White Sandwich Bread

I love making bread.  It takes a long time, but basically it is just waiting. But the end result, a beautiful loaf of crusty bread that melts in you mouth is an awesome reward.  Ever since my daughter has been conscious of her soy allergy, I have been making her bread, and rolls.  It seems that soy is in everything. Soy flour is in most packaged breads and rolls at the store.  We found that the gluten free products usually do not contain soy, but are leaking in the texture department as compare to a regular loaf of white bread.  So, I am a bread maker.  I do not use a bread making machine, but I do use a Kitchen-Aide mixer with the dough hook attachment.  And I do knead it by hand for at least 3 minutes. And it is delicious.  Time well spent. Knowing what I am putting into my family means a lot.

This recipe makes 2 loaves or 12 buns.


4  1/2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 TBSP sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
1 lg egg, beaten
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 1/2 c buttermilk

Mix together flour, salt, sugar and yeast in the bowl of an electic mixer. Pour in the egg, oil and milk and mix at low speed with the dough hook while scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula until all of the flour is absorbed.  If the dough is too dry you may add a bit more milk.
Either knead by hand on a lightly greased counter or in the mixer bowl with the hook. Knead for about 6-8 minutes.
Lightly oil the bowl that you mixed the dough in and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling the dough to coat with oil.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm spot for 1 1/2 -2 hours. Until doubled in size.
Remove the dough and divide into 2 pieces (for loaves) or 12 pieces for buns.  Shape the pieces accordingly and allow to rest on a greased baking sheet in a warm place for 1-1 1/2 hrs until doubled in size again.  For loaves you will place in greased loaf pans.
Preheat the oven to 350 for loaves and 400 for buns.  Bake the rolls for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Bake the loaves for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove immediately and allow to cool on a baking rack.

Crepes

My kids tried crepes once, and they fell in love. Crepes are a great breakfast, especially for a weekend. I usually make them on a weedend and if I have leftovers, or make a double batch, I can make them on a school day. You can stuff your crepe with whatever spread you like, and with whatever fruit you desire.  Our favorite fillings are lemon/ lime curd, Nutella, any berry ( raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, blackberry) and banana.  And of course you need some fresh whipped cream and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.  

11/2 c flour

1 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 c milk
2 TBSP butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl.  Prepare a small pan with either cooking spray or butter.  Pour a scant 1/4 cup of batter into the hot pan. Swirl around to cover the bottom of the pan.  Cook a few minutes until light brown. Carefully flip and cook on the other side until light brown. Serve immediately.  Or stack between wax paper and keep warm until ready to serve.  

We place one crepe on a plate, spread with a spread of your choice and some fresh berries down the center, add a dollop or two of whipped cream and fold sides on top of each other.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  



Whipped cream

1 cup heavy cream
2 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and whip with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form.  The whipped cream can be made up to an hour in advance and kept in the refrigerator.  Whisk slightly before using.   

Pasta with Sausage and Spinach

We all have busy days. Some days it never stops. Quickly getting kids off to school, and then either going to work yourself, or busy running errands or just getting things done around the house, and not to mention running those kids to their various sports practices.  

I have a few go-to recipes for these hectic days.  It only takes about 25 minutes, it is very tasty, and fills you up.  So you can do the rest of things on your to do list, that is never ending.  

The recipe is versatile, in the fact that you can use any pasta that you have on hand. Gnocchi is the best for the recipe, but tortellini, farfalle or penne work well also.  And I usually use hot sausage, because that is what we like, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. There are a lot of flavored sausages out there and I am sure they would add a different twist to the recipe. 

1 pound pasta

1 TBSP olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 pound sausage , casing removed

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 5oz bag baby spinach

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

3/4 cup grated Parmesan , plus more for garnish

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium het. Add the onion and cook until translucent , about 5 minutes.  Add the sausage and cook, crumbling it with a spoon as it cooks. Cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic, spinach, salt, and pepper and cook while stirring, until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes.  Add the drained pasta, the reserved pasta water and the Parmesan cheese. Toss thoroughly. Serve with additional grated cheese. 

German Pancake

I love having breakfast together as a family on a Sunday morning.  The problem is~ my kids LOVE their sleep!! One way to get them to get up is the aroma of a nice breakfast.  The smell of bacon and a sweet pancake.  This pancake puffs up beautifully, but it does deflate when it comes out of the hot oven. This picture is right as I was sprinkling with the powdered sugar.  It is even more delicious when topped with some fresh berries.

6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt 
2 tsp vanilla
2. TBSP butter
Confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 400.  Whisk together eggs, milk, flour ,sugar ,salt and vanilla in a large bowl.  Melt the butter in a 10 inch cast iron pan over medium heat.   Turn off the heat. Pour the egg mixture into the hot skillet. With pot holders, carefully transfer the hot skillet to the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until pancake is golden and puffed.  Sift confectioners sugar over top of pancake and serve immediately.  

