Cinnamon Roll Bread

So I did a little experiment that turned out delicious and thought I would share. I basically took the Croxall Roll recipe, added an extra 1/4 cup sugar and prepared as usual. Then instead of making rolls, I rolled it out, smeared it with butter, sprinkled cinnamon sugar on it and baked. Delicious! It was so good I skipped the powdered sugar glaze I was planning for the top. You know it is good when you are guarding the last 1/8 of the loaf from the children (and yourself) so your sweet husband can try it when he gets home from work.

Cinnamon Roll Bread

1 C milk (powder milk works fine)
1 egg
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
3-3 1/2 C flour (I originally put in 3 1/4 cup flour because that is what i do with the rolls but probably ended up adding another 1/4 c after taking it out of the bread machine)
1/2 C sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp yeast

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1. Put liquid ingredients in bread machine, break up the egg a bit.

2. Put dry ingredients in

3. Make well and put in yeast

4. Set to dough cycle

5. Punch down and roll out to about 24 -28" by 9".

6. Smear entire top with 1/4 cup softened butter.

7. Mix 1/2 cup brown sugar with 2 tsp cinnamon. Then sprinkle on the butter smeared bread.

8. Starting at one end of 9" roll the entire thing.

9. Place seamed side down in a greased 9x5 loaf pan. (I forgot to grease and so therefore do not a have a pretty picture of the bread). Let rise, about 90 min or so.

10. Cook at 350* for about 30 min, with a tent of tin foil on top, remove at the 30 min more and cook another 8-10 min until brown.

11. Let cool 10 min then remove from pan.

Grilled Chicken and Berry Salad

We made this last week, super yummy. The dressing makes over 2 cups, and we had to toss a lot of it because it only lasts 5-7 days (or as long as the berries would last). So maybe halve it or share.

Grilled Chicken & Berry Salad
Recipe by Our Best Bites, Inspired by the Pigtailed Red-Head of Hamburger Fame

1/2 head Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
6-8 oz. baby spinach
12-16 oz. chicken, marinated, grilled, and sliced*
8 oz. strawberries, sliced
8 oz. blueberries
4 oz. crumbled Feta or shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1 c. sliced almonds, toasted
Berry Poppy Seed Dressing to taste

For serving a large crowd, toss all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl and add dressing to taste. For individual servings, arrange ingredients on plates and serve the dressing on the side. Makes about 8 side dish servings and 4 main dish servings.

Berry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 c. white wine vinegar
1/2 c. honey (or sugar)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tsp. kosher or other coarse salt
About 10 cracks of freshly ground black pepper
1 c. raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries
2/3 c. canola oil
1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

Combine the vinegar, honey, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and berries in the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth and then, with the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Turn off the blender and whisk in the poppy seeds. If possible, refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Moroccan Vegetarian Stew

While I probably should have waited until winter to make this, it was Delicious. Very hearty, warm, and spicy. Too bad the kids didn't even try it. Sigh.

Moroccan Vegetarian Stew
1 large onion, chopped
1 T. olive oil
2 t. ground cinnamon
2 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. cayenne pepper (I only did 1/4 and it was still pretty hot.)
1/2 t. ground allspice
1/4 t. salt
3 c. water
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 med. potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 med. carrots, sliced
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 small zucchini, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 (15 0z) can garbanzo beans/chickpeas, rinsed and drained.

Saute onion in oil until tender. Add spices and salt; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the water, squash, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes and squash are almost tender. Add zucchini and chickpeas; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 5-8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve with couscous, pita bread, or Amber's rolls like I did tonight because I couldn't find couscous at the store. Top with yogurt or sour cream if desired. I didn't try that either. SO flavorful. I loved it. And a cup and a half has only 170 calories. Eight servings (1.5 cups each).

Enchiladas

From Cook's Country (America's Test Kitchen). I rarely do all the work for the beef ones, but I do like the sauce. You can see my faster chicken version underneath.

