice

1 cup cooked whole wheat berries

1 can cream of chicken soup (10 3/4 oz.)

1 can diced green chilies (7 oz.)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Soak pinto beans in 5 cups of water for 24 hours. (Change water once or twice during that time.) Drain. Thoroughly rinse softened beans and then cook in a slow cooker set on low with 5 cups of fresh water for approximately 8 hours, or overnight. (If I have them available, I like to add one minced clove of garlic and 1 cup of diced celery and/or onion to help flavor the beans while they cook, but it’s not necessary.) When beans are soft and fully cooked, drain the cooking liquid.

Mix beans with all the other ingredients and spoon 1/3 cup of filling into center of each tortilla. Fold in two sides slightly to close ends and then roll the opposite sides over filling. Wrap every other one in waxed paper (to prevent them from freezing into a burrito-block) and store in freezer bags.

To serve, microwave for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with any combination of grated cheese, diced tomato, sour cream, sliced olives, and cilantro.













This is where fast food meets food storage. I highly recommend that everyone try these little sliders! With my schedule, I NEED to have meals that can be ready in minutes. Having these burritos prepared ahead of time means we enjoy the advantages of instant food while we’re using our food storage.They take very little effort to prepare, are virtually vegetarian, high in nutrition, supplying whole protiens with the combination of rice, beans, and whole wheat, cost pennies a pop, AND they taste terrific. One of my daughters likes to take them to work so that she can actually enjoy the lunch she microwaves. I think you’re going to like this one!

Super Moist Whole Wheat Chocolate Cake


SUPER MOIST WHOLE WHEAT CHOCOLATE CAKE



Fresh Ingredients

(None!)

Storage Ingredients

1.5 cups whole wheat flour

3 tablespoons cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup cold water

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add the wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour into a 9 inch by 9 inch baking pan, two inches deep. (The pan does not have to be greased.) Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. Test with a fork for doneness.

Notice that there aren’t any eggs? I have no idea how it works but this recipe makes one surprisingly moist and delicious chocolate cake. I always double the recipe and use two 8 1/2″ round pans. When the cakes are completely cooled or even slightly chilled after being refrigerated, I frost between the layers and the top only with a chocolate whipped cream frosting. Then I freeze the cake at least overnight and take it out about an hour before we’re going to serve dessert. Lizzie’s having a Birthday party tomorrow night and this is the cake she requested.

CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING

Fresh Ingredients

1 pint whipping cream

Storage Ingredients

1/3 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients and whip as for whipped cream. Refrigerate or freeze after frosting the cake.

Tags: baking with whole wheat flour, easy and eggless, food storage cake

Wheat Berry Salad with Dried Apricots

WHEAT BERRY SALAD WITH DRIED APRICOTS
Fresh Ingredients

1 c. slivered fresh snow peas

1/4 c. chopped green onions

Storage Ingredients

3 c. cooked whole wheat berries

1 can garbanzo beans (15 oz.)

1/2 c. dried apricots, sliced

1/2 c. dried cranberries

3 Tbsp. toasted walnut oil

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Whisk together oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pour over all the other combined ingredients. Serve at once or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Makes 8 side-dish servings.

I found this recipe in the February 2008 Better Homes and Gardens magazine. It was listed under the Healthy Category. I guess it won some sort of contest.

“My wife is always searching out new grains,” said winner Jamaine Batson of Salt Lake City. “This recipe gives wheat berries a nice light touch” said the judges.

Sounds good to me!

Fiesta wheat and bean salad/Salsa


FIESTA WHEAT AND BEAN SALAD
Fresh Ingredients

1 orange or red pepper, diced

1 green pepper, diced

1 small red onion, diced

1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves chopped

1 small jalapeno pepper, cored and diced

juice of 1 lime

Storage Ingredients

3 c. cooked wheat berries

1 can corn, drained (16 oz.)

1 can black beans, drained (15 oz.)

