Category: Recipe

Recipe: Garlic & Cheese Breadsticks

11/15/2016

I've made this recipe a few times now, each time the youth in this house gobble them up so fast it's amazing. :) So I need to keep making them. The original recipe is here, I've adapted it a bit.

Ingredients
1 h 50 m

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup warm water
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups warm water

2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (sometimes use this not always)
cheese! Whatever cheese with a slower melting point that you have, like cheddar, monteray jack, tex mex mixes etc. just enough for half of them.

Directions

Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl. Let stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 15 minutes. Add flour, 1 1/4 cup warm water, 2 tablespoons softened butter, and 1 tablespoon salt; knead until dough is well mixed and soft, about 3 minutes.
Roll dough into a 2-foot log. Cut into 16 equal pieces, about 1 1/2 inches wide. Knead each piece and shape into a 6-inch breadstick. Arrange breadsticks on a baking sheet; let rise for about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Mix 3 tablespoons melted butter and garlic powder together in a bowl; brush onto half of the breadsticks. Sprinkle cheese on half of them. If you want you can lightly garlic butter the bread first but my lad prefers no garlic on the cheese buns.
Bake breadsticks in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Immediately brush with remaining melted butter mixture; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. I only do this on the garlic breadsticks

Facebook Inspired : Pizza Bread

10/16/2016

I saw on facebook a simple recipe for making a pull apart pizza bread.   I didn't have all the ingredients to make it so wondered if I should bother but then remembered my fellows like just plain cheese pizza so I worked with that. :) It's a type of monkey bread.

Preheat oven 350

2 Pillsbury pizza dough packages, cut into cubes.
2 cups Mozzarella Cheese grated
1 cup Parmeson Cheese
2 tbsp Italian Seasoning if you don't have enough Italian seasoning add some extra basil and/or oregano.
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup olive oil. I would use less oil next time

Mix it all together.

Bake in a greased pan (bundt, square whatever you have).   30 minutes.

Let cool slightly, and then eat. The above pic was taken 2 minutes after I set it down. We're left with three small pieces that I'll devour in a couple of minutes.

options: add 8 oz diced/sliced meat (pepperoni is suggested) but you know... play with it, make it to your taste.
         : serve with pizza or spaghetti sauce

I couldn't find the actual recipe I based this off of, but here's another one off youtube that is quite similar and I bet would taste great.

Recipe: Buns for Thanksgiving

10/10/2016

My mom asked if I could make a dessert for out potluck Thanksgiving meal on Monday. I begged off as I dislike making desserts (though today Hubby said.. PIE! We could bring PIE! ... so we bought a pumpkin pie to bring). BUT I was left with my commitment to mom, that I would bring some buns.....since that is what we compromised on.

Since some people like white bread and others like brown, I made two batches of dinner buns. Hopefully they will both be enjoyed. Hubby cooked them as i made them just before it was bedtime for my lad. What did I learn? Dividing dough up in to equal sized buns is harder than it looks.

Original recipe Tasty Buns found here: Tasty Buns.

Ingredients

5 cups all-purpose flour
2 (.25 ounce) packages dry yeast
1 cup milk
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Modifications
1 cup whole wheat
2 cup white
1.5 cup multigrain

Directions

Stir together 2 cups flour and the yeast. In a separate bowl, heat milk, water, oil, sugar and salt to lukewarm in microwave. Add all at once to the flour mixture, and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Mix in enough flour to make a soft dough, 2 to 3 cups. Mix well. Dust a flat surface with flour, turn dough out onto floured surface, and let rest under bowl for about 10 minutes.
Shape dough into 12 slightly flat balls, and place on greased baking sheet to rise until doubled in size.
Bake in a preheated 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

Original Recipe to be found here: Unbelievable Rolls

Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
5 teaspoons active dry yeast
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup margarine, melted

Directions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm milk, water, sugar and salt. Remove from heat, and mix in the eggs and yeast.
Measure flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the flour, and pour milk mixture into it. Do not stir. Cover with a lid, and let stand for 20 to 30 minutes.
Pour melted margarine into flour, and mix well. Add more flour if too sticky. Knead lightly. Cover, and let rise for 20 to 30 minutes.
Shape the dough into rolls, and place on a baking sheet. Let rise again for 20 to 30 minutes.
Bake rolls in a preheated 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) oven for 15 minutes, or until done.