Beef Enchiladas
1 1/4 lbs top blade steaks, trimmed
salt
1T veggie oil
2 onions, chopped (I use less)
3 garlic cloves, minced
3T chili powder
2t coriander
2t cumin
1t sugar
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1/2c water
2c shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
1/3c chopped fresh cilantro
1/4c canned pickled jalapenos, chopped (I skip this)
tortillas

-Pat meat dry, brown in hot oil in dutch oven at medium-high heat on both sides, about 6 min. Transfer to plate.
-add onions to oil and cook until golden, about 5 min. Combine the garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, sugar, and 1t salt in a small bowl, then stir mixture into the pot. Cook until fragrant, about 1 min. Add the tomato sauce and water and bring to a boil. Return the meat and juices to the pot, cover, and reduce heat to low, gently simmer until the meat is tender and can be broken apart with a wooden spoon, abut 1.5 hrs.
-Strain the beef mixture over a medium bowl, breaking the meat into small pieces, reserve the sauce. Transfer the meat to a bowl and mix with 1c cheese, cilantro and jalapenos.
-Spread 3/4c sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Spread 1/3c beef mixture in a tortilla, roll and place in baking dish seam side down. Repeat. And again. And some more. Pour the sauce on top, coat evenly. Sprinkle remaining cup of cheese on top, cover with foil, bake at 350 for 20-25 min until heated through. Remove foil and brown slightly, 5-10min. Yummmmm.

***Chicken version
Replace the steaks with 2c cooked, cubed chicken breasts, 1-2c cooked rice and a can of refried beans. Make the sauce as listed, beginning with the onions and skipping the long cooking step. Mix some of the sauce with the chicken, rice, beans and cheese. Proceed as directed.

I like to serve it with:
Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream
Process 1c sour cream, 1/4c chopped fresh cilantro, 1t grated fresh lime zest, 1/4t pepper, 1/8t salt in a food processor until smooth.

Green Monster Mayhem

L'Anita piqued my curiosity about these, so we gave them a try tonight. My girls licked their cups clean. Give it a whirl-

Blueberry-Banana Green Monster Smoothie
Ingredients:
2-3 cups organic spinach
1-1.25 cups milk (your choice of cow’s milk, soy, hemp, almond, rice, etc)
1 tablespoon flax (optional)
1 banana
1/2 cup blueberries
ice
Directions:
Place the ingredients into the blender and blend like a mad person! Pour into a fancy glass and gulp down the delicious antioxidants. There’s no better way to start your day!

You can find the original blog here and check out L'Anita's review here.

Moroccan Chicken

Gluten Free Success! My family ate seconds and asked for more.

Brown in 1T olive oil over medium-high heat:
8 chicken thighs, bone in, skin off, salt & peppered to taste

Remove to a platter. Saute:
1c chopped onion
2c carrots, in 1/2 inch chunks

Sprinkle on & stir:
2t paprika
1T fresh gingerroot, grated (I used 1t dried)
1/4t turmeric
1/4t cinnamon

Add:
3T lemon juice
1c chicken broth
1T brown sugar

Return chicken to the pan, bring broth to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 min, or until chicken is fork tender and cooked through. Stir in 1 15oz can of garbanzo beans (drained), if desired, and heat through about 5 min. Serve over brown rice or couscous.

Turkey Enchiladas

1 1/4 c. frozen corn, thawed
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1 c. fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 c. heavy whipping cream
1/4 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper
Combine the above ingredients in a food processor; cover and pulse until blended.

3/4 lb. ground turkey
1/3 c. chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T. olive oil
3/4 c. salsa
1 T. cornmeal
2 t. chili pwdr
1 1/2 t. dried oregano
1/8 t. salt and 1/8 t. pepper
6 flour tortillas (8 in) warmed
1 1/4 c. shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
1/4 c. sliced ripe olives

In a large skillet, cook the turkey, onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Remove from heat; stir in salsa, cornmeal and seasonings. Spoon 1/3 c. turkey mixture down the center of each tortilla; top with 2 T. cheese. Roll up and place seam down in greased 11x7 or 9x13 dish. Spoon corn mixture over the top; sprinkle with olives and remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover, bake 5-10 minutes or until heated through.