2 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 c. cider vinegar

1 T. sugar

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss well. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Here it is friends. This is my all time, best, #1, very favorite way to use the wheat from my long-term storage. Whenever I give food storage presentations I always suggest/beg/insist that this salsa be served with chips. Experience has proven that even non-believers are converted once they taste wheat prepared this way.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone and thank you again for your terrific help in sharing this website!

Tags: food storage recipe, healthy salsa salad, long-term supply, whole wheat recipe

Wheat Berry Dessert Salad

Use one cup of the cooked wheat berries with a container of low calorie cool whip, one can of crushed pineapple with the juice and one package of low fat vanilla pudding powder and you have a wheat berry salad that tastes like dessert.

Cooked Wheat Berries

Basic Cooked Wheat Berries
Fresh Ingredients
None
Storage Ingredients
4 c. raw whole wheat
10 c. water
1 T. salt
Oil a large (4 quart or larger) slow cooker and fill with wheat, water, and salt. Cover and cook on low all night, 8-10 hours. Cooked wheat may be bagged and stored in the refrigerator for at least a week or in the freezer for months.

Once you have a small supply of cooked wheat berries prepared, try experimenting with adding a cup to your favorite soups, chicken salads, or casseroles. When combined with regular white rice it makes a very simple—but healthy—pilaf.

Gnocchi

GNOCCHI
Fresh Ingredients

2 eggs

1 cup ricotta cheese

8 tsp. butter

1 cup Romano cheese, grated

Storage Ingredients

1 cup instant potato flakes

1 tsp. salt

3 cups flour

Prepare instant potatoes as directed on package. Combine potato with eggs and salt and whip until fluffy. Add ricotta cheese, butter, Romano cheese and flour. Knead until smooth. Shape into 1/2″ rolls and cut into 1″ lengths. Make impression with thumb in each piece, then lightly dust with flour. Drop into boiling water and cook only until they rise to the surface. Drain and serve with your favorite red sauce, cream sauce, or both!

***NOTE: Before cooking, gnocchi may be frozen on a cookie sheet, then placed in a plastic bag to store for up to a month in the freezer.

KILLER CHEESE SAUCE

Fresh Ingredients

1 cup butter

16 oz. cream cheese

2 c. whipping cream

Storage Ingredients

1/2 tsp. dry minced garlic

1/2 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients and heat very slowly. Stir until smooth and pour over pasta.

RED SAUCE WITH SAUSAGE

Fresh Ingredients

1-2 lbs. mild Italian sausage

Storage Ingredients

2 jars spaghetti sauce (1 lb. 10 oz. each)

Bake or saute sausage as instructed on package, until fully cooked. Slice and add to jarred sauce. Heat and serve over pasta.

This recipe for homemade gnocchi makes two pans full of potato dumplings, smothered in a deliciously rich, creamy blend of cheese, cream, tomato, and sausage. Everyone, including very little children, absolutely loves it. I like to prepare the gnocchi days ahead of time, keep them frozen in the freezer, and then boil them about 20 minutes before we’re going to eat. I also prepare both the cream sauce and the red sauce with Italian sausage slices the day before and slowly warm them ahead of time.

After boiling the gnocchi, I drain and divide them equally between two 9 x 13 inch cake pans, cover each with the Killer Cheese Sauce, and store in a warm oven (300 degrees) until ready to serve. When we’re ready to eat, I also like to garnish the cream sauce with a little additional grated Parmesian cheese and chopped fresh basil or Italian parsley. I serve the red sauce separately so that the guests may help themselves and select the amount of meat they prefer. The preparation for this dish takes some work, mostly ahead of time, but is sooo worth the effort.

Tags: instant mashed potato recipe, provident living, using your food storage

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

No Knead Pizza Crust-Jim Lahey

No-Knead Pizza Dough
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Co.
Makes four 12-inch pizza crusts

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast (such as SAF brand)
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ cups water
1. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the yeast and salt. Add the water and stir until blended (the dough will be very sticky). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 12 to 24 hours in a warm spot, about 70°.
2. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and lightly sprinkle the top with flour. Fold the dough over on itself once or twice, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Generously sprinkle a clean cotton towel with flour and cover the dough balls with it. Let the dough rise for 2 hours.
4. Stretch or toss the dough into the desired shape, cover with toppings and bake on top of a very hot pizza stone.

