Maddox Copy Cat Rolls

2 Tbsp. yeast (not rapid rise)
1/2 cup of warm water
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 large eggs
5 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the milk and salt.  Scald but do not boil.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool.  In a measuring cup, mix the yeast and warm water.  Add a pinch or sugar from the 1/2 cup measure and stir.  Let the yeast sit and proof for a few minutes.  In a large bowl, mix the yeast mixture, eggs, sugar, milk mixture and flour just until blended and no lump of flour remain.  Do not over mix  The dough will be sticky and very loose.  Let the batter/dough raise until double (about 90 minutes).  Mine took only 50 minutes to double in size.  Preheat the oven to 357 degrees.  Spoon it into greased muffin tins and let it raise again until until doubled in size.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the roll are golden brown.  I'd go a little more on the underdone side.

I Can't Believe I Made This Bread, Bread Lisa Clawson

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp yeast
1 3/4 salt
1 1/2 cups water (not hot or cold. Just water)

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients together and stir until blended. Only a minute. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough sit for 12-24 hours. It will rise a little and start to look really wet and bubbly.   I have used dough as early as 8 hours and as late as 36 hours later. It always works. This is a very forgiving recipe.
After the long rest, turn dough out onto a flour surface. Lightly turn the tough onto itself a few times. Don't knead this, your more or less just roughly forming the dough. Let it sit for 20 minutes to rest. In the meantime preheat oven to 450 degrees and place a cast iron Dutch oven inside. The pan needs to stay in the hot oven about 20 mins.
Take the hot pan out of the oven and place the dough ball in the pan. You don't need any grease, or butter for the pan. With a sharp knife cut an X into the top of your dough. This will help it tear in a real rustic way. Place the lid on top of the Dutch oven and place the pan back in the oven.
Bake for 30 minutes at 450 degrees with the lid on. Take the lid off and bake another 20 mins.

Ramon Gandia's Oatmeal

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

2 cups skim milk

2 cups water

2 teaspoons sugar

Pinch salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Put all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook until thick, soft and creamy, at least 25 minutes. Stir often to make sure that oatmeal doesn't stick to bottom of the pot. A little extra milk or water can be added as needed.

Heinz Ketchup

6-ounce can tomato paste
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1.  Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until smooth.
2.  When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.
3.  Remove pan from heat and cover until cool.  Chill and store in a covered container.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Rustic Shrimp Stew

2   Tbl olive oil
1   pound yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed, halved, and thinly sliced
2   carrots, thinly sliced
2   garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1   medium onion, quartered and sliced crosswise
2   3oz fully cooked italian-style chicken sausage, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced
1/8   t. cayenne pepper
2   Tbl flour
13/4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1    pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2   cup parsley leaves, chopped


In a 5 quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add potatoes, carrots, garlic, onion, sausage, and cayenne; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender, 15 to 17 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over potatoes and vegetabes. Stir in broth and 1/4 cup water; bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes more. Top mixture with shrimp. Cover and simmer 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp are opaque throghout. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.

Little Almond Joys

1/2 cup blended almonds

1/4 cup coconut oil, softened

3 Tbsp. raw honey

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 Tbsp. cocoa powder (nonalkalized)

3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

12 whole almonds

Mix by hand the softened coconut oil, (I just mash it with a fork until it is creamy and no chunks), honey, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Stir in the shredded coconut. Form into balls, placing 1 whole almond inside each one. Then roll the balls in the almond powder. Refrigerate until firm, or freeze for another day. Makes about 12.

Spicy Black Bean

Yield: 2 quarts

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 3/4 cups  black beans, cooked
4 1/2 cup vegetable broth 
16 ounces diced tomatoes
4 oz. Anaheim peppers
1 1/2 cups frozen corn 
1/4 cup cilantro 

Heat oil in a stock pot. Sauté onion and peppers in oil until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in beans, broth, tomatoes and chopped green chilies. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Add corn and cook 5 minutes. Add cilantro and cook 5 minutes longer. At this point, if you need more liquid, add a little more broth. Remove from heat. 

Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple and Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients:
1/2 Tbsp. Olive Oil 
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
4 cups vegetable broth

Directions: 

1. Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Place the chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, apple, and onion in the pot. Stir and cook the apples and vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir the lentils, ginger, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and vegetable broth into the pot with the apple and vegetable mixture. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
3. Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.
4. Return the pureed soup to the cooking pot. Bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Add water as needed to thin the soup to your preferred consistency. Serve with yogurt for garnish.*

Nutrition Information (8 oz. serving): 110 calories, 4 g protein, 1 g fat, 5 g fiber
Nutritional Information (12 oz. serving): 220 calories, 9 g protein, 3 g fat, 5 g fiber

Fermented Strawberry Jam

Cooked jam is thickened with lots of sugar and pectin, but this raw jam is thickened using chia seeds, which happen to have additional health benefits. It’s not as thick as cooked jam, but at least it won’t run all over your toast.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fresh strawberries
• 1/3 cup whey (strained from kefir)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 6 tablespoons chia seeds

Directions:

1. Clean and cut the strawberries into large chunks.
2. Place all the ingredients in the food processor and pulse until a desired consistency is reached.
3. Pour the jam into the jars, making sure to leave at least an inch between the jam and the top of the jar.
4. Seal the jars and place them in a pantry or cupboard (out of direct sunlight and at room temperature) for 2 days.
5. After 2 days, store the jam in the fridge. It’ll last a couple months. The extra jars can be put in the freezer.

Important Tips

• If you don’t like the look of the chia seeds speckling the jam, you can always grind them up in a coffee grinder or spice mill before adding them to the other ingredients.
• If there is any white scum on the top of the jam after the 2 day ferment…don’t worry. It won’t hurt you. Just skim it off or mix it in.
• You don’t have to make just strawberry. Any two pounds of fruit can be used in this recipe. I have found Kiwi to be especially good.

Edna Mae’s Sour Cream Pancakes

From The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 7 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Butter, For Frying And Serving
• Warm Syrup, For Serving

Preparation Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla. Set aside.

In a separate small bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream with the dry ingredients until just barely combined (don't overmix.) Whisk in the egg mixture until just combined.

Heat a griddle over medium-low heat and melt some butter in the pan. Drop batter by 1/4 cup servings onto the griddle. Cook on the first side until bubbles start to form on the surface and edges are starting to brown. Flip to the other side and cook for another minute. (Pancakes will be a little on the soft side.)

Serve with softened butter and syrup.

Pumpkin Butter

Blend and simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently:

   1 large can pumpkin (or 3.5 cups cooked/puréed pumpkin)

   3/4 cup apple juice

   1 & 1/2 cups sugar

   2 tsp cinnamon

   2 tsp ginger

   1 tsp nutmeg

   1/4 - 1/2 tsp cloves (this will mellow as it cooks)

Keep in the fridge.

Pulled Pork Tastiness

1. wrap a pork roast in tinfoil and place in slow cooker with one cup water for 8 hours on low

2. Remove pork roast from slow cooker and shred by hand. Drain water from slow cooker.

3. Place shredded meat back into slow cooker and add two cans El Paso sauce and one can of 15 ounce tomato sauce. Add ¾c to 1 1/2 c brown sugar to taste.

White bean chili

White bean chili

Ingredients:
1 TB Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (cubed)
2 14 oz. cans chicken broth
3 15.8 oz. cans Great Northern beans (drained and rinsed)
2 4.5 oz. cans chopped green chiles
2 15.8 oz. can Pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
1 cup whipping cream
1 8 oz. container sour cream
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Cilantro (garnish)

Instructions:
Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Saute chicken for 10 minutes or until it is cooked through. Take off the heat and set aside.
While chicken is cooking, add broth, beans, undrained chilis and seasonings into the crock pot. Add chicken to broth mixture once it is done cooking.
Cook soup on high in the crock pot for 2 hours. Cook on low for the last hour.
Add sour cream and whipping cream at the 3 hour mark. Cook on low for another hour.
Serve with cilantro and shredded cheese.

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

Thanks, Helene for this awesome recipe! I can't wait to try it!

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix thoroughly:

   1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef

   3/4 cups milk

   2 eggs

   1 1/2 teaspoons salt

   1/4 teaspoon black pepper

   1 small onion, chopped

   1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

   3/4 cups cracker crumbs or breadcrumbs

Press into a 9 x 5" loaf pan.

Spread/sprinkle on top:

   1/2 cups brown sugar, packed

   1/2 cups ketchup

Bake for an hour & 10 minutes or until juices are clear.

The Perfect Baked Apple

The Perfect Baked Apple:

4 apples, peeled & cored (good varieties for baking include Fuji & Granny Smith)
2 T butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 shakes cinnamon
1 t flour
1 shake nutmeg
2 T oats.

Place apples in apple baking dishes.  Melt butter in a bowl and add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Gently spoon butter & sugar mixture to cover the surface of all four apples.  Bake 40 Mins at 350F.

Curried Split Pea Soup

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 12 ounces dried green or yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon curry powder

Directions

Place the butter into a large (4 to 6-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sweat for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, making certain not to allow onions or garlic to brown.

