Quick & Easy Rolls

Christmas is tomorrow and I needed to make rolls today, along with shopping, other food preparation, present wrapping, etc.  This recipe is easy and quick.  From start to finish, it takes two hours.  Let me know how it turns out.

Ingredients
3C flour
2T sugar
1t salt
2T olive oil
1 pkg. rapid rise yeast
1C warm water

Directions
Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.  Make a well in the center and pour in the oil.  Heat the water to the temperature specified on the yeast packet (usually between 120 and 130 degrees).  Dissolve the yeast into the water.  Stir yeast mixture into flour mixture.  Mix well and knead for about five minutes.  Please dough in a greased bowl and let rise for 90 minutes.  Punch dough down and divide into 12 pieces.  Shape each piece and place in a greased muffin cup.  Bake at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes.

Source:  http://mywoodenspoon.com/loris-quick-rolls/

Banana Bread

According to my wife, when I say "fruit" I really mean bananas and apples.  Let's face it - they are the fruit kings.  Bananas and apple are adaptable for numerous recipes.  A time-honored way to use over-ripe bananas is banana bread.  This recipe makes the classic loaf.
 

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 4x8 loaf pan.

Ingredients:
1/2C sugar
1/4C oil
1/4C applesauce
2T ground flax
6T water
3 bananas, mashed
1t baking soda
1 1/2C flour
1/4t salt
1t vanilla

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Pour mixture into loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.  Let pan cool on rack for 15 minutes before removing bread.  Let bread cool an additional 15-20 minutes before slicing (if you can wait).

Source:  http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=13413.0

Chili Spice Mix #1

This is my attempt at the McCormick chili spice mix (mild).

2T chili powder
1T cumin
2t paprika
2t sugar
1t salt
1t garlic powder
1t onion powder

U.S. Copyright Office - Recipes

Copyright law does not protect recipes that are mere listings of ingredients. Nor does it protect other mere listings of ingredients such as those found in formulas, compounds, or prescriptions. Copyright protection may, however, extend to substantial literary expression—a description, explanation, or illustration, for example—that accompanies a recipe or formula or to a combination of recipes, as in a cookbook.

Only original works of authorship are protected by copyright. “Original” means that an author produced a work by his or her own intellectual effort instead of copying it from an existing work.

For further information about copyright, see Circular 1, Copyright Basics. For details about how to apply for copyright registration, see the reverse side of this document. Note that if your recipe has secret ingredients that you do not want to reveal, you may not want to submit it for registration, because applications and deposit copies are public records.

 FL-122, Revised September 2010

Pigs In A Blanket

Pigs in a Blanket are a great snack for any occasion.  Tonight I made them for my daughter's birthday party, but they are equally perfect for a football gathering or fancy soiree.  This recipe makes about 25 "pigs" so adjust the ingredients accordingly if you need more.  I made 40 tonight and the five girls gobbled them down immediately!  If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out.

 
Prepare:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:
2C flour
1T baking powder
1t salt
1/4C shortening
2/3-3/4C buttermilk
Vienna sausages, hotdogs cut in thirds, or Morningstar Breakfast sausages cut in half

Directions:
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.  Using a pastry cutter or fork cut in the shortening.  Add milk until till dough leaves sides of bowl.  Knead briefly.  Roll out to slightly thinner than 1/4-inch.  Cut into 1-inch by 2 1/2-inch pieces (adjust to the width of the "pig.")  Place a sauce or hotdog piece at the end of dough piece and roll up around the sausage.  Arrange about an inch apart on a cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Biscuits

Biscuits are ubiquitous in Southern cuisine.  They are perfectly at home with breakfast (Tasty Breakfast Gravy), lunch, dinner, or a snack.  When my mother was a young girl returning home from school with her sisters, she would take a biscuit left over from breakfast, poke a hole in the side, and fill it with honey or jam.

Prepare:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Ingredients:
2C flour
1T baking powder
1t salt
1/4C butter or shortening
2/3-3/4C buttermilk*

Directions
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.  Using a pastry cutter or fork cut in the shortening.  Add milk until till dough leaves sides of bowl.  Knead briefly.  Roll out to about 1/2 inch thick and use a 2 3/4-inch biscuit cutter or glass to cut out biscuits.  Place biscuit close to each other for soft-sided biscuits.  Brush tops with milk.  Bake at 425 degrees for 14 minutes.  Makes approximately 8-9 biscuits.

*Note:  You can create buttermilk by combining 1C of milk with 1T of lemon juice.  Mix well and let sit for about 5 minutes.

Creamy Potato Soup

The forecast for tonight calls for light rain gradually increasing to heavy rain followed by a change into snow.  Two and half inches are expected by tomorrow night.  The most snow on record for Nashville at this time of year occurred in 1963 when the city received 13 inches!  Whether it is just cold and rainy or frozen and snowy, nothing satisfies like hot soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.  If you make this soup, let me know how it turns out.

Bring to a boil:
1 medium onion, chopped
4C potatoes, peeled and cubed
5C water
1/2t celery salt
1 carrot, peeled and thin-sliced
1 stalk celery, thin-sliced

Simmer until potatoes are tender.