We all loved this. I omitted the oil, used cornmeal mix instead of cornmeal (because that's what I had) and I made the corn mixture ahead of time, so it was a pretty easy meal to put together.

Fudge Brownie Trifle

They served this at the Stake RS activity earlier this month. Really easy and make ahead, looks best in trifle bowl.

2 boxes brownie mix
walnuts or toasted pecans
1 large packet instant vanilla pudding mix
1 small container whipped topping
4 oz cream cheese
2 butterfinger candy bars

Bake brownies according to directions. Add nuts to batter. When cool, crumble 1/2 brownies in bottom of trifle bowl.
Prepare vanilla pudding according to directions and add whipped topping. Spoon 1/2 pudding/topping mix on top of brownies. Repeat layers. Refrigerate overnight. Crush butterfingers and place on top before serving.

Best Black Beans

I make these for any Mexican-esque dinner we have. So yummy!

1 (16 ounce) can black beans

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt to taste

1. In a medium saucepan, combine beans, onion, and garlic, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Season with cilantro, cayenne, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes, and serve. The longer you simmer it, the better it tastes.

Spanish Rice

I have been living off of this and Best Black Beans. So easy and yummy.

2 Tbsp veg. oil

2 Tbsp chopped onion

1 1/2 C uncooked white rice

2 C chicken broth

1 C chunky salsa

Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion and cook until tender, about 5 min.

Mix rice into pan, stirring often. When rice begins to brown, stir in chicken broth and salsa. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes, until liquid has been reduced.

Not Yo' Mama's Cinnamon Toast

My mother gave me this recipe from Pioneer Woman. (Am I the only one skeptical about this person? Does she have a staff or what??)

Anyway, this cinnamon toast is life-changing. I'm never going back to the old ways! Just this morning my kids were telling me that I should sell it. (Ever since I started doing consignment sales, they think I can make money out of just about anything.)

So here it is. Because I'm lazy, and because she does have good pictures and funny commentary, I'll just give you the link: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/04/the-right-way-and-the-wrong-way-to-make-cinnamon-toast/

Note: If your kids are like mine, and any food that misses their mouth automatically bypasses their plate/table/lap/chair as well, you'll want to sweep the floor after this meal.

Lemon Chicken Zucchini stirfry

This is our go-to stirfry. Dont let the instructions scare you, it is quick to cook up and easy to do.

1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts or thighs

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp cooking oil

1 tsp grated gingerroot

3 1/2 cup sliced zucchini

2 Tbsp lemon juice

Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces Blend chicken broth into cornstarch; stir in soy sauce and sugar. Set aside.

Preheat wok over high heat; add cooking oil. Stir fry gingerroot in hot oil for 30 seconds. Stirfry half of the zucchini for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from wok. Stirfry remaining zucchini 2-3 mintues. Remove from wok. (add more oil if neccessary) Add half the chicken to the hot wok; stirfry 2 minutes or til done. Remove chicken. Stirfry remaining chicken 2 minutes. Return all chicken to wok. Stir broth mixture; stir into chicken. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Add zucchini and lemon juice; cover and cook 1 minute more. Serve over rice.

Chicken and Corn Chili

This is a light recipe and went great with my rolls.

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, cored and chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 can (14.5 oz) low sodium chicken broth

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatos, drained

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1 box (10 oz) frozen corn, thawed

2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

3/4 tsp salt

shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and green pepper. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Stir in cumin, coriander, and chili powder; cook 1 minute.

2. Stir in chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Add chicken. Cover and dsimmer over low heat for 10 minutes or unitl chicken is cooked through.

3. Stir corn, beans and salt into pot. Heat through. Spoon into bowls and top with shredded cheese.

Gingerbread Men Cookies

When I had Andreu last year, a friend brought over these cookies. My boys (including Ryan) loved them so much, I didn't get a single cookie. I've since tasted them and I think they are some of the best soft gingerbread cookies I've had. I made some this morning as a Christmas treat for the Primary.