Add the peas, chicken broth and curry powder. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook at a simmer until the peas are tender and not holding their shape any longer, approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Using care and a stick blender, puree the soup until the desired consistency. Watch out for hot splatters.

quinoa and cilantro salad

by summer

1 cup quinoa
water for soaking

1 cup water

½ cup cilantro

2 large carrots

dressing

3 T. olive oil

a few squeezes of lemon

2 large cloves garlic

1 to 2 T. minced red onion

½ tsp. salt, or more to taste

**rinse quinoa with warm water, place in a bowl and cover with water. let soak 12-24 hours.
next day: bring 1 cup of salted water to a boil and add drained quinoa. reduce heat, cover, and let simmer 15-20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. while quinoa is cooling, chop cilantro and carrot, combine dressing ingredients in a small jar and whisk or shake to combine. i would recommend adding the veggies and all of the dressing to half of the batch of quinoa to start, taste and see if it's too strong, and add more quinoa to balance it out if needed. reserve leftover quinoa to make more salad later! enjoy at room temp or chilled.

strawberry rhubarb raspberry jam

Summer Harms

adapted from the camp shetek golden anniversary cookbook

4 cups chopped rhubarb 

1 cup strawberries 

2 cups sugar

1 (3 oz.) box of raspberry jello (i've always preferred raspberry, but you can go with any kind of berry)

1. bring rhubarb, strawberries, and sugar to a boil.

2. boil for 5 minutes, skimming off the foam as it forms.

3. reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes more, stirring often.

4. remove from heat. add jello and stir until completely dissolved.

5. let cool, stirring occasionally. when completely cool, pour into jars and store in fridge or freezer.

note. if possible, when you get to the jello step, use a utensil that is already stained and you don't care if it gets a deeper splotch of red.

Whole-wheat Pooris

Holy cow

Ingredients:

2 cups whole-wheat durum flour (can use regular whole-wheat flour)

1 tsp canola or other vegetable oil

About 3/4 cup of water for kneading

1/4 cup soy yogurt (optional)

1/2 tsp salt

Canola or peanut oil for frying

In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the ingredients other than the water until the flour resembles coarse crumbs.

Adding the water a little at a time, knead the flour into a stiff but pliable dough. You may need more or less water, sometimes depending on the humidity in your area that day. Add more flour if the dough becomes too sticky. Continue kneading for a couple of minutes after the flour comes together.


Place the dough in an airtight container or in a bowl covered with plastic wrap and set aside for at least half an hour.

Now break off a piece of the dough and roll into a smooth ball between the palms of your hands, about 3/4-inch in diameter. Roll the ball in some flour and then roll into a circle about 3 inches in diameter. The dough should not stick easily, but if it does, flour the surface as needed.

Do not use a rolling pin with ball-bearings-- the kind you'd use to roll pie dough-- because it is too heavy for the job. Instead, get a slender rolling pin about an inch in diameter, at most, and use that. It's lighter and easier to manipulate and within no time you'll be a pro at using it to make all sorts of Indian breads. I bought mine from the Indian grocery store in my area. Tip: to ensure that your pooris fluff up perfectly, try and roll the dough evenly. Don't press down on the rolling pin: apply the gentlest of pressures with your palms, just enough to keep it rolling. A great way to also ensure that you get a perfect and even round is to rotate the dough just a little bit each time you roll -- that will make the poori perfectly round and even.

Continue making pooris with the rest of the dough. You can lay them out on a cookie sheet and it's okay if they overlap a bit- when the dough is fresh they won't easily stick to each other.

Meanwhile, in a frying pan (a kadai or any container with a rounded bottom works best for this. I don't have a kadai so I use a 6-inch cast-iron skillet), pour oil to a depth of 1 inch.

Heat the oil to 375 degrees-- a frying or candy thermometer is a great investment. But another way to do this is to break off a teeny tiny bit of the dough and put it in the frying pan. If it sinks to the bottom and rises immediately, your oil is hot enough. If not, wait. Putting foods in cold oil is a surefire way to make the food suck in all the oil and what you'll get is oil-clogged, limp and inedible pooris.

Once the oil is perfectly hot, place a poori in the center of the frying pan. Using a kitchen spider or a spatula with holes in it (I've no idea what it's called) like the one I have, push down the center of the poori into the oil, gently with the edge of the spatula, until the poori begins to puff up.




After the poori has puffed up completely, turn over and cook the other side for another 30 seconds or until that side becomes golden-brown.

Remove to a plate or preferably a colander lined with paper napkins and allow the pooris to drain for a minute. Serve hot with any spicy Indian curry or kurma. I think they go especially well with potato subzi andchickpea curry.