In the meantime, blend until smooth:
1/2C cashews
1T chicken-style seasoning
1T nutritional yeast flakes
1/4t garlic powder
3T quick oatmeal
2C almond milk
2t seasoning salt

Stir blended mixture in with cooked potatoes.  Continue cooking until desired consistency of sauce is achieved.

Prize-Winning Cornbread Muffins

Years ago there was a national chain of restaurants called "The Cooker."  The menu featured a wide  a wide array of American foods.  The vegetable sides were particularly tasty and I frequently dined with friends over a salad and three-vegetable combination.  As the server greeted you, he or she also brought a basket of fresh whole wheat rolls and sweet, moist, cornbread muffins.  This recipe is my attempt to replicate The Cooker's recipe.  It is also similar to a Marie Calendar recipe as interpreted in the book Top-Secret Restaurant Recipes.  I entered this recipe in a cornbread cook-off several years ago and won third place - hence the inclusion of "prize-winning" in the title.  If you make these, let me know how they turn out.

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease muffin pan with 12 cups.

Ingredients
1C cornmeal
1C flour
1T baking powder
1/3C sugar
1/2t salt
1T ground flax seed or 1 egg
1/4C oil
8oz can cream-style corn
1C milk (3/4C if using egg)

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Distribute batter evenly into all muffin cups, filling approximately to the rim.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Variation:  Use 14.75oz can (regular size) of corn and eliminate milk.

Blueberry Muffins

Whenever I visit Panera Bread or any pastry and bread shop, I love the large, over-sized muffins.  This recipe is a basic blueberry muffin recipe without the oversweetness often experienced with store-bought muffins.  Each jumbo muffin is the equivalent of three regular-sized muffins!  If you make these, let me know how they turn out.

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease pan (12-muffin pan or 6-jumbo muffin pan).

12 small (regular-size) muffins
1 3/4C flour
1/4C + 2T sugar
2t baking powder
1/2t salt
1T ground flax seed
1C milk
1/3C oil
3/4C blueberries, fresh or thawed

Distribute batter evenly into muffin cups (fill to rim, approximately).  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

6 jumbo muffins
2 2/3C flour
1/2C sugar
1T baking powder
3/4t salt
1T ground flax seed
2C milk
1/3C oil
1 1/4C blueberries, fresh or thawed

Distribute evenly into muffin cups (fill to rim, approximately).  Bake at 400 degrees for 27-30 minutes.

SubstitutionsUse one egg and eliminate flax seed.  Decrease the amount of milk by 1/4C (both recipes).

Basic Chocolate Cake

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease the pan of choice (9x13, two round layer pans, two 12-muffin pans [24 muffins]).

Dry ingredients (Mix together in a bowl.)
3C flour
2C sugar
1/3C powdered, unsweetened cocoa
1t salt
2t baking soda

Liquid ingredients (Add liquid ingredients to dry.)
2C cold water
1/2C oil
1T vanilla
1T distilled white vinegar

Baking times
9x13 or round pans:  35-45 minutes (check at 25m and 30m)
muffins:  25 minutes

Cake is done when toothpick inserted is clean.

Thanksgiving Dressing

My mother's kitchen was always abuzz on holidays.  She would rise early to prepare the Thanksgiving turkey, generously filled with homemade stuffing.  Holidays were filled with guests in our home, whether family from distance parts of the country or friends from church who needed a warm, comforting place to gather on specials days.  I believe it is worth the extra effort to prepare dressing from scratch, the old fashioned way.  This recipe requires effort over two days for best results. If you use this recipe, let me know how it turns out.

Large loaf of bread, sliced (I use Panera's Country Miche sliced thin)
2C celery, finely chopped
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1/4C sage (to taste)
4C vegetable broth
salt

The night before:  cut crust off bread slices.  Cut white part of slices into 1/2 inch cubes.  Toast the cubes in the oven at 300 degrees for 25 minutes.  Cool and set aside or bag.  Note:  the crusts can be toasted and crushed for breadcrumbs.

Morning preparation:  Saute celery, onion, and carrots until soft (mix is called "mirepoix."  Mix in sage.  Put croutons in a large bowl.  Stir in mirepoix until cubes are well coated.  Heat broth.  Pour heated broth one cup at a time over coated croutons and stir well.  Keep adding broth until desired consistency is reached.  Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie

For many years I did not make pies because I was intimidated by the seemingly daunting task of making the crust.  Yes, you can buy commercially-prepared crusts, but they are not the same.  I stumbled upon this crust recipe from VegWeb.com.  It is incredibly easy to prepare and always results in a perfectly flaky crust.  This crust can be used for any type of pie.  It is paired here with a healthier variation of the classic pie recipe found on the Libby's can of pumpkin.  If you use this recipe, let me know how it turns out.

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crust
1C flour
1/3C oil
2-3T water

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix/knead until formed into a ball.  Roll out between sheets of wax paper.  Peel off top sheet of wax paper and flip the crust over into a pie plate.  Peel off the remain piece of wax paper.  Press the crust until it conforms to the pan.

Pumpkin filling
1/2C sugar
4T cornstarch
1t cinnamon
1/2t ginger
1/8t cloves
1/2t salt
1 15oz can solid-pack pumpkin
1 1/2C almond milk

Place spices in bowl.  Add pumpkin and stir to combine.  Add milk and stir until combined.  Pour into crust and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Cool before cutting.