Dinner Rolls

I've been saving this recipe for over 2 years but haven't made it due to my fear of using yeast. Now that I'm over that, I wanted to try this recipe for Easter dinner. They were very easy to make and I loved that the recipe gave 5 different variations of rolls. I tried all 5 but I think my favorites were the knots and snails. This recipe makes 16 rolls and can be easily frozen if you're not having a large dinner party or your husband doesn't eat 6 or more in one sitting. Love ya dear! ;)

2 tsp sugar
1 package dry yeast (approximately 2 1/4 tsp)
12 oz can evaporated fat-free milk, warmed (100 to 110 degrees)
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp salt
cooking spray
2 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
Poppy or sesame seeds (optional)

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar and yeast in the milk. Let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon or weight 3 cups (13.5 oz) of flour and egg into the milk mixture. Stir until smooth. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.

Add 3/4 cup of flour and salt to the dough. Stir until a soft dough forms. If you have a stand mixer fitted with a bread hook, turn on low to slowly combine and knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Otherwise, turn the dough onto a floured surface, and knead dough by hand. Add the remaining flour by 1 tablespoon at time to prevent dough from sticking to the side of bowl/hands. The dough will be tacky.

Spray the inside of another large bowl with cooking spray. Add the dough into the bowl and turn to coat all sides. Cover and let rest in a warm place for 40 minutes or until dough has doubled in size. Punch dough down, cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

On a floured work surface, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. Working with one portion at a time, shape into the desired shape. Cover the remaining dough to prevent drying. Place shaped dough on a parchment-paper lined baking sheets. Lightly coat shaped dough portions with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap. In the same warm palce, let dough rise another 20 minutes or until the rolls have doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Gently brush dough with the butter. Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds if desired. Bake for 10 minutes and then rotate pans. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until tops and bottoms are lightly brown and hollowing sounding when tapped on the bottom.

Place on wire racks to cool. Serve warm or cool completely on racks. To freeze rolls, after they are completely cooled, wrap in heavy-duty foil and freeze. Thaw and reheat still wrapped rolls at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until warm.

Roll variations:

Basic Roll: Shape each portion into a ball.

Knot: Roll each portion into an 8 inch rope. Tie each rope into a single knot, tucking the top end of the rope under the bottom edge of the roll.

Snail: Roll each portion into a 20 inch rope. Working on the a flat surface, coil each rope into a spiral pattern.

Cloverleaf: Divide each portion into three equal sized balls. Working with the three balls at time, arrange them in a triangle pattern. Make sure they are touching each other.

Twist: Shape each portion into an 18 inch rope. Fold each rope in half so that both ends meet. Working with one folded rope at a time, hold the ends of the rope in each hand and gently twist.

Source: Cooking Light

National Pretzel Day

Happy National Pretzel Day! MMM...pretzels are my guilty pleasure. That dough, warm, salty goodness with spicy brown mustard...YUM!!

Growing up in the suburbs of Philly, I learned that pretzels are somewhat of a big deal! Whenever we'd go to visit my aunt in South Jersey, we'd always have to drive past my dad's old house and there would be vendors selling pretzels on street corners. Those pretzels always tasted the best!

Did you know that German monks created the pretzel in the Fifth century as a reward for children who performed good deeds? That definitely makes sense since my little one is always on her best behavior when we see a Pretzel factory or I make these pretzels bites!

French Dip Sandwiches

My grocery store has chuck roasts on sale reguarly and it's usually buy one get one free...which is great for this recipe. I always struggle with what to make with chuck roast, but now this is my go-to-recipe! It's delicious, my mouth is practically watering now just typing up this recipe and staring at the picture below.

2.5-3 lb beef roast
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
2 1-ounce packages dry onion soup mix
2 cups water
2 cans beef broth
6-8 large buns
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 the oil is hot, carefully place the beef in the pan and sear it on all sides to lock in all the juices.

Once all the sides have been sear, place the beef in a slow cooker. Sprinkle it with the onion soup mix. Pour the water and beef broth over the meat.
Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. The longer it cooks, the tender it will be. Trust me, cook it as long as possible! Once the meat is cooked through, shred the entire roast with a fork.

Serve on crusty rolls, we really liked it on ciabatta rolls. Top it with a slice of your preferred cheese and broil it open faced in the oven for a few minutes to toast the bread and melt the cheese. Delicious!

I halved this recipe and it worked out fine.

Source: Our Best Bites

Veggie Ranch Pizza

Madeline's daycare had an Easter party on Thursday and I signed up to bring veggies. I didn't want to bring just a bag of carrots, so I thought this would be something the kids would enjoy. I was wrong, Madeline said all the teachers ate it and none of the kids. Oh well...next time!

2 packages crescent rolls
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp onion powder
veggies

In a jelly roll pan, spread out the crescent rolls to form a crust. Bake according to the package instructions for 10-12 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, miracle whip, dill and onion powder until well combined. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the cooled crust.

Spread the veggies evenly aross the pizza. I used shredded carrots, peppers and broccoli.

Source: Kraft Foods

Garlic

Happy Garlic Day! I'm a big fan of garlic and I use it a lot in my cooking. There's report after report of how garlic is good for you and is nothing short of a wonder herb. You mean the thing that can ward off vampire is really good for you?!!? Just kidding, just needed to throw that in to see if you were paying attention! LOL!

There's been new research about the health benefits of garlic - from helping to treat cancer, reducing high blood pressure, curing ear infections, flushing out toxins and so much more. Though there are some pretty gross side effects of eating too much garlic - garlic breath (who has a mint?), body odor and digestive problems. I guess everything in moderation is ok!

Now on to my favorite recipe highlighting garlic -

Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

If you haven't tried this recipe yet, you're seriously missing out!