North Carolina-Style Pulled Pork

Who doesn't like a good pulled pork Sammy? I've always had traditional BBQ pork sandwiches. You know, the kind with the red BBQ sauce. And they were good. But then I found out about this other kind of sauce. The vinegar based "Carolina-style".  And I was hooked! Mine is a bit spicy, but that makes it so much better.  My girls absolutely love the sauce.... They would love to drink it, lol!  Not really, but they do load the sandwiches up with extra sauce.  Make sure to let it rest overnight for added flavor.
I make the a large pork shoulder and double the sauce. It serves a nice dinner for 8-10 and leftovers.
I use my gas grill, but if you do use a charcoal grill, you may want to add seasoned wood chips.  And you need to cook it over indirect heat. Indirect heat is as the name suggests, the food is placed next to,not directly over the fire.  This method is used for cooking larger pieces of meat that require long, slow cooking at a low or moderate temperature(275-350). My grill has 3 burners and I light the two outside and put the meat on the center burner.  It works perfectly.  
I found a great way to shred the pork, place it in a mixer bowl and gently mix with the paddle attachment. It takes only a few minutes.


Pulled Pork

1 8 pound bone-in pork shoulder, with skin
1 head of garlic, peeled and separated
3/4 cup Memphis Shake
2 batches North Carolina-Style BBQ Sauce
8-10 round rolls

Make small holes all over the meat with a sharp knife and insert the cloves of garlic.  Rub the meat with the Memphis Shake,  cover and allow to sit in the fridge overnight.
Prepare an outdoor grill with an indirect medium-hot fire. Place the pork on an aluminum pan, skin side up with 1 1/4 cups of water. Place the pan on he cooler part of the grill. 
Make sure that the grill stays at a medium-hot temperature. Rotate the pork in about 3-4 hours. This will ensure that it is cooking evenly.
Cook the meat until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork registers 180 degrees, about 6 hours.
Set aside 1 quart of the sauce. With the remaining 1 quart of the sauce you will mop the surface of the pork with the sauce every 20 minutes until the instant read thermometer reads 200 degrees, 1-2 hours more.
Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for a good 15 minutes.  Remove the outside skin and dis guard.  Cut large chunks from the meat and shred. Toss with the reserved sauce. About 1 cup sauce to every 3 cups meat. Pile the pork on the rolls and enjoy.  

Memphis Shake
Whisk 1/4 cup sweet paprika
          3 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
          2 tbsp dried oregano
          2 tbsp granulated garlic
           1 tbsp ancho chili powder
           2 tsp kosher salt
           1 tsp celery salt

store in an airtight container.


North Carolina-Style BBQ sauce

3 cups cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 TBSP crushed red pepper
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Heat the vinegar and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients.  Makes about 1 quart.

French Onion Soup

I have always loved French Onion Soup. I love the onions. I love the broth.  I love the gooey cheese. I love the crusty bread. And I love how it is so damn hot, that you have to slurp it to really get the experience. ( my girls HATE this part)



1 stick of unsalted butter
6 large onions (i used 3 Vidalia, 3 yellow) thinly sliced
1 cup Dry White Wine
4 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
4 cups beef broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
Worcestershire sauce ( a few dashes, to taste)
Crusty bread (6 slices)
Gruyere cheese, grated
(or your favorite Swiss)

Preheat oven to 400.
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, covered for 20 minutes.
After the 20 minutes, place the pot with the lid slightly ajar into the oven and cook for an hour or so. Stirring once so the onions do not burn.
Remove pot from oven and return to stove top.  Add the wine and stir, getting all of the burned little bits off of the pot. Turn the heat to medium high. Cook for a few minutes, allowing the wine to reduce.  Add both of the broths, the garlic, and a few dashes of Worcestershire. I used about 10.  Lower the heat to low and simmer for 30-45 minutes.
 Set the oven to broil.
Butter your slices of bread and toast under the broiler for a few minutes. 
Ladle your soup into 6 oven safe bowls or ramekins. Place the bowls on a baking sheet for easy handling  Top each with a slice of toasted bread and a generous handful of grated cheese.
Broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden in color. 
Serve immediately.


Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Perfect Salmon

My family loves salmon. We try to have it as much as possible for a few reasons; it is very healthy
super easy to make, and everyone will eat it.

i found the recipe from  The Pioneer Woman. She served hers with a caper sauce that I loved, but never seem to remember to make. So usually we just eat it plain. But it is delicious!!

I make half of it with salt and pepper and half with Wegman's BBQ seasoning.  If you haven't tried Wegman's BBQ seasoning- you must go out and get some today!!! It is great!!

So, you get a nice piece of salmon and lay it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Drizzle this beautiful fish with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, Wegman's BBQ seasoning, or your favorite seasoning. 
Place this in a COLD oven and set the oven to 400. Bake for 25-30 minutes. This is perfect every single time. Tender, moist, and flaky.

My daughter makes this at college, and it comes out perfect for her too. Since she only cooks a small portion she checks on it at 20 minutes.