No Knead Whole Wheat Bread

No-Knead 100% Whole Wheat Bread

Adapted from the New York Times and Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery

Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

(The metric measurements are more accurate.)

3 cups (430 grams) whole wheat flour, plus 1/4-1/2 cup more for dusting
¼ teaspoon (1 gram) instant yeast (or 1/4 plus 1/16 teaspoon active dry yeast*)
1¼ teaspoons (8 grams) salt
1 1/2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
2 cups minus 1 tablespoon (430 grams) water
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

1. In a large bowl combine flour, instant yeast, salt and vital wheat gluten. Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir until blended. Keep adding water until the dough is shaggy and sticky, like a stiff muffin batter. It should not be so wet that it’s pourable. You will probably use all of the water, but different brands of flour are more absorbent. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Liberally flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

*If substituting active dry yeast, let it proof in 1/4 cup of lukewarm water (reserved from the total water) for 10 minutes. Add the yeast with the rest of the water when mixing it in the dough.

Because the dough is so sticky, you need about an extra half cup of flour to dust your hands and shaping surface.

Also, because the whole wheat dough is wetter, you need about an extra 10 minutes in the oven.

If you don’t have a heavy oven-ready pot or don’t want such a flat loaf, you can use a standard loaf pan. Cover the top with an upside-down casserole dish or a tent of foil so it doesn’t brown too quickly. A trick to getting nice crust is to preheat a pan (not glass-it will shatter) on the oven floor and fill it with hot water during baking. I think it’s worth the extra step.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Emilies Wheat Bread


Emilie's Whole Wheat Bread

Makes 4 8/4 inch loaves.

7 c. whole wheat flour (grind your own if you have a wheat grinder)
2/3 c. vital wheat gluten
2 1/2 T. instant yeast

5 c. steaming hot water (120-130 F)

2 T. salt
2/3 c. oil
2/3 c. honey or 1 c. sugar (I like honey the best!)
2 1/2 T. bottled lemon juice

5 c. whole wheat flour

Mix together the first three ingredients in your mixer with a dough hook. Add water all at once and mix for 1 minute; cover and let rest for 10 minutes (this is called sponging). Add salt, oil, honey or sugar, and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute. Add last flour, 1 cup at a time, beating between each cup. Beat for about 6-10 minutes until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This makes very soft dough.

Pre-heat oven for 1 minute to lukewarm and turn off. Turn dough onto oiled counter top; divide, shape into loaves place in oiled bread pans. Let rise in warm oven for 10-15 minutes until dough reaches top of pan. Do not remove bread from oven; turn oven to 350 F and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on racks. This recipe can be halved to make 2 loaves.

*She ONLY uses Bakers Secret 8x4 inch non stick pans (we could only find them at Smith's grocery store, strange enough).

**Another tip..when the dough is put into the bread pans, squish the dough softly into the corners of your bread loaf pans. This will make your bread cook more evenly and not have the large lump in the middle of your loaf.

Crockpot Egg Casserole

Ingredients:
32 oz. bag frozen hash brown potatoes
1 lb. cooked ham, cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
12 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Preparation:
Spray inside of slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. In small skillet, cook onion and green pepper in olive oil until crisp tender. Let cool about 10 minutes. Place one third of the frozen hash brown potatoes in the slow cooker. Add one third of the ham, onion, green pepper and cheese. Repeat layers, ending with the cheese.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk and seasonings until well mixed. Pour over the ingredients in the slow cooker, cover and turn on low. Cook for 8-10 hours, until casserole is set and eggs are thoroughly cooked. Serves 12

Baked oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal


3 cups rolled oats (not quick)
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (you can also use plain)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs


Mix together oats, raisins, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together applesauce, yogurt, milk, oil, and eggs. Stir into oat mixture. Pour into greased pan. The original recipe said to bake in an 8x8 pan. We like it a little crunchy so I use an 11x7 or 9x13 pan. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. You can also bake right away but only cook for about 40 minutes. Serve with brown sugar sprinkled over top.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Thermal cooked yogurt

