Wheat Bread

I discovered my new favorite wheat bread recipe in this week's Deseret News food section. The article recommended using white wheat and adding wheat gluten (gives the dough elasticity and improves texture) and dough enhancer (helps the bread rise and gives a lighter texture.) The results were perfect! It was soft and squishy and had a great flavor. It wasn't too dense like most whole wheat bricks...I mean loaves! It took me about 15 seconds to mill my wheat, about 15 minutes to mix it up, an hour and a half of rising time, and 25 minutes in the oven. That's what I love about bread, minimal preparation, most of the time the dough is doing it's own work, and I get the delicious results at the end. If you've been collecting wheat for your food storage, this is the recipe to try it out on.

WHEAT BREAD

2 1/2 c. warm water
1 1/2 T. yeast
6 - 7 c. whole wheat flour
1/3 c. honey
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 1/2 T. dough enhancer
1 T. wheat gluten
1 - 2 T. milled flax seed (optional-yay extra fiber!)
2 1/2 t. salt
1 t. vegetable oil to coat hands for hand-kneading

1. Combine warm water, yeast, and 2 c. flour in a large mixing bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes.
2. Add honey, oil, dough enhancer, gluten, flax seed, and salt.
3. Mix flour in a 1/2 cup at a time. Continue adding until the dough begins to clean the sides of the mixing bowl. The dough should be smooth and elastic. Be careful not to add too much flour or the dough will be too stiff and dry.
4. Knead by hand 7 - 10 minutes or about 6 minutes with an electric mixer.
5. Let rise until double, about 1 hour.
6. Punch down and shape into two loaves. To do this I roll it into about a 7 x 13 rectangle (eyeball it.) Then roll it up into a loaf shape. Pinch the bottom seam and ends. Place in greased loaf pans.
7. Let rise until double, about 30-45 minutes.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown. It should sound hollow when tapped.
9. Brush with butter and let cool on racks.

*Just a note: I buy dough enhancer and vital wheat gluten at Kitchen Kneads in West Jordan. I've also seen it at Macey's.
*I halved the recipe because I only wanted one loaf and it turned out great. As I've mentioned before, I would rather bake bread every day and eat it fresh than settle for day old, dried out bread. However, I did have a little bit of bread left over and was surprised to discover that it was still just as soft the next day. This was an amazing recipe.

Beef Stew

Yesterday I tried two recipes from the newspaper that turned out to be successful. One was a slow-cooker beef stew that I just happened to have most of the ingredients for. I didn't have a can of beef broth so I used water and beef bouillon and the frozen peas I thought I had could not be located in either freezer. That didn't stop me because the beauty of a stew, is that you can add more of another ingredient to make up for one that you might not have on hand. I plugged the slow-cooker in at 2:00 p.m., started the homemade bread, and by 6:00 dinner was ready to be served. You've got to love a success like that!

BEEF STEW-Deseret News-Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross

1 c. cubed white potatoes (I used 3 potatoes to make up for the missing peas.)
1 c. baby carrots (I used about 1 1/2 cups, leave them whole.)
1 c. diced celery
8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 1/2 lbs. lean beef cubes (I cut up half of a cross rib roast.)
1/2 of an envelope dry onion soup mix (Lipton)
2 bay leaves
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. dried thyme (I used ground thyme.)
1/4 t. black pepper
1 can beef broth (I used 2 c. water + 2 t. beef bouillon.)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 c. frozen green peas
3 T. cornstarch + 3 T. water

1. Cut up all vegetables and stew meat.
2. Layer ingredients in the order listed above except for the peas and cornstarch. The potatoes and carrots need to be at the bottom in order to cook completely. Do not stir until later.
3. Cover and cook: crock pot 8 - 10 hours; slow-cooker on medium 4 hours. At 8 hours (or 3 1/2 hours depending on what kind of appliance you used,) remove lid, stir well and add frozen peas.
   
4. Mix the cornstarch with water and combine well. Gently stir in half of the cornstarch. Add remaining cornstarch as needed to reach desired consistency.
   
5. Serve immediately.
   

Italian Nachos

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Honestly, I've been making some of our old stand-by meals and I'm working the bugs out of a couple of recipes. Oh, and we've been eating out more than we should...speaking of which, one of my favorite appetizers comes from Johnny Carino's. I love their Italian nachos. This dish consists of crispy pasta chips that are drizzled with Alfredo sauce, and covered with meat, cheese, and veggies. Yum! It can be served as a side or a main dish and would be a fun and unique party food. Just line up the ingredients, put the Alfredo in a fondue pot and let your guests build their own nachos.

ITALIAN NACHOS

CHIPS
wonton wrappers (Found in the refrigerated produce section of the store.)
oil for frying

TO MAKE CHIPS

1. Heat oil over medium heat. Drop a small piece of a wonton in to check the heat level. It should immediately float to the top and get covered with tiny air bubbles.
2. The wontons come shaped in squares. While the oil is heating, slice them diagonally so you end up with two triangles. This makes them easier to eat. I usually use half of a package for 4 people.
   
3. Drop the triangles into the hot oil making sure they stay separated from each other. Fry on each side for about 30 seconds. They should be slightly browned. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.

TOPPINGS
1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2 green onions, sliced
2 chicken breasts, roasted and thinly sliced
black olives, sliced
jalapenos

1. Shred, slice, and dice all toppings.
   
2. Cook the chicken. I sprinkle it with salt and pepper or Morton's Nature's Seasoning. Thinly slice it.
   

ALFREDO SAUCE

1 T. butter
1 T. flour
2 c. half and half
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 t. black pepper
1 t. salt
1 chicken bouillon cube

1. Melt butter, then add the flour to create a roux. Let it slightly brown. It will be very thick.
2. Slowly whisk in the half and half. Once the mixture is combined add the bouillon cube. Once small bubbles appear around the edge of the pan, allow the sauce to simmer, whisking constantly, for about 5 minutes. The sauce will still look a little runny.
   