Recipe: Robin Hood, Basic White, Modified

10/6/2016

The original recipe can be found right here.

Ingredients
1 tsp (5 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) water, warm
1 envelope (8 g) active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp/11 mL)

1 cup (250 mL) milk, warm
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
2 tbsp (30 mL) granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) salt
1/2 cup (125 mL) water, warm

5 1/2 cups (1375 mL) Robin Hood® Best For Bread Homestyle White Flour

My modifications:
A touch more water (3/4cup) because i will be using different flours
2 cups white flour (generic)
heaping 1 cup whole wheat flour
1.5 cups multi-grain flour

Directions

Dissolve 1 teaspoon (5 mL) sugar in 1/2 cup (125 mL) warm water in large mixing bowl. Sprinkle in yeast. Let stand 10 minutes, then stir well.
Combine milk, butter, 2 tablespoons (30 mL) sugar, salt and 1/2 cup (125 mL) warm water. Add milk mixture and 2 cups (500 mL) flour to dissolved yeast mixture. Beat with wooden spoon or electric mixer until smooth and elastic.
Stir in 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) of remaining flour gradually. If necessary, add more flour to make a soft dough which leaves sides of bowl. Turn out on floured board. Round up into a ball.
Knead dough, adding more flour as necessary, until dough is smooth, elastic and no longer sticky (about 10 minutes).
Place in lightly greased bowl. Turn dough to greased top. Cover with parchment paper and tea towel.
Let rise in warm place (75°-85°F/24°-29°C) until doubled (45 to 60 minutes).
Punch Down. Turn out onto lightly floured board and divide into 2 equal portions. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
Shape each portion into a loaf. Place seam side down in 2 greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" x 2 3/4" (1.5 L) loaf pans. Cover with tea towel.
Let Rise in warm place until dough rises 1 1/2" (3 cm) above top of pan in centre and corners are filled (45 to 60 minutes).
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). I cooked mine at 375 because 400 seemed too hot. It cooked through in 27 minutes.
Bake on lower oven rack of preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from pans immediately. Brush top crust with butter if a soft crust is desired. Cool on wire racks.

Recipe: Grandma VanDoren's White Bread, modified

10/4/2016

We needed some bread made, so I thought I'd have some fun playing around a bit. Original recipe can be found here.

Ingredients:

3 cups warm water
3 tablespoons active dry yeast
3 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup white sugar
8 cups white bread flour

Changes made
1.25 cup warm milk
2.75 cups warm water
4 cups white flour
4 cups brown flour

I made the change in the liquid ingredients because I had started making another recipe until I realized it was for a bread machine recipe and I blanked on how to just make it without the bread machine. :)

Preheat oven to 350.

As I didn't want to waste the milk, figured I'd use it to make a different recipe. :)

Anyways, warm the milk and water til, as my son says, "just past lukewarm".
Mix in the yeast, sugar, oil, salt and about six cups of flour.
Let that set for a spell.
When risen, flour your counter top, and knead about 2 cups of flour into the dough.
Divide into three sections.

NOW.. if you do it like I did, you'll make two loaves of bread and one pull apart cheese buns. For the loaves, place them into greased bread pans. let rise 20 minutes or so.

To do the cheese buns you simply roll the dough into balls and place kinda close together in an 8 x 8 greased pan. Sprinkle with some grated cheese and... watch your 11 year old devour about half of them. :)

The loaves take about 30-35 minutes to cook. WATCH THEM as the last few minutes you need to cover the tops with foil or parchment paper to keep them from browning too much.

The buns take about 20 minutes to cook.

Recipe: Feijoada (black bean stew)

10/2/2016

So I was chatting with my student this morning at breakfast and I learned that in Brazil he goes to school 730-5, and takes 14 courses!!!! He also gets fed lunch by the school, often a black bean stew with rice or noodles for lunch. Since this lad has been looking a little lost lately I thought I'd surprise him with black bean stew. I made it somewhat differently than the recipe called for, but this is the original recipe.

