Just a Mom, HA!

Wheat Rolls

This recipe is seriously worth bragging about.

Wheat rolls that are smooth and soft, but are actually a combo of wheat and regular flours so no added gluten or softeners are required.  My average pantry has made these twice already because we just can’t get enough!

Wheat Rolls

• 1 c. warm water
• 2 tsp yeast
• 1 Tbs milk
• 2 Tbs canola oil
• 2 Tbs honey
• 2 Tbs brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 200 degrees, then turn off once it has preheated.  Combine warm water and yeast is a small dish, let stand until yeast gets frothy.  Meanwhile, combine milk, oil, honey, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  When yeast mixture is ready, add it to the large mixing bowl, then add the whole wheat flour, stirring until combined.  Next add the all purpose flour (I find that this smoother flour works in better as the dough begins to stiffen compared to the whole wheat). Knead the dough in the bowl by hand until all flour is incorporated and the dough becomes mostly smooth.

Remove dough, lightly spray the mixing bowl, then return the dough and give it a quick shot of cooking spray as well. Cover bowl with a cloth and put dough in the preheated oven for an hour to rise.  After an hour, punch the dough down and divide it into 12 equal pieces.*  Work the pieces into smooth balls and place in a lightly greased baking dish, cover and put back in the warm oven for about 30 minutes.

Once the rolls have doubled in size, remove from warm oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake the rolls for around **13 minutes and serve warm or store in an airtight container.

*Having a hard time getting equal sized rolls? Start by cutting the dough ball in half, then in half again.  Break each quarter piece down into 3rds and you’ll have a dozen equal rolls.

**I noticed that my rolls cooked faster (11 minutes) when in a metal pan.  When I made them in glass, they weren’t ready that fast and I had to put them back in for an additional 2 minutes.  Watch your rolls and feel their sides, not the tops, to know when they’re done.

Pecan Crusted Chicken with Apple Couscous

Have you ever had a recipe that you thought was OK, but didn’t quite hit the mark? Have you ever thought of taking that recipe and pairing it up with something new to push it in a whole new direction?  That’s what I did this last weekend and the results were outstanding. This recipe will be a repeat in our house, when at first it was just a snooze.

Even if you’re scared of couscous, I would strongly recommend trying it out. You never know what the outcome will be – Cee LOVED his and gobbled it up like candy, but rice would work for this too if that’s what you have on hand.

Pecan Crusted Chicken with Apple Couscous

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed and cut into strips
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup crushed saltine or wheat crackers
• nutmeg
• 1 box whole wheat couscous
• 1 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed, divided
• 2 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons Honey Dijon mustard (I used French’s Brand with good results)
• 1 tsp corn starch

Prepare chicken coating by separating the egg white, adding a little bit of water and whisking it with a fork on a plate.  Crush/chop the crackers and nuts, mix together on another plate.  Dip chicken pieces into egg white wash, then into cracker/pecan mixture, then place in a lightly sprayed dish.  When all of the pieces are done, sprinkle them lightly with the nutmeg.  Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (longer if you are using thick or whole breasts rather than strips like me).

While the chicken bakes, place couscous in a small mixing bowl. Heat 1/3 cup of the apple concentrate and 2/3 cup water to boiling  then pour apple liquid into couscous. Stir and cover tightly with foil.

Whisk together remaining 2/3 cup apple concentrate, honey and mustard in a small sauce pan. Bring sauce to a boil, stirring constantly.  Once the sauce boils, reduce heat and add the corn starch. Allow sauce to thicken.  Serve chicken with couscous drizzling sauce over all.

Kim’s note:  Want something more? Add fresh spinach leaves to the couscous before it cooks. The warm liquid wilts them down perfectly and they are delicious!

Happy Cooking!

Brioche Rolls

Just in time for Easter, here’s the perfect roll:

Brioche (according to my bread maker company, from whom I’m tweaking this recipe) is a rich, white, egg bread.  Its texture is soft and smooth, especially straight out of the oven, and it’s no-salt flavor can be paired with just about anything from gravy to honey.

Do try them with honey. No joke, I could cry it was so good.  Just crack it open like this:

And drizzle the honey on.  No butter necessary, these stand alone.