Making yogurt was one of the first applications we used our thermal cooker for. It makes the process almost effortless. Just before going to bed I would start the process by pouring 4 quarts of raw sweet Nubian goat milk (cow milk works too the more fat content the better) into the stainless steel inner container and place it on the stove. While monitoring it with a thermometer I’d bring the milk temperature to around 110 degrees (don’t exceed 118 degrees). I would add two packages of Yogourmet yogurt starter to the milk after the temp reached 100 degrees and would stir it in as the temperature rose the final 10 degrees. Once it reached 110 I would place the lid on the cooker and place it into the thermal outer container and set it aside and leave it until the morning. When I’d wake up I’d take out the inner pot and place it and the finished yogurt contents into the refrigerator. It’s that simple.

For future batches I would leave about 1/2 a cup to 1 cup in the container and add new milk over top of it as I heated it up to 110 repeating the process above but without adding any additional starter packages. We would make 4 or 5 batches before adding another starter pack to keep the cultures thriving.

Mother Goose Popcorn


Mother Goose Popcorn

1 C sugar
3 Tbsp water
6 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla
food coloring of your choice

Put all in saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour over 4 quarts popped corn and stir until well coated and it goes sugary

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Quinoa & Red Bean Burritos

Quinoa & Red Bean Burritos

1 cup Quinoa
2 tsp McCormick Smoky Sweet Pepper Blend
1 can (15 oz) Red Kidney Beans, drained, rinsed and lightly mashed (I used Black Beans because that's what I prefer and have on hand.)
1 1/2 cups jarred Salsa (I actually pureed just one cup to make it go further - plus I didn't want it chunky)
8 Whole Wheat Tortillas (I just used regular flour tortillas)
1 cup shredded Mexican Cheese Blend



Place quinoa and pepper blend in a saucepan and cook following package directions. (All you do is boil 1 1/4 cups of water and add the quinoa, lower the heat for about ten minutes and then cool for a few before fluffing with a fork.)
Once cooked, stir in beans and 1 cup of the salsa.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees while the quinoa is cooking and coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Heat tortillas in microwave for 45 seconds to soften. Place 1/2 cup of the quinoa mixture in the center of each tortilla and fold like a package. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. (I didn't have the large tortillas, so I just rolled them and placed them seam down.)
Lightly coat tortillas with nonstick cooking spray and top with remaining salsa and cheese, dividing equally.
Bake burritos at 350 degrees for 12 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted.

Cooked Whole Wheat Berries

1. Measure 4 cups of raw/dry whole wheat kernels.



2. Pour the dry kernels into a large slow cooker. Add 10 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt.



3. Stir.



4. Cover the slow cooker with its lid, set temperature on LOW heat and cook for 10 hours or HIGH heat for 5 hours.



5. Stir the finished 12 cups of cooked whole wheat berries and spoon into 4 Ziploc bags to be stored in the freezer for later use.

English muffins


English Muffins
adapted from The Happy Housewife

1 cup hot water
1/2 cup prepared powdered milk or 1/2 cup water and half of 1/3 cup powdered milk
2 tsp honey
2 tsp salt
4 cups flour (you can use 1/2 white 1/2 whole wheat)
2 tsp instant yeast
2 Tbsp oil
Cornmeal

Add water, powdered milk (and water for powdered milk), honey and salt to a mixing bowl. Combine. Add 2 cups of flour and yeast and stir until combined. Cover with a clean towel and allow to rise for one hour. Add remaining 2 cups of flour and oil and stir until well combined. Roll out onto a cornmeal covered surface and using a cookie cutter or cup, cut out round shapes, 1/2 inch thick. Let cut muffins rise till double, covered, for about another hour. Heat a griddle to medium high heat 350 degrees and grease with a little oil or butter. Grill muffins on both sides until lightly brown and cooked in the middle. Eat!