Garlic photo from istock.com

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

I'm a big fan of stuffed cabbage, but not a big fan of making it. I know it's labor intensive and probably very easy, but being a working mom of a very active and energetic four year old, doesn't leave much time spend in the kitchen alone. During college, my roommate Jackie's mom would make us stuffed cabbage or golabkis and they were delicious!

This recipe is about as close as I'm going to get to making stuffed cabbage anytime in the near future. It was delicious and even better the next day!

1 lb lean ground beef
1 garlic cloved, minced
1 small head green cabbage, chopped
 2 1/2 cups water
2/3 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, cook beef and garlic over medium heat until meat is not longer pink. Drain fat from the pot. Stir in the cabbage, water, rice, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, basil, cayenne and black peppers. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until rice is tender.

Stir in crushed tomatoes and salt. Heat through. Serve sprinkled with grate parmesan cheese if desired.

Source: Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Magazine

Mini Chocolate Chip Scones

OMG this are to die for! Seriously, make them this weekend. They are so easy to make and taste amazing! I had to fight my huband off with the rolling pin while I was waiting for them to cool and icing them. I know I will be making these again...in the very, very near future!

2 ¾ cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted cold butter, cut into pieces
9 oz (about 1 ½ cups) miniature chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
½ to 2/3 cup half and half

Line a large baking sheet or two smaller baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With a pantry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is coarse texture and resembles sand. Add the chocolate chips and stir to distribute.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla, ½ cup of half and half until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the mixture and mix just until moistened and the dough sticks together. If the dough is too dry, add a tiny bit of half and half until the mixture comes together to form a dough.

Prepare a surface for rolling, either with flour or powdered sugar. Roll out the dough until it’s roughly an 8” square about 3/4” thick. Cut the dough into 2” squares and then cut those squares in half to make triangles, making approximately 32 scones. Move the triangles to the prepared baking sheets.

Refrigerate the scones uncovered for 45 minutes to chill and firm up.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and place directly into the oven. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until scones are golden brown. Remove from oven and place on cooling racks to completely cool.

For the glaze:

3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
5 to 7 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients for the glaze. Stir to combine. Add just enough water to make it the consistency you’re looking for. Once the scones are completely cooled, either drizzle the glaze or dip each scone into the glaze. Place back on the cooling rack to allow the glaze to set. Store in an airtight container.

Source: Macaroni & Cheesecake

Happy National Pecan Day

I think pecans are my favorite nut and I have really enjoyed baking and eating them over the last year. I also need to thank my friend Megan because I always know I can count on her for my fresh Georgia pecan fix!

Here's a few of my favorite recipes using pecans:

Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

Brown Sugar Pecan Brie

Pecan Sandies

What are some of your favorite pecan recipes?

Asian Broccoli Chicken with Cashews

I have been craving Chinese food lately and we haven't had a chance to go out for it. This was delicious and simple to make. I also loved that my husband made it since I was running late for work. He used to cook in a local restaurant but has since left and now works in an office.

When we dated in college, he would cook for me all the time. I think it was just his way to hook me in! I guess it worked! I do most of the cooking now, but it's always nice to have someone else cook for you. I might have to be late from work more often! :)

2 tsp vegetable oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bunch broccoli. cut into florets
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup catalina salad dressing
2 Tbsp lite soy sauce
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 cup cashew pieces

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add the chicken and garlic and cook for 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet. Cover to keep warm.

Add broccoli and water to the skillet. Cover and cook for 4 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender.

Stir in the chicken into the skillet with the broccoli. Add the remaining ingredients except for the cashews. Stir to combine and cook for 2 more minutes or until heated through.

Serve over brown rice. Top with cashew pieces.

Source: Kraft Foods

Easter Dinner

I volunteered to make something for Easter dinner at my in-laws. I was thinking of a side dish and a dessert. I already know I'm going to make Hummingbird cake for dessert, but would love to hear from my readers on what side dish I should make.

So...give them to me! What should I make?

Image from Veer Images via Microsoft Clip Art

Chicken Fajita Soup

I thought I blogged about this recipe a couple weeks ago, but somehow it slipped through the cracks. Whoops!

This is a great recipe to use up some chicken breast and not do much work. I always somehow have several packages of chicken breast in my freezer and this is a great recipe to use them especially since I usually have most of the other ingredients in my pantry.

1 1/2 - 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt
fresh ground pepper
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 large bell pepper, quartered and thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced (I omitted to make it Madeline friendly)
28 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 qt low sodium chicken stock

In a slow cooker, add all the ingredients. Turn on low and cook for 6 hours or until chicken is cooked. When the chicken is cooked, remove it and shred. Place back into the slow cooker and stir to combine.

Serve topped with chopped cilantro, sour cream and crushed tortilla chips...or any of your other favorite ingredients!

Cinnamon-Sugar Banana Bread

I had some over-ripe bananas on the counter from last week and I've been dying to bake something. I've had another insane and crazy busy week (one more to go!) so I didn't do much cooking or baking. Lots of cleaning out the freezer and pantry and leftovers. I have a few things planned for this week, but I know it's going to be just as busy, if not busier than last week. I can't even remember the last time I worked out, needless to say, it's been weeks! I need to get back into my routine and the first thing that always helps is baking!

I had recruited Madeline to help me, but she decided playing games with Daddy was more important. Fine by me! Sometimes it's easier to bake without her, plus it's always good for her and Daddy to spend quality time together...since they've been fighting like cats and dogs lately.

Now, on the to bread. It was delicious and the brown sugar crust was the perfect sweetness!

3 over-ripe bananas
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 - 2 Tbsp brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add all the other ingredients except the brown sugar. Mix well until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Sprinkle the brown sugar on top in an even layer. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Recipe slightly adapted from: La Casa de Sweets