Brioche Rolls

• 2/3 c. warm milk
• 1 1/2 tsp. yeast
• 1 1/2 Tbs light butter/margarine, melted
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbs. sugar
• 3 c. flour

Preheat oven to 200 degrees, then turn off once it has preheated.  Combine warm milk and yeast is a small dish, let stand until yeast gets frothy.  Meanwhile, melt butter in a large mixing bowl, then add the eggs and sugar.  When yeast mixture is ready, add it to the large mixing bowl, then add flour by cups, stirring between each addition.  Knead the dough in the bowl by hand until all flour is incorporated and the dough becomes mostly smooth (mine was a little cracked in places).

Remove dough, lightly spray the mixing bowl, then return the dough and cover with a slightly moist cloth and put dough in the preheated oven for an hour to rise.  After an hour, punch the dough down and divide it into 8 equal pieces.*  Work the pieces into smooth balls and place on a lightly greased baking dish, cover and put back in the warm oven for about 30 minutes.

Once the rolls have doubled in size, remove from warm oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake the rolls for 10 minutes and serve warm or store in an airtight container.

* Kim’s notes:  I made 8 rolls, but they were HUGE!  I could have easily cut them again and made 16.  If you chose to make smaller rolls, adjust the cooking time so that they don’t come out too tough.

Before baking, I spritzed my rolls with a little I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray. You could do this, smear a little melted butter on, or leave them plain.

Happy Cooking!

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Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese

At my house growing up, Mac and Cheese came from a little blue box.

But at Grandpa’s house it changed into a delicacy of big noodles, glob-y cheese, and secret spices.

This is a recipe to make my Grandpa proud.  It’s full of flavor, full of secrets, and you don’t even have to cook the noodles!  Main dish or side dish, this was a crowd pleaser in our house.

Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese
(Adapted from Recipezaar.com)

• 1/4 c. flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 of an onion, chopped fine
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 celery heart, cut fine
• parsley
• 3 c. milk
• 2 c. grated cheddar cheese (use less if using a sharp cheese)
• 2 c. uncooked elbow macaroni

In your biggest saucepan saute the onion, salt, pepper, and paprika.  Meanwhile, combine the milk and flour and wisk or shake until no lumps are left.  Pour the milk into the saucepan with the onion and spices.  Heat slowly until the mixture thickens and bubbles.  Add cheese and celery, stirring until melted.  Remove from heat and stir in the macaroni, sprinkle with parsley.  Dump contents of saucepan into your slow cooker and cook on low for about 2 hours.*

Kim’s notes:

1. KNOW YOUR SLOW COOKER!  My slow cooker tends to go faster than recipes indicate,  and after 2 hours my noodles got a little mushy.  If you’re like me, scale the time back and check those noodles.
2. Jay didn’t even notice the celery – HA! Veggie successfully snuck!
3. Even with a crock pot liner, the noodles stuck a little bit. Spraying your crock pot or liner ahead of time can help with that.

Happy Cooking!

Challah Bread (Jewish Braided Loaf)

Challah is a traditional Jewish bread that is famous for its braided texture.  Though the shape is truly unique, the texture and flavor is close to a homemade French bread – white and springing with a browned crust.  I felt up for a challenge, so when I found this recipe from Betty Crocker, I thought I’d give it a whirl.

Only there was one problem – this recipe is a Bread Machine recipe.

Bread Machines are not always found in an Average Pantry, so I took Betty’s recipe and messed with the instructions, until I was able to turn my oven into a bread machine.  Hope you enjoy!

*And in case you’re curious, Challah is pronounced like HA-Lah.  Just drop that ‘C’ to call your bread by it’s true and authentic name.

Challah Bread

• 3/4 c. + 1 Tbs warm water
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbs butter or margarine, softened
• 3 1/4 c. flour
• 2 Tbs sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp yeast (I used bread machine yeast, but any would be fine)
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 Tbs cold water
• poppy seeds, optional

Dissolve yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes or until water becomes milky.  Preheat oven to 200 degrees, once it reaches that temp turn the oven off while you finish combining the bread ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar, salt, and egg.  Stir until well mixed, then add the yeast water.  Next add the flour, cup by cup, stirring between each addition.  Knead dough until it has a smooth consistency.  Remove dough from bowl, spray bowl with cooking spray, return dough to the bowl, cover with a towel and put the whole thing into the warmed oven.  Allow to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled.