Friday, February 6, 2009

Glaze for Sugar Cookies


Glacé Icing

1lb powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 C)
1/4 C + 2T C whole milk (low-fat actually works, but use whole if you can)
1/4 C + 2T light Corn Syrup
1 t extract (I use almond because I use almond in my sugar cookies)

With a whisk, combine sugar and milk until smooth (no lumps!) Then stir in corn syrup and extract.

You will use this same recipe for both glazing and piping. The way it is right now is the consistency you want for glazing. It's smooth and thin, like in the picture below. It easily runs off the whisk in a pretty thin drizzle.

To prepare the icing for piping, you just add more powdered sugar. Just eyeball it. You can't really mess it up because if it's too thick you just add more milk and if it's to thin, you add more powdered sugar. I add it in small amounts until it's a good consistency. For me, it's when it gets to a point where it's relatively hard to whisk it by hand. When I pick up the whisk, it still runs off, but in a very slow, thick stream now, like this:

Take your glazing icing and separate it into bowls if you want to color it. I decided to do red (more pink, but I love it!), green, and blue. And I left my piping icing white. Use gel food coloring (you can find it at craft or cooking stores) for more intense colors.

There are a few ways to use icing like this. One way is to just glaze the cookie and leave it like that. I'm going to glaze it and then pipe a decoration on top. So the first step is to glaze. Take a small spoon and drop a spoonful of glaze onto a cookie. (Do one at a time, I'm just doing 3 for picture-taking-fun)

Then take a small spoon (baby spoons work great) and gently spread it out to the edges of the cookie. If you want the cookie completely covered, you could just hold it by the bottom and dip it in, then place it over a rack to let the excess drip off.


You need to wait for the icing to set before you pipe on top of it. It doesn't have to be completely dry, but just set on top. An hour or two will probably be enough, but it depends on humidity and everything, so just barely touch the top and don't smash the glaze because it will probably still be soft underneath. If it's dry to the touch you can go ahead and decorate.

With your piping icing (the thicker stuff) in a pastry bag (I just used a plain, round tip), just draw on your design. I started doing little snowflakes and pretty much fell in love with them. These little cuties are about an inch and a half in diameter. How adorable are they?? I just get happy every time I look at this picture.



The next method is to do do the piping first, and then fill in with the glaze. So for these shapes below, I just took my pastry bag and piped the white icing around the edges.

Great Tip: when you do dots, or when you start or finish a line, you may get a little peak of icing. If you try to smash it down, it will stick to your fingers and then you'll make a big mess and maybe say a naughty word. Just get your finger wet and gently press down. It won't stick and all of your problems will be solved.


You can fill them soon after outlining. The piping will act as a dam and hold the glaze in. So just drop a spoonful of glaze in the middle of the cookie and with a small spoon, or clean paint brush, or toothpick for small spaces, gently spread the icing out until it fills the cookie in.

While the glaze is wet, it's kind of like paint. You can have fun combining different colors and swirling around for cool patterns. In these ones I just used a toothpick to make designs.



The last method is to outline the cookies with piping, then fill them with glaze, and then pipe again on top. You could then color different piping bags and decorate cookies like snowmen, santas etc. I think monograms are really cute too, especially for things like baby and wedding showers. Here's some letters I did. Oooh, or how about an ABC theme for a toddler's birthday party? That would be cute too.

If you're going to do this method, it may seem like a lot of steps. To break it up, you could bake your cookies one night and put them in an air-tight container. Then the next day glaze them and the next day give them away. Or if you ice them in the morning, they might be dry enough to stack and pack that night. I tested my cookies, and on the third day they were still soft and super yummy.




And speaking of birthday parties...
this is for someone special today :)




No matter which method you use, the glaze will need to dry completely overnight.