Makes about 25-30; you can double this w/o a problem

3 ¼ c flour
½ tsp baking soda (make sure to use brand new fresh)
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves
2 sticks (1 cup) softened salted butter
¾ c packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
½ c unsulfurized molasses

Icing: milk (or cream)
powdered sugar

· Combine dry ingredients
· In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses and beat until smooth. Add the dry mixture and blend slowly until just combined.
· Split dough into two discs and chill at least an hour. (You can chill them overnight if you need to.)
· Preheat oven to 325 F
· Roll out the dough on a generously floured surface. If you want a chewier cookie, roll the dough to at least ¼ in thick; 1/3 in thick might even be better. Cut your men and place them on a cookie sheet. If you flour the sheet, it does keep them from spreading too much while they cook.
· If you’re going to use raisins you’ll need to plump them in water for about 5 minutes before you place them on the uncooked men.
· Bake 10 minutes, give or take. It’s better to pull them out still a bit doughy than have them too crispy. Remove them from the cookie sheet as soon as they’re firm enough to not break on the spatula.
· ICING: Combine milk and powdered sugar (or water and powdered sugar---about 1 c sugar to 3 tsp milk/water; I’ve found that cream works better, though: it’s whiter and a better consistency. I’ve also found that a flavored coffee creamer, like caramel mmmmm works nicely too and adds a lot of taste) until mixture is smooth but not watery. Use a fine tip piping tip and a pastry bag to decorate.

French Dip Au Jus Sandwiches

French Dip Sandwiches

I think I usually halve this. Also we don't do the bread toasting but serve it on ciabatta bread, cut lengthwise first, then into sandwich slices. Mmm.

1 2.5-3 lb. beef roast (you can use a frozen roast if you want)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
2 1-ounce packages dry onion soup mix
2 c. water
2 cans beef broth
6-8 large buns or more
Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper.

When very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. You're not cooking the meat, you're just browning it quickly on all sides to add flavor and seal in the juices.

Place in crockpot and sprinkle with onion soup mixes. Pour water and beef broth over roast.

Cook 8-10 hours on low or cook 4-5 hours on high and another 3-4 hours on low. It's hard to screw this part up; basically, the longer it cooks, the more tender it will be. But you know it's done when you pop a fork in it and the meat just falls apart. When meat is ready, shred with a fork.

Place meat in crusty rolls. Top with cheese and broil open-faced in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes, until bread is golden and cheese is melty.

Ladle juices into small cups for dipping and enjoy!

Chicken Curry in a Hurry

I got this recipe from here. It's very quick and only has a few ingredients. I read some of the comments before I made it and so I do a couple things different than the original recipe. It needed more curry powder and also instead of using all sour cream I use half plain yogurt - although the reviews I read caution against going too low fat because then the sauce will not turn out well. Also, I've never made it with the raisins, only because I haven't had any golden raisins, but my sister says it's great with the raisins.

Chicken Curry in a Hurry

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1/3 cup golden raisins (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder, or to taste
• 3 skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)*
• 1 /2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  
• Minced fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish

1 Put the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add the onions (and optional raisins), sprinkle with some salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, sprinkle with half of the curry powder, and continue to cook a minute or two.

2 Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle it with the remaining curry powder. Move the onion to one side of the skillet and add the chicken in one layer. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate.

3 Add the sour cream and yogurt and stir constantly over medium-low heat until the mixture is nice and thick. Return the chicken to the skillet and cook for a couple more minutes, or until cooked through, turning once.

Garnish with cilantro or parsley and serve with rice.

Dutch Recipes

There was a request for these, I swear. Good old rustic, comfort food, Dutch style.


Stamppot Zuurkool (the white one)

3 lbs potatoes
2 lbs sauerkraut
1 lb bacon

Chop the bacon into small chunks and cook in a pot of water with the sauerkraut for 30 min., bring to a boil and then reduce to a medium heat. (Although in the future, I will fry the bacon pieces up, add everything including drippings to sauerkraut, bring to a boil, then drain. Then follow rest accordingly)


In a separate, larger pot, boil the peeled potatoes for 30 -45 min, until soft.