Spray a large cookie sheet, or line it with parchment paper.  Remove the dough from the oven, sperate it into 3 equal pieces and roll them into long ropes (about 13 inches).  Place the ropes side-by-side, then gently and loosely braid them, pinching the ends and tucking them under to seal the loaf.  Place loaf on the prepared cookie sheet.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  While the oven heats, combine the egg yolk and the water in a small bowl.  Beat together until well combined. Brush or spoon the egg mixture onto the loaf, covering it entirely (I didn’t need to use all of my egg wash).  Sprinkle with poppy seeds if using them.  Bake loaf for about 20 minutes, or until well browned and cooked through.

Happy Cooking!

Naan (and its many uses)

Jay and I love Indian food.  LOVE IT!  Naan, Indian flat bread, is one dish that we really enjoy, so when I saw what a simple recipe it is I had to give it a go. 

Even though the consistency wasn’t identical to what we’ve had in restaurants, we both loved it and are already planning to make it again (I especially loved that I could make it without oil or butter).

I made Naan to go with Black Bean Chili (that recipe to come soon):

Then for dessert we sprinkled it with cinnamon-sugar and honey, which was outstanding.

Then my friend told me that she makes naan and uses the dough to make little personal pizzas.  I’m crazy about the idea and will be trying it next week!

It would also make a killer base for navajo tacos.

Basically with this recipe I’m giving you a gift with endless possibilities.

No, no need to thank me, I do it cuz I love ya.

Naan
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

• 2 1/4 tsp. (1 package) fast acting active dry yeast (regular would be okay, just watch it while it rises)
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 TB milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cups bread flour, (plus more for kneading if needed – ha!)

Turn oven on to 200 degrees.  When it clicks, turn the oven off immediately, then proceed with the recipe.

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Meanwhile, add sugar, milk, egg, and salt, to a large mixing bowl.  Add frothy yeast-water to bowl.  Add flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring between each addition.

Knead the dough with your hands in the bowl until smooth. The dough should grip your fingers, but not stick.  Remove dough from bowl, spray bowl well with cooking spray, form dough into a soft ball, then place back in the bowl. Cover bowl with a damp cloth, and place in the warmed oven.  Let dough rise 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in volume.

Push down dough. Pinch off small handfuls of dough, roll into balls, and place on a tray (tray should be sprayed or have a non-stick surface added to it (I used wax paper, but it still stuck just a little). Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled; about 30 minutes.

After the 2nd rising, preheat pancake griddle to high heat (400+ degrees).  No griddle?  Just us a non-stick frying pan on your stove top.

Roll balls out into a thin circle – the thinner the better. Place dough on grill and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until puffy and light brown, then flip the naan and cook until the opposite side is browned, another 2-4 minutes.

Finish these steps for all of the dough.  Serve the naan warm and plain, with butter, with garlic sauce, with curry, with cinnamon sugar and honey, with marinara dipping sauce, whatever you love. : )

Happy Cooking!

Stuffed Zucchini Side Dish

I’ve got to say that I’m a little relieved to be done with Thanksgiving.  All recipe expectations are done for now and I can start sharing a few gems that I’ve been sitting on.  The first of which are these:

I took these pics the first time that I made these stuffed zucchini and I can honestly tell you that my mouth was watering while I took them.  They smelled THAT good.  Jay was a little skeptical at first, but ended up eating both of his servings.  This one will be repeated in our house.

Stuffed Zucchini Side Dish

• 2 medium zucchini (about a pound)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 slices of bread, crumbed finely (just normal loaf size, adjust amount according to bread size and weight)
• 2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg white
• ½ tsp. poultry seasoning
• ¼ tsp. onion powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper

Wash zucchini, remove ends. Using a frying pan so that they can lay flat, cover and boil the zucchini whole in a small amount of water for about 8 minutes, turning once. While the zucchini cook, combine all other dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Remove zucchini from water and cut into halves lengthwise. Scoop out pulp, chop, then stir in chopped zucchini to the dry mixture. Add egg white and stir until all is evenly dispersed. Stuff zucchini with breading mixture. Place zucchini on a greased cookie sheet (or use foil or parchment paper like I did) and bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

Happy Cooking!

Curried Chicken and Lentils

When I found this recipe, I knew that I found something special.  It has great flavors, tons of possibilities for add-ins, and best of all it’s SO HEALTHY!