* And FYI, I'll post my sugar cookie recipe next week. It's a great one for cookie cutters!
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Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Gooey Cinnamon Sticky Buns


Ingredients:Makes 15 buns

Dough:


1/4 cup warm (105° to 115°) water
1 package (1/4-ounce) active dry yeast(2 1/4 teaspoon)
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter , plus more for greasing
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
4 to 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour , plus more for dusting
Filling:


1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Topping:


3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) coarsely chopped pecans
To make dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine warm water, yeast and 1 tsp. sugar. Stir to dissolve and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add milk, butter, remaining sugar, egg yolks, orange zest, salt and 3 cups flour and mix on low speed until blended. Switch to a dough hook and then, again on low, slowly incorporate 1 cup remaining flour. Increase speed to medium, kneading dough until smooth and slightly sticky (adding last 1/4 cup flour if too wet), 3 to 5 minutes. Remove dough from mixing bowl, shape into a ball and place in a large, greased bowl. Turn to coat and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. After dough has risen, punch down. Turn out onto a lightly floured cutting board and let sit 20 minutes.

To make filling: Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Melt butter; keep separate.

Roll dough out into a 12" x 18" rectangle. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Starting with the long side, roll dough into a cylinder. Place seam side down on a flat surface and cut crosswise into 15 slices.

To make topping: In a 1-quart saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, honey and corn syrup over low heat; stir until sugar and butter are melted. Pour mixture into a greased 9" x 13" pan and sprinkle pecans on top.

Place dough slices, flat side down, on top of prepared topping. Crowd them so they touch. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 375°. Bake buns until golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove pan from oven and immediately invert onto a serving tray or baking dish. Let buns cool slightly and serve warm.

Gooey Cinnamon

Ingredients:Makes 15 buns

Dough:


1/4 cup warm (105° to 115°) water
1 package (1/4-ounce) active dry yeast
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter , plus more for greasing
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
4 to 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour , plus more for dusting
Filling:


1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Topping:


3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) coarsely chopped pecans
To make dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine warm water, yeast and 1 tsp. sugar. Stir to dissolve and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add milk, butter, remaining sugar, egg yolks, orange zest, salt and 3 cups flour and mix on low speed until blended. Switch to a dough hook and then, again on low, slowly incorporate 1 cup remaining flour. Increase speed to medium, kneading dough until smooth and slightly sticky (adding last 1/4 cup flour if too wet), 3 to 5 minutes. Remove dough from mixing bowl, shape into a ball and place in a large, greased bowl. Turn to coat and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. After dough has risen, punch down. Turn out onto a lightly floured cutting board and let sit 20 minutes.

To make filling: Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Melt butter; keep separate.

Roll dough out into a 12" x 18" rectangle. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Starting with the long side, roll dough into a cylinder. Place seam side down on a flat surface and cut crosswise into 15 slices.

To make topping: In a 1-quart saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, honey and corn syrup over low heat; stir until sugar and butter are melted. Pour mixture into a greased 9" x 13" pan and sprinkle pecans on top.

Place dough slices, flat side down, on top of prepared topping. Crowd them so they touch. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 375°. Bake buns until golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove pan from oven and immediately invert onto a serving tray or baking dish. Let buns cool slightly and serve warm.

World Peace Cookies


World Peace Cookies
Baking: From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (11 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or a generous 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips

Makes about 36 cookies.

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, the salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes more.

Turn off the mixer. Pour in the flour, drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer to protect yourself and your kitchen from flying flour and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. Take a peek — if there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple of times more; if not, remove the towel. Continuing at low speed, mix for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough — for the best texture, work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added, and don’t be concerned if the dough looks a little crumbly. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and divide it in half. Working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you’ve frozen the dough, you needn’t defrost it before baking — just slice the logs into cookies and bake the cookies 1 minute longer.)

GETTING READY TO BAKE: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Working with a sharp thin knife, slice the logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick. (The rounds are likely to crack as you’re cutting them — don’t be concerned, just squeeze the bits back onto each cookie.) Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 minutes — they won’t look done, nor will they be firm, but that’s just the way they should be. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they are only just warm, at which point you can serve them or let them reach room temperature.

SERVING: The cookies can be eaten when they are warm or at room temperature — I prefer them at room temperature, when the textural difference between the crumbly cookie and the chocolate bits is greatest — and are best suited to cold milk or hot coffee.