Ingredients:

1 (12 ounce) package dry black beans, soaked overnight I used two cans of black beans
1 1/2 cups chopped onion, divided
1/2 cup green onions, chopped Didn't have, didn't use.
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 smoked ham hocks used one big one, precooked.
8 ounces diced ham
1/2 pound thickly sliced bacon, diced used pancetta
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 bay leaves, crushed
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional) Used dried parsley
added some mixed spice herbs for different flavour
also used chicken broth

thickening the sauce

Directions:
1. In a crock pot place, diced onion and black beans. Add the minced garlic.
2. Remove meat from ham hock, removing as much fat as possible. Add to crock pot, dice the ham, add to crock pot as well.
3. cover the crock pot mix with chicken broth, adding the bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper.
4. Let cook for two hours.
5. Add pancetta, diced in small pieces as it's quite salty.
6. taste test the sauce, realize something more is needed, add a red pepper mixed spice and go MMMM... :)
7. Let cook for another 2.5 hours.
8. Realize the liquid has not cooked down, so remove liquid, put into a pot and thicken with some flour. Put back in crock pot and call it good.
8. Cook some rice on the side (I made four cups of cooked rice).

Reactions:
I liked it.
My student did his slow smile and had seconds.
Hubby liked the flavour, but I missed some fat and he said "I can't do this".
Son didn't want it, but tried when I said you must, liked it until like his dad he got a bite of fat and said "I can't do this".
Student made himself another bowl for supper. :)

Rabbit and Rice Casserole Supper

9/27/2016

So I've been trying to come up with meals that our Brazilian Student might like beyond hamburgers and pizza (which he adores) and I've been well... watching his face and noticing some unhappiness lately, so I thought I'd try something different tonight.

I grabbed some rabbit out of the freezer this morning (front and hind legs) and thought, perhaps I can tempt him with these.

This is what I did.

Brown rice (cover bottom of casserole dish well).
Cover that rice with rabbit.
Cover the rabbit with a mixture of cream of mushroom condensed soup + one can bouillon + 1/2 can water.

Stick in oven, 350 for about an hour and a half.
Put some veggies on for a side dish KNOWING that your student won't eat them but wanting the colour on my plate. :)

And watch one 15 year old take THREE HELPINGS!!!!!

Success. This is the most I have seen him eat in one sitting. :)

Recipe: Hamburger Buns

9/18/2016

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter

1.5 cup multi-grain flour
1 package instant yeast
2 tablespoon white sugar
1.5 teaspoon salt

1 egg

3 cups flour (this last amount flexible)

Directions

In a small saucepan, heat milk, water and butter until very warm (120F)
in a large bowl, mix 1.5 cup multi-grain flour, yeast, sugar and salt. mix in the milk mixture. Add the egg. Mix well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
Divide dough into 12 equal pieces, flattening the top slightly. Place on a greased baking sheet (or use a silicone sheet). Cover and let rise about 30 minutes.
Bake at 400f/200C for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

If you shape them in long rolls you can turn them into hotdog buns.

Recipe: Amish White Bread

9/11/2016

Ingredients Takes 2 h 30 to make 2 loaves

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour

Directions

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.

I made this recipe as written, except the oil was a mix between sesame and sunflower.
Original recipe found here.

Recipe: Homemade Mac and Cheese

9/8/2016

As we have an international student living with us, I've been doing some experimental cooking lately. I want to see what type of foods he likes so I can encourage him to be healthy in his eating habits while here. He seemed to like this meal, and I learned later in the evening that one of his favourite things to eat is a breaded mac and cheese that is deep fried. So there yah go.. kinda fits eh?

This recipe come from here.

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups milk
1/4 cup butter

2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 pinch paprika

changes made: used a different type of pasta since it's what I had in store

Directions

Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain.
In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick. Put macaroni in large casserole dish, and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well.
Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and brown. Spread over the macaroni and cheese to cover. Sprinkle with a little paprika.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Serve.

End result: we all ate it and enjoyed it, but the casserole was missing something, we suspect some pepper would have helped it overall.