3. Add the salt and pepper.
   
4. Add the Parmesan. This will thicken up the sauce. If it seems to thick after the cheese melts, slowly whisk in a little more half and half or milk until it reaches a consistency you like.
   

ASSEMBLY

1. Place chips on plate and add desired toppings. Top off with several spoonfuls of sauce. Serve immediately.
   

Oat Rolls

I found this great recipe in the 2006 Taste of Home cookbook. I love it because it uses up my huge stash of oatmeal. (Remember the 50 lb. bags from an earlier post!) It makes two 9 x 13 pans of rolls so it's a great one to take to a potluck or family dinner. I've also frozen them in the pan before letting them rise...my own version of Rhodes. I bake one pan and freeze the other one. This way if I'm only making them for my family we don't waste the other whole pan of them. So far it has worked every time.

OAT ROLLS

2 c. oatmeal
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. butter, cut into pieces
1 T. salt
2 1/2 c. boiling water
2 pkgs. yeast (4 1/2 t.)
1/2 c. warm water
5 1/2 - 6 1/2 c. flour
additional butter to melt on top

1. In a non-metal bowl (a metal bowl takes too long to cool off and will kill the yeast), combine oats, brown sugar, butter, and salt. Stir in boiling water. Let soak and cool to 110 - 115. Usually around 10 - 15 minutes.
2. In another bowl dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Combine the oat mixture with the yeast in your mixer and then add 2 cups of flour.
4. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. I usually end up adding almost 6 1/2 c. of flour. It will be different depending on the type of flour you use.
5. Knead about 5 minutes with a mixer, 10 minutes by hand.
6. Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour.
7. Punch dough down. Form into small balls and place in a greased 9 x 13 glass pan. I do 3 across with 5 down=a total of 15 per pan.
8. Cover and let resie until doubled, about 45 minutes.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 mimnutes until golden brown.
10. Brush with melted butter. I like to add a lot of butter. You can also sprinkle with grated Parmesan for an interesting change in flavor.
    

Spaghetti Pie

Three words: simple, fast, yummy. This is a twist on traditional spaghetti that I like to call "cheater lasagna." Everyone in my family loves this but I must admit, they picked off the green peppers. It's a great dish to make with leftover spaghetti noodles and goes together super fast using commercial spaghetti sauce. The noodle "crust" made with Parmesan cheese makes this dish flavorful and unique.

SPAGHETTI PIE

6 oz. uncooked spaghetti
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb. hamburger
1 small onion, chopped
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 jar (16 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 green bell pepper cut into rings
1 c. shredded mozzarella

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Combine cooked spaghetti, Parmesan and eggs. Form a crust by pressing into the bottom and ups the sides of a 9-inch square baking dish or a deep dish pie plate.
3. Brown hamburger with onion and mushrooms. Drain grease.
   
4. Stir spaghetti sauce into the drained hamburger mixture.
5. Spoon beef-sauce mixture over spaghettie crust.
6. Top with bell pepper rings and sprinkle with mozzarella.
7. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
8. YIELD: 4 - 6 servings.
   

Jumbo Shells & Cheese

My kids love these cheese filled jumbo shells. It's another easy to put together dinner that can be made complete with a side salad and garlic bread. The recipe is from the box of American Beauty Jumbo Shells. Having it printed on the box makes it easy to shop for the ingredients at the store. You can use commercial spaghetti sauce to make it easy or try this link for my favorite sauce if you have more time.

JUMBO SHELLS & CHEESE

1 pkg (12 oz.) jumbo shells
4 c. (2 lb. container) ricotta cheese
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
3/4 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
3 c. (28 oz. jar) spaghetti sauce

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
3. In a large bowl, stir together cheese, eggs, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper.
4. Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in a 9 x 13 pan.
5. Fill each cooked shell with about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture. Layer in baking dish.
6. Pour remaining sauce over shells.
7. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan.
8. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until bubbly.
9. YIELD: 8 - 10 servings. You can successfully cut this recipe in half or make the whole thing and freeze half for another dinner.
   

Blueberry Muffins

Not only are these muffins beautiful, they taste fantastic! You will never want to make muffins from a box again. I love the struesel and toasty nut topping. And you can't beat the fresh blueberries. What made these even more appealing was the great deal I got on the blueberries. Smith's had an 8-hour sale on Friday afternoon. The blueberries were priced at $1 per carton. Of course when I got there they were gone so the nice clerk gave me a raincheck and Monday morning, I got a phone call saying they were in. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them. The photo above is the result. We loved them!

Blueberry Muffins-Mad About Muffins Cookbook

6 T. softened butter
2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
2 c. flour
1/2 c. milk
2 c. fresh or frozen blueberies

Streusel Topping:

2 T. softened butter
2 T. brown sugar
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. chopped nuts (I used slivered almonds, you could also use pecans or walnuts.)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs.
4. Add the vanilla, baking powder, and salt.
5. Mix in half of the flour and the milk alternately, mixing gently by hand.
6. Add the remaining flour and milk.
7. Stir in the blueberries.
8. Fill greased muffin tins or foil baking cups.
9. To make the streusel topping, cut the butter into the brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts. I used a pastry blender. If you don't have one cut the butter into small pieces and press into the sugar and nuts until crumbly.
10. Sprinkle the topping over batter before baking the muffins.
11. Bake 25-30 minutes until lightly browned.
12. Yield: 1 dozen regular sized muffins.