To take the dish from a vegan meal to a one pot supper, I added chicken, extra spice, and vegetables.  No, this isn’t the meal that you’ll dream of on birthdays or Christmas, but Jay, Cee, and I were all pleased with the final (and filling) outcome.

To see the original recipe, click HERE.  For my version, read on…

Curried Chicken and Lentils*

• 4 chicken breast pieces, trimmed of fat
• 1 c. Minute Rice (I used brown Minute Rice which adds an extra element of health)
• 2 Tbs. curry powder
• 3 c. water
• 1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. lentils (rinsed and picked over to remove foreign objects)
• 3 bouillon cubes (I used chicken, but you could use vegetable if desired)
• 1 medium red potato, cut to very small cubes
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 c. frozen peas and carrots, thawed and drained of excess moisture

Combine all ingredients, except peas and carrots in your slow cooker.  Cook on low for 4 hours, shred chicken if desired, then add the thawed and drained peas and carrots. Cook for an additional half hour.  Serve alone, or possibly over mashed potatoes.

*To serve as a side dish, leave out the chicken and up the amount of veggies.

Slow Cooker Baked (and Twice Baked) Potatoes

It came to my attention this week that you can bake potatoes in your slow cooker!  I was so excited that I did a jig – why?  Slow cookers may take longer, but they’re much more energy efficient than traditional ovens which makes your cooking (and electric bill) a little greener. : )

To bake potatoes in your slow cooker:

1. Rinse potatoes to clean them, allow them to dry, then pierce with a fork.
2. Wrap potatoes in foil.
3. Place just the wrapped potatoes in your slow cooker.
4. Cook on High until softened. (I did three large potatoes and it took about 5 hours, but it may need to be longer if you really fill your slow cooker).

So, with this new info at my disposal I got to thinking – if I can BAKE potatoes in my slow cooker, certainly I can bake them twice in my slow cooker.  I did:

Oh baby these were tasty.  Slow cooking potatoes makes them extra potato-y somehow, but I will also say that doing this method makes for softer twice baked potatoes instead of crisp ones like in the oven.  Here’s what I did:

1. Bake potatoes in slow cooker.
2. Remove potatoes from foil wrappings, cut lengthwise.
3. Remove insides with a spoon into a large bowl, reserve skins.
4. Once all of the potato skins have been emptied, mash the potatoes with non-fat sour cream, skim milk, chopped green onions, and bacon (crumbled or bacon bits).
5. Stuff potato skins with mashed potatoes.
6. Place stuffed potatoes back in the slow cooker (now set to low), and top with shredded cheese.
7. Cook, with the lid slightly cracked, until cheese melts and all is heated through (about 20-30 minutes).

Happy [Slow] Cooking!

Apricot-Teryaki Pork Lo Mein

That’s a long name, but it’s worth it to try this yummy stuff.  I said in my pork post yesterday that I’d have another Swine-Flu-Safe pork recipe for you today, but I also want to send this recipe out in particular to my friend Angela who was wondering about good Apricot preserves/jam recipes.  This is a classic.

Apricot-Teriyaki Pork Lo Mein

• 2/3 cup apricot preserves
• 3 tablespoons favorite teriyaki sauce
• 1 Tbs. Honey-Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1.5 lbs boneless pork chops, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 med onion, thinly sliced
• 2-3 cups fresh, thin veggies (I typically use broccoli slaw, shredded carrots and zucchini, cabbage, bean sprouts, and chopped pea pods, but use whatever your family likes)
• 1/2 pound angel hair pasta(about 4 servings)

Directions

In a medium-size bowl, stir preserves, teriyaki sauce, mustard and ginger. Set aside. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (use a little cooking spray). Saute pork and onion until browned, drain excess liquid. Spread about a third of the apricot preserve mixture over the pork and cook, covered, over medium-low heat for 6 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F when inserted into thickest part of meat.

Meanwhile cook noodles according to package directions.  Steam veggies until just crisp-tender as you like.  Drain cooked pasta and veggies and place in a large bowl. Mix into pasta and veggies the remaining apricot preserve mixture. Top with pork and onions.

Variations:

1. Leave out the pork for a vegetarian meal or side dish.
2. Not a fan of pasta?  Make the same meal, but serve over rice.

Happy Cooking!