STORING: Packed airtight, cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days; they can be frozen for up to 2 months.

REd Beans

Kate's Red Beans and Rice
1 lb. dry red kidney beans, rinsed and sorted
6 c. water
5 regular bouillon cubes or 1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. chicken base
1/4 lb. smoked sausage (Andouille sausage if you can find it), quartered and cut into thin slices. You can also use a large, meaty ham bone.
1 onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Cajun or Creole seasoning (Tony Chachere's is the best; omit this if using Andouille sausage)
3/4 tsp. cumin
3/4 tsp. coriander
3/4 tsp. oregano
1/8-1/4 tsp. cinnamon (sounds weird, but DON'T leave it out!!!)
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika (also omit if using Andouille sausage)





Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low all day. Or you can start on high until it starts to simmer and then switch it to low. Honestly, I think "high" for a shorter period works better, but that's just me...


When beans are tender, mash about 85-90% of them against the side of the crock pot. Give them a taste and add any extra seasonings if you need to, particularly more Tony's or salt and pepper. Replace lid and set heat to "low." Or off. Whatever. It's pretty hard to screw stuff up in the crockpot. In a medium saucepan, bring 4 c. water, 1 Tbsp. white vinegar, and 2 c. of white rice to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and steam for 20 minutes.


Now...this may be heresy to people who grew up eating red beans and rice, but I prefer it with the beans on bottom and the rice on top. I just think it's prettier. And don't think I haven't gotten dirty looks for not putting the beans on top; what can I say, I'm a sassy girl with a rebellious streak and a Yankee accent who knows what she likes! I also like to garnish it with some green onions for color and a little extra flavor.
Like Cajun food needs any extra flavor...




Serves about 8, with 1 c. beans and 1/2 c. rice per person.


Nutritional Information
Calories: 220
Fat: 4
Fiber: 6
WW Points: 4

Black Beans


Quick and Easy Black Beans

2 Cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 T olive oil
2/3 C diced onion
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
1 C chicken broth (or 1 C water + 1 t chicken bullion)
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t coriander
1/4 t oregano
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 lime

In a saucepan on the stove, heat the olive oil to med-high heat. Saute onions for about 3 minutes or until they just start to become translucent. Add garlic and saute abut 30 seconds more. Add beans, broth, and remaining seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are done cooking, remove from heat and add in a few squeezes of fresh lime juice. Then use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula so smoosh (yes, that's a technical culinary term) some of the beans. You don't want to pulverize them, but you want to take a bunch of good smooshes so that some of the beans are smashed, which will thicken the sauce. I like mine on the thicker side so I smoosh quite a bit. They will thicken more upon standing.

If you want a more soupy consistency, just add a little more broth.

Serve as a side dish, or on top or rice, in fajitas or tacos, or on top of chicken or steak.

Crockpot Lasagna

Slow Cooker Lasagna
* 8 lasagna noodles, uncooked
* 1 lb. ground beef
* 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
* 28 oz. jar spaghetti sauce (I made my own…click HERE to do the same)
* 1/3 cup water
* 4 oz. can mushrooms
* 15 oz. ricotta or 24 oz. cottage cheese
* 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation
1. Break noodles. Place half in bottom of greased slow cooker.

2. Brown ground beef. Drain. Stir in Italian seasoning. Spread half over noodles in slow cooker.

3. Layer half of sauce and water, half of mushrooms, half of ricotta or cottage cheese and half of mozzarella cheese over beef. Repeat layers.

4. Cover. Cook on low for 5 hours. (You can also double these ingredients and make 3 layers.)

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Whole Wheat Muffins


Whole Wheat Muffins

1/2 cup oil
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup brown sugar (original recipe called for a full cup)
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour (I used white wheat)
1/2 cup chopped dates (I added these, they weren't in the original)
Mix together all ingredients except flour. Stir in flour. Spoon into well greased muffin tins. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.
-Makes 1 1/2 dozen

Notes
-I added dates, but you could use any dried fruit your family likes. Or you could just leave them out.