Drain bacon, sauerkraut, and potatoes and combine in large pot. Mash ingredients together.

Boerenkool (the green one)

3 lbs potatoes
2 onions (I always leave out because Brian hates onions)
1 bay leaf
1 lb kale
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground pepper
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter

1. Peel and dice potatoes and onions.
2. Clean, trim and chop kale.
3. Add the potatoes, onion, kale, bay leaf, salt and just enough water to cover all in a 3 qt pan.
4. Cover and boil gently for 25-45 min.
5. Remove bay leaf, and drain the vegetables.
6. Add milk and butter and then mash all together.
7. Serve with sausage and Rodekool.

Rodekool (the red one)

1 head red cabbage
3-4 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 pinch pepper
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt

1. Cut ans shred cabbage.
2. Cook in a small amount of boiling water with salt, cloves, and pepper for 45 min.
3. Don't let it boil dry but don't add too much water. (This is the hard part, I still haven't perfected it)
4. During the last 10 minutes add the vinegar.
5. Just before serving, add butter and sugar.

Sausage
I always buy the same brand HomeStyle Food Smoked Sausage in Mild (has a picture of an African-American man on it). I stick it in a 9x13 baking dish, drizzle it with olive oil, sprinkle basil on top and cook at 375-400 for 40ish minutes. Oh, and dont forget to stick it with a fork before putting it in, like you would for a baked potato.

Cranberry-Pear Streusel Tart

From the Joy of Cooking, sort of. Awesome with vanilla ice cream.

Pre-bake pie crust in a 9.5 or 10inch tart pan, glazing with egg yolk. Let cool completely.

Peel, core, and slice 1/4 inch thick:
1.5lbs firm, ripe pears (about 3 medium-large)

Measure 3c pears and toss with:
2/3c sugar
2T flour
1/3-2/3c (or to taste) fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed and picked over

Distribute pear mixture evenly in crust. Cover evenly with Streusel (below).

Bake the tart until the pears feel tender when pierced with a fork 40-50 min. Let cool completely on a rack. Serve the tart on the day it is made.

Streusel
Blend with a fork or food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs:
2/3c flour
2/3c finely chopped walnuts or pecans
2/3c sugar or brown sugar, or a combination (I think I did 1/2 and 1/2)
5T melted butter
1t cinnamon
1/4t salt

Crockpot Black Bean and Rice Soup

1 med onion, chopped
3 carrots, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
4 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 t. basil
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. chili pwdr
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. tabasco
2 16 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 14.5 oz cans chicken broth
1 smoked sausage or kielbasa, cubed
1 1/2 c. cooked rice
Combine all EXCEPT rice in crockpot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Add rice just before serving.

Peach Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

From Betty Crocker. I had an amazing Peach Bread Pudding at a restaurant downtown a couple of years ago and have tried to recreate it. The sauce (with vanilla, not whiskey) is divine and makes even a mediocre bread pudding worthwhile.

Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce
2 1/4c milk
1/2 sugar (use brown for a butterscotch flavor)
1.5t cinnamon
2 large eggs, slightly beaten (or not beaten, if you're lazy like me)
5c 1/2-3/4" cubes of bread
1/2c raisins, if desired (I always substitute frozen, sliced peaches, to taste)

1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Mix milk, sugar, cinnamon and eggs in large bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Stir in bread cubes and fruit. Pour into ungreased 1 1/2qt casserole.
3. Bake uncovered 40-45 min or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge of casserole comes out clean.
4. Make Whiskey Sauce. Serve sauce over warm bread pudding. Store remaining dessert and sauce covered in fridge.

Whiskey Sauce
1/2c butter, melted
2T water
1 egg
1c sugar
2T whiskey or bourbon or 1t brandy extract (or 2T vanilla extract if you're like me)

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat; do not allow to simmer. remove from heat; cool 10 min. Mix water and egg; stir into butter until bleded. Stir in sugar. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to boil; remove from heat. Stir in whiskey/ vanilla. cool at least 10 min before serving. Store covered in fridge.